cover image The Wrong Kind of Indian

The Wrong Kind of Indian

Jey Tehya. Wyatt-MacKenzie, , $14.99 ISBN 978-1-942545-47-7

This lackluster debut is labeled a romance, but romance readers will find it unappetizing. The story is told memoir-style by Jennifer, a mixed-race woman grappling with her heritage. The book opens with a recounting of Jennifer’s failed marriage, including a jumbled description of two abortions, the death of her father, and her Cherokee Nation card. When she falls in love with Chirag, a man from India who’s expected to have an arranged marriage (hence the rather tortured title), they have a tumultuous relationship: he dates around a lot, while she has a fling with another woman, goes to another country with another man, and struggles with anorexia. Every other chapter is an anecdote, and many of these feel misplaced and occasionally discomfiting. Jennifer’s litany of mishaps may prove relatable to some readers, but as a romance, it doesn’t satisfy. (Jan.)