Audiobooks narrated by Priya Ayyar

"A young academic moves from India to the United States, where she navigates first love, a green card marriage, single motherhood, and more in this "delightful novel, written with immediacy, warmth, and wry humor" (Ha Jin, National Book Award–winning author of Waiting). Vega Gopalan is adrift. Still reeling from the death of her sister years earlier, she leaves South India to attend graduate school at Columbia University. In New York, Vega straddles many different worlds, eventually moving in and out of a series of relationships that take her through the striving world of academia, the intellectual isolation of the immigrant suburbs, and, ultimately, the loneliness of single motherhood. But it is the birth of Vega's daughter that forces the novel's central question: What does it mean to make a home? Written with dry humor and searing insight, Habitations is an "irresistible debut" (Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) about identity, immigration, expectation, desire, and love lost and found. But it is also a universal story of womanhood, and the ways in which women are forced to navigate multiple loyalties: to family, to community, and to themselves. A "sweeping, immersive, and utterly perfect" (Weike Wang, author of Chemistry) meditation on the many meanings of home and on the ways love and kinship can be found, even in the most unfamiliar of places, Habitations introduces Sheila Sundar as an electrifying new voice in literary fiction."

Sheila Sundar (Author), Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

"Sixteen extraordinary authors subvert mental health stereotypes in this powerful and uplifting mix-genre collection of fiction. A boxer whose strength is tested more outside the ring than in it. A hiker who develops magical powers when her serotonin is finally balanced. A teen activist wrestling with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A boy whose uncontrollable tears help enable another’s healing … In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their own lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart and stitch it back together stronger than before. Through powerful prose and verse, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes and remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn’t mean you are defined by it."

Alechia Dow, Anna Drury, Ebony Stewart, Francisco Stork, Isabel Quintero, James Bird, Jonathan Kastin, Karen Bao, Marcella Pixley, Mercedes Acosta, Nikki Grimes, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Patrick Downes, Rocky Callen, Sonia Patel, Val Howlett (Author), Ana Osorio, Maxwell Glick, Merissa Czyz, Priya Ayyar, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Sophie Oda, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Vico Ortiz (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Dos and Donuts of Love

"Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop. Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them—and not just in the kitchen. As the competition intensifies, Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and more—including potential sabotage—if she wants a sweet victory!"

Adiba Jaigirdar (Author), Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Love from Mecca to Medina

"On the trip of a lifetime, Adam and Zayneb must find their way back to each other in this surprising and romantic sequel to the "bighearted, wildly charming" (Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author) Love from A to Z that's a "contemplative exploration of faith, love, and the human condition" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart. Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable. Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it's the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can't wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need. But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam's former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she's supposed to be "spiritual." As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?"

S. K. Ali (Author), Priya Ayyar, S. K. Ali, Tim Chiou (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sultana's Dream and Padmarag

"One of the first science-fiction utopian stories and one of the first feminist utopias by celebrated pioneering feminist, educator, activist, and Bengali writer Rokeya Hossain A Penguin Classics Edition Sultana, a Muslim woman living in colonial India, falls asleep and wakes up in a transformed future world: a utopia in which men rather than women are relegated to the domestic sphere. Women, now free to explore the outside world at will and pursue an education, run a peaceful and just society, using scientific principles to harvest energy from the sun and live in harmony with nature. Sultana's Dream was published in 1905 in the Indian Ladies Magazine, the first English language periodical edited by, and targeted at, Indian women. Like the periodical, the story broke new ground. As a pioneering work of science fiction and feminist utopian literature at the turn of the century, Sultana's Dream is strikingly advanced in its critique of patriarchy, war, industrialization, and the exploitation of the natural world, speaking to the concerns of our contemporary world as much as its own. At a time when British colonialism was using the treatment of women in India as justification for colonial intervention there, Hossain's story, in imagining a world in which men rather than women are kept inside, positions her protest against Islamic patriarchy within a larger feminist vision that takes on Western as well as Islamic forms of gender hierarchy. Her novella Padmarag is similarly utopian in its depiction of a women-run school and welfare center, and is both feminist and anti-colonial in its outlook. In both these works, Hossain seizes the critique of gender roles in India away from Western commentators and turns it against British interference, while also enlarging the critique to take on the problem of gender more broadly."

Rokeya Hossain (Author), Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

This Is One Way to Dance: Essays

"A powerful meditation on identity and belonging, Sejal Shah explores the tension of being both invisible and hyper-visible in a country that struggles with race. The daughter of immigrants from Indian and Kenya, Shah wrestles with her experiences growing up in—and returning to—western New York, an area of stark racial and socioeconomic segregation. Her work illuminates how we are all marked by family and place; by the limits of our bodies; by our losses and regrets; by who and what we love; by our ambivalences and our silences. This is a book about growing up Indian in non-Indian places, about what it means to be American, South Asian American, a writer of color, and a feminist. Shah considers the implications of being asked where are you from—the geographic and cultural distances between people, how these gaps are imagined and real, constructed and changing. These literary essays will certainly appeal to readers of short stories and poetry as well."

Sejal Shah (Author), Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Perfect Neighborhood

"When actress and model Allison Langley leaves her former rockstar husband in the middle of the night, it’s all her Oak Hill neighbors can talk about. But the gossip comes to an abrupt halt when five-year-old Billy Barnes goes missing on his walk home from kindergarten. Billy’s mother, Rachel, blames herself for being at work and letting her only child walk alone. Cassidy, Billy’s teenage babysitter, was also late to arrive on the afternoon he disappeared and blames herself for his disappearance. As the clock ticks down, police are unable to find any trace of Billy, forcing Rachel to ponder the enemies she’s made in their well-off suburb. Could it be one of her neighbors who stole her son? Would they abduct Billy to hurt her? How easy would it be to take a child while the parents or nannies are distracted? When another child goes missing, the town is put under a microscope as the police try to get to the bottom of the disappearances. Will they be able to find the two children, or will it be too late? What secrets lie at the heart of this tragedy, and how far will one go to keep those dangerous secrets buried?"

Liz Alterman (Author), Amanda Dolan, Gail Shalan, Hillary Huber, Laura Jennings, Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Peril at Pennington Manor

"Thanks to Aunt Midge’s unlikely friendship with Nicholas Pennington, the Duke of Valle Charme, Avery Ayers and her associates at Antiques and Artifacts Appraised head off to their most glamorous assignment yet—cataloguing and appraising the contents of a castle-like mansion on the Hudson River. But regal splendor becomes a backdrop to mayhem when the precious Viktor Petrova timepiece disappears—and housekeeper Suzanne Vick plummets from a parapet to her death. Avery, her dad William, and colleagues Micah Abbott and Sir Robert Lane soon learn that Suzanne’s predecessor also met with an untimely end. Further, the housekeeper’s suspicious demise coincides with Avery’s discovery that many of the Duke’s most priceless heirlooms have been replaced by fakes. Detective Art Smith lends his expertise, but the suspect list encompasses the Duke’s entire retinue—including his family. Could the killer be someone intimately familiar with the Pennington estate, such as caretaker couple Ira and Lynn Hoffman, the Penningtons’ chauffeur Roderick, or even one of the heirs to the Pennington fortune? Then the duke himself is injured in an inexplicable riding accident, and the clock swiftly ticks toward a reckoning with a cold-blooded killer. A criminal mastermind is making a desperate bid for ill-gotten riches…can Avery bring the culprit to justice before her time is up?"

Tracy Gardner (Author), Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bound by Firelight

"The heart-pounding sequel to Cast in Firelight, perfect for fans of epic, sweepingly romantic fantasy by Sabaa Tahir, Susan Dennard, and Mary E. Pearson. After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar's nastiest criminals-many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay. Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa's betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante . . . but now he's just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he's going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won't be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources-a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk. Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already. . . . Now, can they save themselves? 'I was hooked from beginning to end!'-Kathryn Purdie, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Bone Crier's Moon 'Fans of Serpent & Dove's smart-alecky Lou and The Wrath and the Dawn's cunning Shazi should prepare themselves to fall head over heels for the fiery Adraa.'-Kelly Coon, author of the Gravemaidens duology"

Dana Swift (Author), Assaf Cohen, Dana Swift, Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cast in Firelight

"The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs, who are engaged and yet their loyalties are torn as a ruthless enemy threatens their world, perfect for fans of The Tiger at Midnight, We Hunt the Flame, and An Ember in the Ashes. Adraa and Jatin are heirs to the thrones of neighboring kindoms and each extraordinarily talented in the nine colors of magic. Their arranged marriage will unite much of Wickery's fractured world but, after years of rivalry from afar, they only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet. Except destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, each of them having adopted a secret identity. Amidst dodging deathly spells, Adraa and Jatin must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées? Partners? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction."

Dana Swift (Author), Assaf Cohen, Dana Swift, Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Pain Gap: How Sexism and Racism in Healthcare Kill Women

"Explore real women's tales of healthcare trauma and medical misogyny with this "masterfully written" (Sophia A. Nelson, bestselling author of The Woman Code and Black Woman Redefined), meticulously researched, in-depth examination of the women's health crisis in America—and what we can do about it. When Anushay Hossain became pregnant in the US, she was so relieved. Growing up in Bangladesh in the 1980s, where the concept of women's healthcare hardly existed, she understood how lucky she was to access the best in the world. But she couldn't have been more wrong. Things started to go awry from the minute she stepped into the hospital, and after thirty hours of labor (two of which she spent pushing), Hossain's epidural slipped. Her pain was so severe that she ran a fever of 104 degrees, and as she shook and trembled uncontrollably, the doctors finally performed an emergency C-section. Giving birth in the richest country on earth, Hossain never imagined she could die in labor. But she almost did. The experience put her on a journey to explore, understand, and share how women—especially women of color—are dismissed to death by systemic sexism in American healthcare. Following in the footsteps of feminist manifestos such as The Feminine Mystique and Rage Becomes Her, The Pain Gap is an "eye-opening" (Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts) and stirring call to arms that encourages women to flip their "hysteria complex" on its head and use it to revolutionize women's healthcare. This book tells the story of Hossain's experiences—from growing up in South Asia surrounded by staggering maternal mortality rates to lobbying for global health legislation on Capitol Hill to nearly becoming a statistic herself. Along the way, she realized that a little fury might be just what the doctor ordered. Meticulously researched and deeply reported, this "must-read" (Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her) book explores real women's traumatic experiences with America's healthcare system—and empowers everyone to use their experiences to bring about the healthcare revolution women need."

Anushay Hossain (Author), Priya Ayyar (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wild Ones

"From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all. We are the Wild Ones, and we will not be silenced. We are girls who have tasted the worst this world can offer. Our story begins with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother, sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escaped, she ran headlong into Taraana-a boy with stars in his eyes, a boy as battered as she was. He tossed Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. With the stars, Paheli gained access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like us, and we use our magic to travel the world, helping to save other girls from our pain, our scars. When Taraana reappears, he asks for our help. Dangerous magical forces are chasing him, and they will destroy him to get his powers. We will do everything to save him-if we can. For if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that...is a fate that we refuse to accept. Ever again."

Nafiza Azad (Author), Nafiza Azad, Priya Ayyar, Ulka Simone Mohanty (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Priya Ayyar