Book Review - The Other Lata
“When security asks her name, she truthfully answers Lata Murthy. What she doesn’t say is that the invitation was mistakenly sent to her. Turns out, it’s just that easy to live someone else’s life…"
The Other Lata, Kirthana Ramisetti
Why this book?
I’ve been low-key obsessed with living in New York City since I was a kid living in a cow pasture in the American South. To my mind, NYC was every good thing that I didn’t have. So the opportunity to be transported to that world? I’m in.
Blurb it:
“Bored and broke our main character decides to attend a high fashion event in NYC. When security asks her name, she truthfully answers Lata Murthy. What she doesn’t say is that the invitation was mistakenly sent to her.
Turns out, it’s just that easy to live someone else’s life… For better or worse.”
Character or Plot Driven?
Both.
This book is for:
Anyone {raises hand} who has had fantasies of living NYC fancy.
Real Housewives fans… or anyone else who likes to read about rich people making bad decisions.
People who know what it’s like to feel like an outsider.
Anyone who appreciates fashion / the fashion world.
Anyone who is willing to be uncomfortable that their skin color and / or wealth give them a certain amount of privilege.
This book made me want to:
Time travel.
It’s 2014! Blogs are still a thing!!
During this time period, I was actually in New York City at a blogging event held just a couple blocks from Lata’s “fancy” apartment and I had travelled to NY Fashion Week the year before that. It was such a unique time in my life that, even though it’s only 10 years past it seems as if it was three lifetimes ago. This book weirdly “took me back” in a way I wasn’t expecting.
At it’s heart this book is about:
Knowing what it’s like to feel like you’re masking your true self to fit in with a set of expectations of which you’re not fully aware.
This is universal, isn’t it? “How does a college freshman behave/ dress/ eat?” the incoming college freshman asks herself. But it’s also the same question she asks herself as her roles change. What are the expectations of a new employee? A new mother? A working mother? A person in this neighborhood?
It also uses that same lens to address classism and racism in really interesting ways: If people are going to make assumptions of you because of your skin color (and they are) then why not do it in a way that you can use to your advantage?
Trigger Warnings:
Check out the content warnings on StoryGraph.
One more thing:
I really liked this book. What started as a tell-all turned into a mystery which turned into a romance which turned into “the princess saves herself.” Go check out Kirthana Ramisetti over on her Substack.
