Overview

Tilt is an unflinching feminist novel about the devastating histories that haunt us, and the unexpected beauty of facing our pasts. Part critical international relations theory, part radical pedagogy, part academic feminist novel, Tilt follows a fictionalized Indian-American professor, Kavya, as she grapples with family violence and estrangement that she traces to her grandparents’ experiences during colonialism. Inspired by bell hooks’ view of teaching as politically transformative, Kavya crafts lesson plans to think through the suffering that she and so many others experience as a result of being descended from communities who endured systematic violence. She analyzes intergenerational trauma as a framework for how the wounds of oppressive political orders and hierarchies are “stored” in contemporary geopolitics, thereby keeping such oppression alive. When Kavya discovers her family’s infliction of caste harm and how global practitioners have coopted “intergenerational trauma” to diagnose and “fix” marginalized communities, she turns to a tool of these very communities, “futurist worldbuilding” through speculative imagination, art, and play, to radically confront both familial/kinship destruction and systems of oppression.

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9781538187425

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Reviews

A slow-burning bittersweet story of intergenerational trauma across the minefield of diaspora. Nayak weaves together the antagonistic psychic life of the main character, Kavya, with the politics and pleasures of academia, with the vexing terrain of mothering, and with the possibility of, might we say, self-love. --Moon Charania, author of Archive of Tongues: An Intimate History of Brownness

Determined to find out more about her family history and its effect on her life, Kavya's journey is inspirational and transformative. --Kristi Elizabeth, Chicago Review of Books Nayak digs into the raw truths of our world to craft a profound and thought-provoking novel that left a lasting impact on me as a reader. The narrative is confident and crystal clear, skillfully exploring the complexities of intergenerational trauma with a no-holds-barred viewpoint that showcases emotional and psychological impact above all else. Nayak's poignant storytelling and nuanced character development are evident in every detail and atmospheric touch in the mood and settings, evoking empathy and introspection as we follow Kavya's struggles and triumphs. Overall, Tilt offers a compelling narrative that resonates long after the final page, and I'd recommend it to fans of powerful dramatic novels everywhere. --5 star review, K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite Tilt is a searing and revelatory investigation into how seemingly unrelated personal tragedies link to colonialism, mental health, and generational trauma across oceans and borders. --Anjali Enjeti, author of The Parted Earth and Southbound A slow-burning bittersweet story of intergenerational trauma across the minefield of diaspora. Nayak weaves together the antagonistic psychic life of the main character, Kavya, with the politics and pleasures of academia, with the vexing terrain of mothering, and with the possibility of, might we say, self-love. --Moon Charania, author of Archive of Tongues: An Intimate History of Brownness

Tilt is a searing and revelatory investigation into how seemingly unrelated personal tragedies link to colonialism, mental health, and generational trauma across oceans and borders. --Anjali Enjeti, author of The Parted Earth and Southbound A slow-burning bittersweet story of intergenerational trauma across the minefield of diaspora. Nayak weaves together the antagonistic psychic life of the main character, Kavya, with the politics and pleasures of academia, with the vexing terrain of mothering, and with the possibility of, might we say, self-love. --Moon Charania, author of Archive of Tongues: An Intimate History of Brownness

Author Information

Meghana V. Nayak is Professor of Political Science and Chair of Women’s and Gender Studies at Pace University-NYC. Her previous publications include Who is Worthy of Protection: Gender-Based Asylum and U.S. Immigration Politics and Decentering International Relations (with Eric Selbin).Her work on gender violence has been published in various journals and edited volumes and has been used by organizations working with asylum seekers. Tilt is her first novel.

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