A fresh and taboo-breaking depiction of the Indian diaspora, for readers of Jhumpa Lahiri, Avni Doshi and Claire Kilroy

Lina never wanted children, but now there are two lines on the test. Where does she go from here?


Lina Solanki is pregnant and newly orphaned, living with her in-laws in their opulent Dubai villa. While her husband fails to make concrete plans to find their own place and tensions in their marriage grow, Lina's mother-in-law interferes with every aspect of the pregnancy. When proof of a horrifying family secret arrives from Mumbai, Lina realises that she has a choice when it comes to her baby, her marriage and her place in the world - but is it a choice she wants to make?

A bittersweet yet life-affirming debut revealing family life behind closed doors, Shape of an Apostrophe is a taboo-breaking exploration of motherhood, obedience, rebellion and the surprising persistence of love.

Details

ISBN13: 9781800819900
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 288
Edition: Main
Publication Date: 08 Jul 2025
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 21.6(H)x13.8(L)x2.6(W)304
Weight (gm): 304

Author Biography

Uttama Kirit Patel is a writer, a resident of twelve cities over four decades, and the founding editor of South Asian Parent. She was a semi-finalist of the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest 2016 and nominated for the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers 2017.

Reviews

'Wonderfully thought-provoking and very moving' - Marian Keyes