The Faces Of Strangers
The highly acclaimed author of Where Earth Meets Water returns with an arresting exploration of family and culture.When native New Yorker Nicholas Grand applies for an international student exchange program, he thinks it's an opportunity to broaden his horizons and meet some interesting people. He never imagines that a single year would have repercussions that would follow him throughout his lifetime.Nicholas is sent to Estonia, where he meets shy, sensitive Paavo, his beautiful sister Mari and their gruff father Leo – a family grappling with the challenges of life in a small country struggling to assert its post-Soviet identity. Nicholas sets off on an unforgettable journey through a foreign landscape that ultimately teaches him that some bonds can never be broken.
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The highly acclaimed author of Where Earth Meets Water returns with an arresting exploration of family and culture
When native New Yorker Nicholas Grand applies for an international student exchange program, he thinks it’s an opportunity to broaden his horizons and meet some interesting people. He never imagines that a single year would have repercussions that would follow him throughout his lifetime.
Nicholas is sent to Estonia, where he meets shy, sensitive Paavo, his beautiful sister, Mari, and their gruff father, Leo—a family grappling with the challenges of life in a small country struggling to assert its post-Soviet identity. Nicholas sets off on an unforgettable journey through a foreign landscape that ultimately teaches him that some bonds can never be broken.
Bridging two uniquely captivating cities, The Faces of Strangers traces the intertwined lives of two seemingly symmetrical families from extraordinarily different worlds. This compelling odyssey through friendship and self-discovery illuminates the universality of how deeply we are defined by our connections with others.
Praise for Where Earth Meets Water
“Padukone has created a rich cast of unforgettable characters…. Her debut novel demonstrates an understanding and appreciation of the cultures of both America and India, a sense of the world as a powerful place, and the redeeming values of adoration and belief in the person you love. A powerful read for those who enjoy beautifully written multicultural fiction.”
—Library Journal
“[Where Earth Meets Water] is compelling as [Padukone] writes with grace and wit about grief, moving on, and accepting love.”
—Booklist
“[Where Earth Meets Water] has an elegance that defies the bread-crumb trail Padukone leaves for readers…this story of learning to love what you have should not be missed.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Smart and insightful. A worthy addition to the burgeoning field of new Indian literature.”
—Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of
Absurdistan and Little Failure: A Memoir
“Padukone offers a gripping tale of one man’s haunting sorrows, the wounds that bind a people, and the redemptive power of love. An unforgettable debut by a very promising young writer.”
—Patricia Engel, author of It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris and Vida
“Pia Padukone adeptly captures the aspirations and heartbreak of her engaging characters.”
—Manil Suri, author of The City of Devi
For my mother, Nina, who started my story.
For my daughter, Salma, who continues it.
New York City
November 2013
The day begins wrong. Instead of the bright sunlight that usually breaks through the slats in the blinds and filters playfully across the bed, ominous shadows stand sentry in the corners of the room. Instead of the sharp fragrance of coffee, the earthiness of sweat fills the air. Nico won’t notice the difference until later, when he sits alone in his living room staring at a paper cup of coffee long gone cold. Normally, he will reach for his BlackBerry before he reaches for anything—or anyone—else. He will have been alone in the bed for at least an hour anyway, as Ivy will certainly have left early to get in a run or a sunrise Pilates class. Normally, he will brush his teeth with one hand while scrolling through emails with the other. But this morning, he allows himself to lie back against the pillows as he smiles up at the ceiling.
This is where it all begins, he thinks to himself. I wonder if presidents ever just take a moment to reflect. It’s a few minutes before he notices the silence. Usually at this time, the students entering the school directly across the street will reach a deafening crescendo. This morning, there is only the constant ping-buzz melody from the BlackBerry on the bedside table.
But today, the messages can wait. Nico wants to luxuriate in the day, in the anticipation of what is sure to be a landslide mayoral election. This morning—the morning that will change his entire life—Nico wants to take his time. He stretches his limbs carefully, one by one, listening for the telltale crack in his lower back that has lingered since his very last wrestling match in college. He showers, taking care to wash between each toe, over the points of his pelvic bones, massaging the tender dip at his temples. He flosses—a rare occurrence, but he wants to feel clean right down to his gum line. He shaves carefully in front of the foggy mirror, marveling that he has managed to make it this far without checking his email, voicemail, the news. He concentrates instead on his sideburns, recalling Ivy’s insistence that he edge the razor at an angle, shaving half an inch shorter than normal so as to give his youthful face a sense of gravitas.
