DEVIANTS: THE QUEER FAMILY CHRONICLES

DEVIANTS: THE QUEER FAMILY CHRONICLES

Deviants is a bold and powerful story of love, identity and resilience, exploring the lives of three generations of gay men in India as they navigate societal expectations, discrimination and the search for dignity. From the critically acclaimed author of One Small Voice, this intimate and electrifying novel examines the histories we inherit and the courage required to create a more accepting future.

📖 About the Book

Vivaan, a teenager living in India’s technology hub, discovers love through his smartphone. His parents know that he is gay and offer him their support, but they remain unaware of the complexities and experiences of his online world.

Decades earlier, his uncle Mambro lived in a very different India. His life was transformed when he fell in love with a male classmate during a time when homosexuality was criminalised under a colonial-era law and gay people faced intense persecution.

Before Mambro’s story came that of Sukumar, a young man who experienced a deep love that society forced him to hide. Unable to live the life he dreamed of, Sukumar’s journey became a powerful legacy that would inspire the generations that followed him.

Spanning decades of social change, Deviants explores love, family, identity and belonging. It is a deeply moving story about the struggles faced by queer individuals and the enduring hope for acceptance, freedom and dignity.

✨ Key Highlights

• A powerful multi-generational story of LGBTQ+ identity and resilience in India.
• Explores love, family, acceptance and the impact of social attitudes across generations.
• Highlights the struggles faced by queer individuals under changing historical circumstances.
• A deeply emotional and thought-provoking exploration of inherited histories and personal courage.
• Perfect for readers of literary fiction, contemporary Indian stories and social narratives.
• From the acclaimed author of One Small Voice.

✍️ About the Author

Santanu Bhattacharya grew up in India and studied at the University of Oxford and the National University of Singapore. He has received several literary recognitions, including the Desmond Elliott Prize Residency in 2023 and the Mo Siewcharran and Life Writing prizes in 2021.

His debut novel, One Small Voice, was named an Observer Best Debut Novel of 2023 and was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and the Society of Authors’ Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize. He currently lives in London.

📚 Why Read This Book?

Deviants is a beautifully written exploration of love, identity and societal change. Through the lives of three generations, the novel reveals how personal stories become part of a larger history and celebrates the strength of those who fight for the right to live and love freely.