DAVA SHASTRI'S LAST DAY
Grand Central/Hachette
*Series In Development with HBO MAX
*A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
*B&N Paperback Selection of the Month
*MOST ANTICIPATED IN FALL 2021 by TIME, The Washington Post, Bustle, Goodreads, and Debutiful
*An IndieNext Selection
*Long-listed for The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize
*A Publishers Lunch Buzz Book 2021
*A Publishers Weekly Notable Book for Fall 2021
In this thought-provoking and entertaining debut novel about of a multicultural family, a dying billionaire matriarch leaks news of her death early so she can examine her legacy—a decision that horrifies her children and inadvertently exposes secrets she has spent a lifetime keeping.
Dava Shastri, one of the world’s wealthiest women, has always lived with her sterling reputation in mind. A brain cancer diagnosis at the age of seventy, however, changes everything, as she decides to take her death—like all matters of her life—into her own hands.
Summoning her four adult children to her private island, she discloses shocking news: in addition to having a terminal illness, she has arranged for the news of her death to break early, so she can read her obituaries.
As someone who dedicated her life to the arts and the empowerment of women, Dava expects to read articles lauding her philanthropic work. Instead, her “death” reveals two devastating secrets, truths she thought she had buried forever.
And now the whole world knows, including her children.
In the time she has left, Dava must come to terms with the decisions that have led to this moment—and make peace with those closest to her before it’s too late. Compassionately written and chock-full of humor and heart, this powerful novel examines public versus private legacy, the complexities of love, and the never-ending joys—and frustrations—of family.
“A rich portrait of a family facing their powerful matriarch’s death, Dava Shastri’s Last Day is full of music, magnetism, and familial obligation. If Succession were about a multicultural family who actually loved each other, it might look like this.”―Emma Straub, Author of All Adults Here
“Ramisetti draws nuanced characters who are introspective and entertaining.”―Kirkus