Bone and Bread

Beena and Sadhana are sisters whose bond is forged by an unusual childhood and shared tragedy, having been orphaned as teenagers. They are raised under the exasperated watch of their Sikh uncle, who runs a bagel shop in Montreal's Hasidic community of Mile End. Together, they try to make sense of the rich, confusing mix of values, rituals, and beliefs that form their inheritance. As they grow toward adulthood, their paths diverge: Beena finds herself pregnant at sixteen, while Sadhana struggles with perfectionism and anorexia. The novel begins with the adult Beena grappling with a fresh grief—Sadhana has died suddenly and strangely, her body lying undiscovered for a week. Beena is left with a burden of guilt and an unsettled feeling about the circumstances of her sister's death, which she sets out to uncover. Her search stirs memories and opens old wounds, threatening to undo the safe, orderly existence she has painstakingly created for herself and her son.

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