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For anyone probing the intricacies of relationships: Twelve stories about searching for happiness amid the unspoken rules of society.

PRAISE FOR THE CONFINES

“Kandikuppa sets a high bar with this debut offering, which effectively captures the complexities of human relationships and the silent struggles individuals face.”

—City Book Review

“Through nuanced, precise, devastating language, Kandikuppa provides readers with stories of yearning and discovery that will remain with them long after finishing.”

—Review by Kelsey Squire, Your Impossible Voice

“Inviting, expansive, and prismatic, Anu Kandikuppa's The Confines is anything but limited. A nuanced portrait of women navigating old constraints and fresh expectations, The Confines introduces a voice whose promise and powers are vast.”

—Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, author of National Book Award finalist Madeleine Is Sleeping

“The sharp-edged stories in this smart and original collection are characterized by memorable girls and women whose desperation not to let life get the best of them is palpable; I read each of these psychologically complex portraits with my breath caught in my throat. An impressive debut.”

—Vauhini Vara, author of Pulitzer Prize finalist The Immortal King Rao 

“Anu Kandikuppa writes with glorious precision about unhappy marriages and the quiet desperation of middle-class life in America and India. In one of these darkly comic stories, we see a man's attachment to his wife: ‘He felt awed by her intellect, energized by her discontent.’ The brilliant gloom of The Confines thrilled me. Read this collection to behold a marvelous literary alchemy—the characters' gripes become gems. Their loneliness keeps us company, and their dissatisfaction transforms into our delight.”

—Polly Rosenwaike, author of Look How Happy I'm Making You

“An infinitely compelling collection of stories that captures the small gestures and tectonic shifts in families and communities. Throughout The Confines, Anu Kandikuppa observes detail with precision and with a sly ironic wit. The worlds around her characters shimmer with a longing for connection, affection, and a place that genuinely feels like home.  What a lovely book this is!”

—David Haynes, author of Martha’s Daughter

“From the first very captivating, subtly funny story, Anu Kandikuppa writes engrossing, thoughtful fiction that delves below the surface of ‘model minority’ lives. Reminiscent of Anne Tyler's lovably maladjusted married couples, Kandikuppa uses a compassionate and irreverent view of marriage to illuminate Indian diaspora. You will enjoy this book.”

—Chaya Bhuvaneswar, PEN/Bingham finalist author of White Dancing Elephants: Stories

“A masterful exploration of human relationships and societal expectations. The stories in The Confines are elegant and poignant, showcasing Kandikuppa’s ability to distill complex emotions into powerful vignettes.”

—IndiaWest Journal