After his mother, Juanita, goes out for a quick hit of cocaine and is trapped for a week by her dealer, ten-year-old Anton is fostered out to a blue-blooded judge. Wonderful writer's writer Umrigar moves beyond the Indian and Indian American experience; with a 35,000-copy first printing.

When nine-year-old Anton is abandoned for a week by his drug-addicted mother, he enters the foster system and is taken in by David Coleman, a judge from a prominent political family, and his wife, Delores, who are still coping with the untimely loss of their son. David's position and connections allow him to manipulate the situation to his advantage and, as he believes, Anton's. In college, Anton must confront the dissonance between his early life and his adoptive family when he becomes romantically involved with the volatile and outspoken Carine. Later, when Anton starts his own political career, he is no longer able to escape early injustices done on his behalf and begins his journey toward becoming whole. Umrigar (Bombay Time) takes on the tricky task of exploring race in America, choosing a narrowly focused story regarding one family rather than attempting a broader sweep. She exposes the unconscious bias of powerful white liberals such as David, who fails to consider or understand the bond between Anton and his birth mother. VERDICT While the depiction of Anton's political rise during the last half of the book feels somewhat generic, his personal journey is a moving one that many fiction readers can appreciate. [See Prepub Alert, 12/12/16.]—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

When nine-year-old Anton first enters foster care, he still believes his mother is coming back for him. However, his new foster father, David Coleman, hopes she stays away for a long time. Since his biological son's death five years ago, David's been searching for someone to fill the void in his and his wife's lives. David never imagined the child they'd take in would be black, but Anton seems to be adjusting well to the world of the rich, white, and privileged. David rationalizes that if he must do something dishonest to keep the boy, it is only because he wants to protect him and give him a better life. With every advantage that money can buy and nepotism can offer, Anton spends the next several decades advancing in society and following in his politician father's footsteps. But when the secrets of his past are finally revealed, Anton's identity is shaken to the core. Jarring and beautiful, Umrigar's novel examines complex social issues with brutal honesty, but also creates accessible characters with relatable motives, reminding us of the deep-seated racism that exists even in the places we don't think to look. (June)