Abundance

Lakhani’s perceptive debut follows the fates and fortunes of an Indian American family facing an impending loss. Shortly after their engagement, Ramzan persuaded Sakeena to leave her beloved home city of Rawalpindi, India, and relocate to Florida. Thirty years on, they have established a toehold in America, co-owning a Miami Dunkin’ franchise and raising three children. Sustaining their business has been a struggle, especially with a shiny new McDonald’s nearby, and Sakeena has always been torn about abandoning the Muslim tenet of naseeb, or destiny, and reluctantly consenting to fertility treatments to conceive their firstborn daughter, Fareen. Now, at 60, Sakeena has an autoimmune liver disease that, if left untreated, will kill her. Rather than agree to a transplant, Sakeena sees her illness as a second chance to submit to naseeb. Ramzan beseeches their children to help change her mind, but Fareen is on the verge of nabbing a coveted promotion, while their only son, Adnan, faces charges in Monaco for his counterfeit sneaker operation, and his twin sister, Kawal, still in Miami, feels underappreciated. The bittersweet, character-driven narrative offers piercing insights into the meaning of fulfillment and the cost of success. This satisfies. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (May)