{"product_id":"members-only-isbn-9780358379928","title":"Members Only","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst the white members of Raj Bhatt’s posh tennis club call him racist. Then his life falls apart. Along the way, he wonders: where does he, a brown man, belong in America? This award-winning novel “offers deep insight into the ways the characters are shaped by racism” (\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e). \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn NPR Best Book · A Millions Most Anticipated Title of 2020 · A Rumpus Best Book for Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaj is often unsure of where he belongs. Having moved to America from Bombay as a child, he knew few Indian kids. Now middle-aged, he lives mostly happily in California, with a job at a university. Still, his white wife seems to fit in better than he does at times, especially at their tennis club, a place he’s cautiously come to love. But it’s there that, in one week, his life unravels. It begins at a meeting for potential new members: Raj thrills to find an African American couple on the list; he dreams of a more diverse club. But in an effort to connect, he makes a racist joke. The committee turns on him, no matter the years of prejudice he’s put up with. And worse still, he soon finds his job is in jeopardy after a group of students report him as a reverse racist, thanks to his alleged “anti-Western bias.” Heartfelt, humorous, and hard-hitting, \u003cem\u003eMembers Only\u003c\/em\u003e explores what membership and belonging mean, as Raj navigates the complicated space between black and white America.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist for the California Book Award * An NPR Best Book of 2020 * A \u003cem\u003eMillions\u003c\/em\u003e Most Anticipated Title of 2020 * A \u003cem\u003eRumpus\u003c\/em\u003e Best Book for Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “If 'Things Fall Apart' hadn’t already been taken, it would be an apt title for Pandya’s novel, which is as witty as it is woeful.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElisabeth Egan, New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"In Sameer Pandya’s heart-pounding novel, every word Raj Bhatt says, every action he takes, is consequential...This is a nail-biting read because Raj’s fate—a comfortable life unraveled by misinterpretations and words taken out of context—is all too familiar in today’s world.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNPR.org\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I binged-read \u003cem\u003eMembers Only\u003c\/em\u003e and it did not disappoint. ... Smart, funny, topical, and it does tennis right.\"   - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated's Beyond the Baseline\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In Pandya’s tense, sly debut novel (after the collection \u003cem\u003eThe Blind Writer\u003c\/em\u003e) a college lecturer faces accusations of racism and anti-American bias in a California suburb over the course of a fateful week. The taut, heartrending narrative offers deep insight into the ways the characters are shaped by racism. Pandya’s sympathetic portrait of Raj’s quest for acceptance will resonate with readers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A grand slam. … Pandya’s writing here is smooth, clear, funny, and often subtly beautiful. \u003cem\u003eMembers Only\u003c\/em\u003e is the thoughtful page-turner we need right now.”\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"As provocative as it is comedic. ... Facing social, professional, personal implosion—all in one week—might seem impossibly overdramatic, but \u003cem\u003eMembers Only\u003c\/em\u003e proves remarkably convincing. ... That said, don't expect all doom-and-gloom here: without ever eliding the gravity of serious social issues like racism, privilege and power, Pandya deftly manages to create a tragicomedy of errors driven by surprising wit, irreverent humor and razor-sharp insight.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “An intense, funny, and absolutely necessary novel about our current times. Accomplished storyteller Pandya has given all of us teachers a compulsive read for the days, the weeks, when we feel unmoored and even a slightly bit crazy.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWeike Wang, author of Chemistry and Joan is Okay\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Is extremely enjoyable anxiety a thing? Because that’s how I felt as I sped through Professor Raj Bhatt’s very bad week. A vital, tightly-written dive into our current swirl of confusion over privilege and power.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJade Chang, author of The Wangs vs. The World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eMembers Only \u003c\/em\u003eperfectly portrays how our careless words and casual comments have unintended ripple effects that couldn't possibly be predicted. This is a riveting story of misunderstanding and misrepresentation.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLaurie Gelman, author of Class Mom and You've Been Volunteered\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889931546853,"sku":"NP9780358379928","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780358379928.jpg?v=1730232212","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/members-only-isbn-9780358379928","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}