You Bring the Distant Near

Over four decades, the Das family travels from Ghana to London and finally to New York City where the family starts a new life, but when the father dies, the mother, Ranee, makes a startling decision to stay in the US with her two daughters rather than return home. The novel chronicles the family conflicts and cultural issues that arise as the family finds its feet, makes decisions, daughters are married, and grandchildren are born. This timely, coming-of-age novel deals with issues teens face today including family relationships, loss of a loved one, the struggle to find one’s identity, the immigrant experience, and interracial marriage, and is suitable as an independent or literature circle novel.