Book Description
"The most promising debut I've read in decades." —Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of Our Country Friends

From a brilliant new voice in fiction, a darkly comic and moving story about death, life, and community in a South Asian suburban enclave of New Jersey.

When Matthew Pillai is found dead, slumped over the wheel of his BMW, the women of Willow Road are roped into the investigation of their friend's death.

At the center of the case are the Sharmas—Anita, a widow whose late husband introduced Matthew to the neighborhood, and her boundary-pushing daughter, Leila, who called him Uncle. To Anita, who has been in freefall since her arrival in the United States as a young woman, Matthew's presence offered hope, including a promise of betterment for Leila. The truth, however, is far stranger.

In this darkly funny debut, the women of Willow Road find that despite their internecine quarrels, casual backstabbing, and generational feuds, in the end, there is no one to turn to but each other.
 
About the Author
Bindu Bansinath is a senior writer for New York Magazine's The Cut. Men Like Ours is her debut novel. She lives in Jersey City.
 
Reviews
“Bansinath is an impressive storyteller . . . Readers will be engrossed by this clear-eyed and explosive tale.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This darkly funny satire threaded with a subtle murder mystery is thoughtful and unflinching . . . Bansinath's frank and sardonic insights into immigrant experiences within the walls of an insular community are complexly entertaining.” ―Booklist

“Men Like Ours is a wonderful debut, a witty narrative following an amateur murder investigation in a South Asian enclave in New Jersey. On Willow Road, a group of women band together to solve the murder of a friend, and wade into a world of generational feuds, friendly backstabbings, and, possibly, an even deeper sense of community. Possibly.” ―Crimereads, "Most Anticipated"

“Bindu Bansinath has written the most promising debut I've read in decades. With humor dryer than an Englishman's martini and darker than a moonless night, she delivers a pitch perfect howl against the patriarchy, alongside the portrait of a community in crisis as vivid and complicated as anything out of Morrison or Naipaul.” ―Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS

“Men Like Ours is a wholly unpredictable ride, brimming with sharp characters I felt I knew intimately. These women, tucked within their deceptively quiet lives, are many things-surprising, acerbic, dramatic, humorous, exasperating, tragic, but each is ultimately impossible to ignore.” ―Parini Shroff, author of THE BANDIT QUEENS

“Men Like Ours is a gripping and gorgeous novel that, despite its title, is all about the curious and captivating women of Willow Road. For some, the collective voice of these women will be a riveting lesson on culture and the nuance of womanhood; for others, a warm welcome home. Navigating complex themes through dark humor, perpetual movement, and a stunning richness-filled with the tastes, sights, smells, sounds, and feels of a community both intimately familiar and distinctly unique-this brilliant debut will do more than introduce you to the women of Willow Road; it will transform you into one of them.” ―Kai Harris, author of WHAT THE FIREFLIES KNEW

“Bansinath is a gifted writer of close quarters, revealing in spare prose just how unsightly and how beautiful people can be up close. We see the skin flush, eyes moisten, and we can almost hear the creaky interior of human bodies.” ―Brandon Taylor, author of THE LATE AMERICANS and Booker Prize Finalist REAL LIFE

“Unique and sharply funny, a warmhearted portrait of a community.” ―Columbia Magazine