{"product_id":"half-light-mahesh-rao-9781805337904","title":"Half Light","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn affair between 2 men in India changes the course of both their lives forever in this searing queer love story about shame, hope, and identity. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Rao sheds light without judgement...Thoughtful, tender storytelling at its finest.\" --\u003ci\u003eMarie Claire\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHigh up in the misty mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide cuts off a crumbling hillside hotel from the outside world. Trapped together with other guests and staff, 2 men begin to exchange lingering glances. For Neville, a charismatic student, such encounters are nothing new--urgent kisses in stairwells, fleeting encounters in parked cars. But for Pavan, a shy hotel employee accustomed to hiding in plain sight, their growing connection threatens to upend the careful life he has built in secrecy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYears later, the men meet again by chance, this time surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Neville is now a restless graduate, trying to find his footing in the city. Pavan has long since fled the hills and begun a new life for himself working in a luxurious city hotel. As their renewed flirtation quickly turns fraught, long-buried secrets from their shared past threaten to tumble into the light. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSet on the cusp of India's landmark ruling to decriminalize homosexuality, \u003ci\u003eHalf Light\u003c\/i\u003e is an atmospheric, elegantly wry story of outlawed desire and the fragile hope for a life beyond concealment. From literary powerhouse Mahesh Rao, this tender exploration of the struggle for acceptance and understanding will appeal to readers of Douglas Stuart and Tom Crewe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Mahesh Rao\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1805337904\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781805337904\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Pushkin Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.81lbs","brand":"Mahesh Rao","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48440648827135,"sku":"9781805337904","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_16bd2df4-1780-4669-b0ff-b995220543f2.jpg?v=1777183868","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/half-light-mahesh-rao-9781805337904","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}