You Bring the Distant Near

You Bring the Distant Near has been on my TBR for a few years now. Yet, I never got around to reading it because I often don’t enjoy sagas that span generations. The cover says, ‘Five girls. Three generations. One great American love story.’ I wondered if I wanted to read a book spanning generations. Plus, the cover made me wonder if I would be reading yet another American immigration story.

I suppose the answer is ‘yes and no’. It is an immigration story, yes, but it is both simpler and more nuanced than many others that I’ve read.

You Bring the Distant Near is about finding your place in the world, whether or not your identity spans continents. In some ways, it’s simplistic because it feels like finding your “happily ever after” is a straightforward, uncomplicated journey. Yet, the very simplicity of it was a breath of fresh air. I liked that it was not charged and complicated, and that despite that, the characters did not emerge as flat, undeveloped figures.

While I did have a quarrel with the cover (the dancer looks like a Bharatanatyam dancer, not a Kathak one), I loved the title. It encapsulates the book perfectly, especially as each character in the story finds a different “you” who brings the distant near.

A story about love, family, belonging and identity, You Bring the Distant Near is a warm and gentle read, inviting us into a family that, like most families, is both complex and simple. A lovely, quick read, I was drawn into the story and enjoyed how it unfolded as I turned the pages.