Ingrid Persaud’s debut novel, Love After Love, centers on Betty Ramdin, who, after her husband dies, invites a colleague, Mr. Chetan, to move in with her and her son, Solo. Over time, the three become a family, loving each other deeply and depending upon one another. Then, one fateful night, Solo overhears Betty confiding in Mr. Chetan and learns a secret that plunges him into torment. Solo flees Trinidad for New York to carve out a lonely existence as an undocumented immigrant, and Mr. Chetan remains the singular thread holding mother and son together. But soon, Mr. Chetan’s own burdensome secret is revealed, with heartbreaking consequences.
The author herself was born in Trinidad and the book is written in electric prose. Here, she speaks about the books she’s enjoyed recently, that reflect the wonders of the human condition back on us.