Intemperance by Sonora Jha

Available from Nook & Cranny Books when we last checked. Sold from the shop’s own store; the price there is the one that counts.

In this follow-up to the critically-acclaimed The Laughter —winner of the Washington State Book Award—a middle-aged woman starts a firestorm when she holds a contest, based on an ancient Indian ritual, in which men must compete to win her affections. A woman who has left two husbands announces she will celebrate her 55th birthday by holding a swayamvar. Drawn from an ancient custom in her Indian culture, this is an event in which suitors line up to compete in a feat of wills and strength to win