P&T Knitwear is pleased to welcome Oindrila Mukherjee to celebrate her debut novel, The Dream Builders, with a talk, audience Q&A, and book signing. Written from the perspectives of ten different characters, The Dream Builders explores class divisions, gender roles, and stories of survival within a society that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly Americanized. Oindrila will be joined in conversation by author Angie Cruz. After the talk, Mukherjee and Cruz will sign copies of their books.

After living in the US for years, Maneka Roy returns home to India to mourn the loss of her mother and finds herself in a new world. The booming city of Hrishipur where her father now lives is nothing like the part of the country where she grew up, and the more she sees this new, sparkling city, the more she learns that nothing—and no one—here is as it appears. Ultimately, it will take an unexpected tragic event for Maneka and those around her to finally understand just how fragile life is in this city built on aspirations.

Written from the perspectives of ten different characters, Oindrila Mukherjee’s incisive debut novel explores class divisions, gender roles, and stories of survival within a society that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly Americanized. It’s a story about India today, and people impacted by globalization everywhere: a tale of ambition, longing, and bitter loss that asks what it really costs to try and build a dream.

Praise for The Dream Builders

Artful.—Kirkus Reviews

Sweeping.—Foreword Reviews, Starred Review

A sweeping debut. . . . [Mukherjee] does a great job capturing the setting and exploring the fateful power dynamics. . . . a penetrating look at the fast-growing country’s shaky façade.—Publishers Weekly

Epic. . . . A promising first novel.—Booklist

The Dream Builders is a novel of epic proportions that follows Maneka Roy and those around her as they each ponder the power of forgiveness and learn none of them can wield that power without first forgiving the self. Oindrila Mukherjee allows full life for these characters who are often real enough to remind us of ourselves, even as they betray one another. . . . even as they betray themselves. This is a lovely debut. —Jericho Brown, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Tradition

Oindrila Mukherjee’s The Dream Builders is such an impressive feat of storytelling, a novel that examines the constraints of class, gender, of history, while showcasing the sheer expansiveness of the endeavor, skillfully shifting the point of view amongst a group of characters who each demand a claim on the story. It’s a marvel of a structure, built by a great talent. —Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here

Pre-order your signed edition of “The Dream Builders”

Available to ship to most places

• This is a free in-store event with limited amphitheater-style seating
• We encourage all guests to wear masks.
• The talk will be followed by a book signing. Books signed at P&T Knitwear events must be purchased from P&T Knitwear. If you would like a signed copy and cannot attend the event, we’re happy to take your pre-order. We ship to most places!

About the author

Oindrila Mukherjee is an associate professor of creative writing at Grand Valley State University. She grew up in Kolkata, India, and resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Dream Builders is her first novel.

About the moderator

Angie Cruz is a novelist and editor. Her most recent novel is How Not To Drown in A Glass of Water (2022). Her novel, Dominicana was the inaugural book pick for the GMA book club and shortlisted for The Women’s Prize, longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction, The Aspen Words Literary Prize, a RUSA Notable book, and the winner of the ALA/YALSA Alex Award in fiction. Cruz is the author of two other novels, Soledad and Let It Rain Coffee. She’s the founder and Editor-in-chief of the award-winning literary journal, Aster(ix) and is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She divides her time between Pittsburgh, New York, and Turin.

Time: 7:00 PM — 8:00 PM EST

Free!

Registration