Hera set to publish the mesmerising debut by American-Indian author, Raghav Rao

Hera Publisher, Keshini Naidoo, has secured UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding audio and translation rights) to Missy, the debut novel by Indian-born Chicago author, Raghav Rao. Rights were acquired from Priya Doraswamy at Lotus Lane Literary. Missy will be published on the 19th September 2024 in simultaneous ebook and hardback, with the paperback following in summer 2025.

Missy spans decades in the life of an Indian woman, Savitri, who is orphaned at a young age and spends her childhood dreaming of the world outside the convent in Madras where she resides. But when she is taken into service at the vast estate belonging to the ultra-wealthy, high society Nandiyar family, it seems that she’s been given the opportunity to break the binds of her pre-determined existence, until the events of one terrible night forces her to flee from everything she has ever known.

Years later, Missy Royce is born – successful business owner in Chicago, pillar of her community and fiercely loving mother to two grown-up daughters, Shilpa and Mansi. While she might be the epitome of the American Dream, no one in her life knows the lengths Missy had to go to create the woman that exists today, or the fears she harbours of being discovered and deported back to India. But when a young man enters the lives of the Royce family, it seems that Missy might be about to learn that no matter how far you go, you can never truly outrun your past…

Keshini Naidoo says: ‘From my very first reading, Missy has taken up residence in my heart and my mind. Missy’s story is utterly absorbing, complex and beautifully captured by Raghav, which makes for a moving, satisfying read. The landscapes of Madras and modern-day Chicago are both keenly delineated, springing to life on the page, and the exploration of Asian and Western cultures, immigrant success and the pull between one’s homeland and adopted country for will strike a chord with so many readers across the UK and beyond. As a publisher of engaging, commercial and inclusive fiction, Hera feels like the natural home for a book such as this and I could not be prouder to be publishing Missy in autumn 2024. I can’t wait for readers to take her to their hearts as I have.’

Raghav Rao commented: ‘I can’t wait for readers to meet Missy. I hope her story touches many, reminding us of what it means to be intensely human, tender in pain, courageous in crisis. I’m grateful to the wholehearted support of Keshini Naidoo and the entire Hera team, Elizabeth Kuruvilla and the entire team at Vintage, PRH India and Priya Doraswamy, my agent, for her unswerving championing of Missy.’

 

Priya Doraswamy added: ‘Raghav Rao’s masterful debut captivates in its prose and keeps us at the edge of our seat as we experience the tumult of Missy’s life in India, the UAE and the United States.  This story of desire, murder, love, betrayal and a longing for redemption is bound to keep the reader thinking about Missy long after they finish the novel.  I’m thrilled that Keshini Naidoo and team at Hera/Canelo are giving Missy its perfect publishing home in the UK.’

Missy will be published in September 2024, in simultaneous hardback and ebook. For more information, please contact [email protected]