About the Book
A grieving daughter and abuse survivor must summon the courage to run a feminist conference, trust a man she meets over the Internet, and escape a catfishing stalker to find her power.
Ahana, a wealthy thirty-three-year-old New Delhi woman, flees the pain of her mother's death, and her dark past, by accepting a huge project in New Orleans, where she'll coordinate an annual conference to raise awareness of violence against women. Her half-Indian, half-Irish colleague and public relations guru, Rohan Brady, who helps Ahana develop her online presence, offends her prim sensibilities with his raunchy humor. She is convinced that he's a womanizer.
Meanwhile, she seeks relief from her pain in an online support group, where she makes a good friend: the mercurial Jay Dubois, who is also grieving the loss of his mother. Louisiana Catch is an emotionally immersive novel about identity, shame, and who we project ourselves to be in the world. It's a book about Ahana's unreliable instincts and her ongoing battle to deter¬mine whom to place her trust in as she, Rohan, and Jay shed layers of their identities.
"Louisiana Catch is a triumph. In Ahana, Sweta Vikram has created an unforgettable character, strong, wise, and deeply human, who'll inspire a new generation struggling to come to terms with their identity in a world of blurring identities."
--KARAN BAJAJ, New York Times bestselling author, The Yoga of Max's Discontent
"In Louisiana Catch, Sweta Vikram brings life to the complex human rights issue of violence against women. Through one woman's journey to make sense of her past and ultimately heal, Vikram shows us that yoga can reconnect us to ourselves, and that by empowering others, we transform our own lives."
--ZOË LEPAGE, Founder, Exhale to Inhale
"Louisiana Catch perfectly captures what it means to be human in a digital world, where support groups meet online, love interests flirt on Twitter, and people get confused with personas. Equal parts tender and playful, moving and hopeful, Vikram's prose connects us with timeless truths about grief and redemption in a satisfyingly modern way."
--STEPHANIE PATERIK, Managing Editor, Adweek
Learn more at www.SwetaVikram.com
From Modern History Press, www.ModernHistoryPress.com
About the Author :
Sweta Srivastava Vikram (www.swetavikram.com), featured by Asian Fusion as "one of the most influential Asians of our time," is an award-winning author of eleven books, five-time Pushcart Prize nominee, mindfulness writing coach, wellness columnist, global speaker, and certified yoga and Ayurveda holistic health counselor. Sweta's work has appeared in The New York Times and other publications across nine countries on three continents. Louisiana Catch (Modern History Press) is her debut US novel. Born in India, Sweta spent her formative years between the Indian Himalayas, North Africa, and the United States collecting and sharing stories. A graduate of Columbia University, she also teaches the power of yoga, Ayurveda, and mindful living to female trauma survivors, writers and artists, busy women, entrepreneurs, and business professionals in her avatar as the CEO-Founder of NimmiLife (www.nimmilife.com). She also uses her holistic wellness training to combine creative writing strategies with Ayurveda and yoga to help poets and writers improve their writing. She lives in Queens, New York, with her husband, Anudit. You can find her on: Twitter (@swetavikram), Instagram (@SwetaVikram), and Facebook (http: //www.facebook.com/Words.By.Sweta) and her own blog www.SwetaVikram.com.
Review :
"Louisiana Catch is perfectly relevant and lovingly bottom lines the urgency to become involved in the feminist agenda, all the while being a deliciously romantic and hopeful story. Sweta proves, yet again, her ability to illustrate all the nuanced layers of a woman's experience and honor her power to create change in the world."
--PALLAVI SASTRY, Actress (Blue Bloods)
"Louisiana Catch is a compelling read! I was swept into Ahana's world as she struggles to find a path forward after a turbulent and violent marriage. Sweta raises an interesting question--are we destined to be defined by our choices? Read and find out for yourselves!"
--VANDANA KUMAR, Publisher India Currents Magazine
"A moving, modern story about letting go of the past in order to find true empowerment. As a longtime advocate of women in need, Sweta Vikram doesn't shy away from difficult topics. Louisiana Catch deals with the complexities of love, loss, history and home."
--GEORGIA CLARK, author, The Regulars
"Utterly unique, insightful and clever. Enthralling and confronting at the same time, Louisiana Catch draws the reader in and ultimately provides hope."
--BARBARA BOS, Managing Editor, Women Writers, Women's Books
"In Louisiana Catch, celebrated author Sweta Vikram reminds us that violence against women should never be acceptable and it's not the victim's fault. The sudden loss of a dear one and a divorce from an abusive marriage force Ahana to emerge from her sheltered life and re-build her confidence to organize the largest women's conference. While she is determined to help other women, she once again faces love and deceit along the way. Will that help her or deter her from sharing her story of abuse with other survivors?"
--DR. SHRUTI KAPOOR, Founder and CEO, Sayfty
"A very compelling read! I am in awe of Sweta's ability to intelligently capture, blend and integrate pertinent psychological issues that face society today."
--SUNITA PATTANI, psychotherapist, author, and trauma specialist
"Louisiana Catch is the story of a woman finding her voice and learning to listen to it. Sweta's descriptions paint a rich picture, capturing the complexities of relationships, culture and abuse, drawing you in and painting a vivid picture in your mind. A thoroughly enjoyable read that draws you in."
--KIMBERLY CAMPBELL, Executive Director, Exhale to Inhale
Across the pond, poet Sweta Vikram's second novel, Louisana Catch is timely in the wake of #MeToo. A grieving daughter and abuse survivor must summon the courage to run a conference to raise awareness of violence against women. We're huge fans of Vikram's poetry, where she deftly handles big themes and issues, and expect no less from this novel. "
-- FARHANA SHAIKH, The Asian Writer
