{"product_id":"members-only-9780358379928","title":"Members Only","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst the white members of Raj Bhatt's posh tennis club call him racist. Then his life falls apart. Along the way, he wonders: where does he, a brown man, belong in America? This award-winning novel \"offers deep insight into the ways the characters are shaped by racism\" (\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e). \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn NPR Best Book - A Millions Most Anticipated Title of 2020 - A Rumpus Best Book for Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaj is often unsure of where he belongs. Having moved to America from Bombay as a child, he knew few Indian kids. Now middle-aged, he lives mostly happily in California, with a job at a university. Still, his white wife seems to fit in better than he does at times, especially at their tennis club, a place he's cautiously come to love. But it's there that, in one week, his life unravels. It begins at a meeting for potential new members: Raj thrills to find an African American couple on the list; he dreams of a more diverse club. But in an effort to connect, he makes a racist joke. The committee turns on him, no matter the years of prejudice he's put up with. And worse still, he soon finds his job is in jeopardy after a group of students report him as a reverse racist, thanks to his alleged \"anti-Western bias.\" Heartfelt, humorous, and hard-hitting, \u003cem\u003eMembers Only\u003c\/em\u003e explores what membership and belonging mean, as Raj navigates the complicated space between black and white America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSAMEER PANDYA was longlisted for the PEN\/Open Book Award for\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003ehis story collection \u003ci\u003eThe Blind Writer\u003c\/i\u003e, and is the recipient of the PEN\/Civitella Fellowship. His writing has appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic, Salon, \u003c\/i\u003eand elsewhere. He teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50477943816466,"sku":"9780358379928","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_154823ce-6526-4e6c-9da1-b4b01ceaebf1.jpg?v=1730280538","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/members-only-9780358379928","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}