From the publisher: A girl takes on a series of identities to survive, shrouding herself in layers of secrets, until years later when she is forced to reckon with her past.

A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl is a powerful debut novel that takes the reader into the world of Sunny/Neena/Maya, a 12-year-old girl from Guyana who is forced by her father to immigrate (illegally) to America after he is approached by Mr. Michael, an immigration "broker". Her father is told that Sunny will live with a good family, get a good education, and earn enough money to send for others in the family. In hopes of providing a chance at a better life for the whole family, Sunny's father gives the broker their savings and Sunny is on her way to America.

The reality of Sunny's new life is a far cry from what was promised. Sunny (now known as Neena, a 15-year-old girl to match the broker's papers) is placed with an abusive couple who work her day and night. No matter what she does, or how hard she works, Sunny finds that the America she dreamed about is always out of reach. Her disillusionment and despair lead her to several bad decisions in her attempt to keep her tormentors and manipulators at bay.

Reddy writes with the skill of a seasoned author as she puts a face to the difficult subjects of human trafficking and illegal immigration. The story is told in two voices and time frames: As Maya, a wife and mother of two who suddenly finds her future jeopardized by the past she has hidden, and as Neena, the girl sold to others trying to find a way to make a good life for herself.

A dark and disturbing story beautifully told by an author I definitely want to read more from.

My thanks to Zibby Books for permitting me access to a DRC via NetGalley. Publication is 3/4/25. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Multi-layered and masterfully written you will become more engrossed as you peel back each layer of the protagonist’s story. Highly recommend.

Who was the girl that Dwayne knew as his wife Maya, mother of his two children and love of his life? Was she Sunny, the 12 year old daughter from a large Guyanese family, who was impressed with Barbie dolls? Was she 15 year old Neena Das, the dead girl she replaced when she was smuggled into America? Was she Anita Jagroop, the girl in the passport, used when she entered America illegally?
Sunny's family had a hard life, but through a twist of fate they might begin to prosper and eventually come to America. Michael, a friend of Sunny's father Raj, suffered a bad break. He was a "backtracker" who had set up a deal to send Neena from Guyana to her illegal parents in America on a stolen passport. Tickets were purchased and  her mother Lila had already paid most of the fees, when two weeks before the flight, Neena died.  Michael showed Sunny's father Neena's picture, and Raj noticed the resemblance Sunny had to Neena right away-if he could pass off his daughter as the dead girl, he could have a foothold into America. Michael happily agreed with the plan-all Sunny had to do was get on the plane, tell the officials she was Anita and join the Das family in Miami. Lila was pregnant with another child and could use the help, and Sunny would achieve a free American education while navigating a path to legality. Sounds like a win-win.
When Sunny got to America and joined her new family as Neena, the reality of her situation proved to be a nightmare. Lila immediately put her to work doing laundry, cleaning houses, and working on the farm owned by Lila's boss. Her husband Preema was a wife beater who soon started looking at Neena as his property. She spent several years as a virtual slave, attending school only because one of Lila's clients, a school teacher, would report her if she didn't enroll Neena. And it got worse. So how did Sunny become Maya Angelique, foster child, dental hygienist, wife and mother? And what is she going to tell Dwayne about the letter she received from her sister in Guyana ,warning her of the family gene that she might be carrying when her husband believes that she doesn't have a family.
This is a harrowing story of the lengths people go to come to America to achieve their dreams. We follow Sunny, a girl thrust into an untenable situation against her will, with no one to help her and nowhere to turn. We know that she has succeeded, against all odds, to make a life for herself in America, but we also know that her husband has no idea of the trials that she suffered. Will the truth blow up their marriage or can they survive the harsh reality that was Sunny's past? An amazing read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young girl enters the United States under another girl's passport. Her life is an unfathomable series of wretched events perpetrated by others who controlled her existence.

I devoured this book! I have a soft spot for reading and leaning more about the immigrant experience. Maya is forced to face a past she buried, when she gets a letter from Guyana. She wants to see her family again, but she severed those ties long ago. She must reveal, to even her husband, who she really is and how she came to America in order to connect with her family again.

The timeline shifts back and froth from present day to her immigration as a child, alone and forced to take on the identity of another child. She was her family’s chance to change their trajectory, yet she cut off all ties after making it to America. Heartbreaking, tragic, abuse, redemption.

A great read, this read really easy and just was very enjoyable. I do wish we saw more of the present day lives of them

This is just the kind of book that I love. So well-written that it’s just a pleasure to read. And, a story that both engages and surprises/shocks with its twists and turns. Even better, the beginning hints as to something major that has occurred in the main character’s life, a culmination that is slowly revealed over the course of the book.

Sunny is just twelve when she comes to the United States illegally from Guyana (which I mistakenly thought was in Africa; it’s not, it’s in South America – duh). Her parents, who are additionally of East Indian heritage, pay to send her to live with and work for an American family, with the idea that Sunny will pave a way for her family to immigrate to the US in the future. Sunny’s placement, assuming the ID of a deceased 15-year-old girl, is anything but ideal, though. She suffers abuse, both physical and emotional, leading her to plot an escape. By the time Sunny’s past is completely revealed in the book, she will have lead several different lives (as Sunny/Neena/Sylvia/Maya) and experienced untold hardships, including one main event.

I loved this book and highly recommend it to all readers, but especially to those who like literary fiction. It’s a beautifully written story that succeeds on several levels. The characters and their lives are interesting and skillfully drawn. A delight.

As an example of Reddy’s writing, the following is the start of her Acknowledgements at the end of the book: “We novelists create in the dark, sculpting from thin air. When we emerge from our caves, holding up imperfectly stacked words, we seek adoration. But we need candor. I’m grateful to my early readers who balanced their unflinching honesty with encouragement.”

Much thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Books for giving me access to this terrific e-ARC.

Nanda Reddy captures the story of young Sunny, who is put in an unmanageable position. Sunny has a unique opportunity that could impact her whole family for the better good, but at what cost?

The book has everything you could want from a book.

1) Rich back story – Sunny was born in Guyana and raised in a heavily East Indian mixed-class community. She has many siblings, and her parents are supportive yet naïve when they learn of an opportunity up north (USA) for Sunny.

2) Quality writing – as a debut author, Reddy pours herself into the book, showing and telling Sunny/ Neena/ Maya’s compelling story.

3) Flawed main character – Sunny is what you want for your main character – all over the damn place! Sunny is brilliant and quick, yet makes mistakes along the way and is forced to grow up quickly with few resources and access.

4) Culture – I thoroughly loved all the book’s Indo-Guyanese, Caribbean, and Hindu references—an excellent guide for future novel/ memoir writers.

Highly recommend! Thank you, Nanda Reddy, for putting a brown gyal from Guyana on the page!

Although set in the 1980's, this story is still happening today. As a child in Guyana, Sunny is unwittingly trafficked to "Mr. Michael" who promises that within six years, she will be able to pay back his fees and she will be able to bring her entire family to America as well. Promised to live with a hard-working but caring family and the opportunity to attend school for free seals the deal. This is far from the truth and yet her uneducated and often drunk father makes the deal and pressures Sunny to do as she is told because the family is counting on her.

Landing with an abusive and violent family, living in a migrant camp and doing back-breaking farm labor by day and cleaning houses in the afternoons and weekends leaves no time for "extras" like school. Mr. Michael and his thugs expect to collect their money each month and Sunny, (now named Neena) has seen what they can do for non-payment - the least of which is exposing her underage and illegal status.

Readers follow Sunny's metamorphosis from one personality to another as she changes from an innocent 12-year-old to a streetwise and hardened teenager. Without a family to support her, she makes dangerous decisions and yet somehow manages to break away from the typical life of a trafficked young girl.

The tale is told from an opening modern day perspective in "Maya's" upscale Atlanta home surrounded by her husband and sons and then is told in flashbacks as a letter from a long ago lost but never forgotten sister reaches her and threatens to destroy the life she has built around a false identity. I would have liked to see more of the "modern day" scenes to help transition between her "then" and "now" lives.

This is an important read of self discovery and finding your true authenic self. How do you react when you are forced to revisit your past so you can move forward. It's never easy and sometimes a rollercoaster. This is a must read!

A stunning - if heavy - debut novel that dives into the often dark world of human trafficking, migrant workers and what it means to be “family.” I would’ve loved to see even more of Maya’s contemporary life on the page!

Thank you to the publisher and author for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you have ever read anything by Khaled Hosseini and loved it (even though they are haunting and tough to read), I would 100% recommend you read this book! It follows a girl as she immigrates to America illegally (against her will) and struggles to find her place in the world. She suffers abuse and hardships and weaves a tale of lies that eventually catches up to her. However, amidst all of this, she shows true resilience and love for her family and those she meets along the way. This book will stick with you for a long time after reading.

Nanda Reddy’s debut novel is a touching exploration of identity, survival, and the immigrant experience. We follow Maya, a seemingly ordinary suburban wife and mother whose carefully constructed life begins to unravel when she receives a letter from her long-lost sister. The letter plunges Maya into a harrowing journey through her past, a time when she was known only as Sunny—a twelve-year-old girl sent to America from Guyana with the promise of a better future. That promise, however, was a lie.

The novel skillfully moves through two timelines: Maya's present life as a successful woman in an upscale Atlanta neighborhood, and her traumatic past as a young girl enduring the horrors of an abusive situation after being sent to the U.S. under false pretenses. The story’s dual narrative gives the reader a deeper understanding of Maya’s layered identities and the internal struggles she faces as she tries to reconcile her past with her present.

Reddy’s writing is both beautiful and evocative, pulling readers into Sunny’s grim reality full of betrayal, hardship, and occasional glimmers of hope. As Maya/Sunny/Neena/Synthia transitions through different identities, we feel the weight of her choices, the relentless pressure of survival, and the heartbreaking sacrifices she must make to protect herself and her loved ones.

What truly stands out is the emotional complexity of the protagonist. Despite the moral ambiguity of some of her actions, you can’t help but root for her. She faces impossible decisions and constantly navigates dangerous terrain, yet her resilience and determination to rise above her circumstances are incredibly compelling.

Pros:

Compelling Protagonist: Maya’s character, and her previous iterations as Sunny, Neena, and Synthia, is incredibly well-crafted. Her vulnerability and strength make her easy to empathize with, even when her choices are ethically murky. Facing an abusive family without any support of any adult is a difficult situation for anyone to be in, in this environment, Sunny is forced to make decisions that no child should ever have to make that are rooted in survival rather than freedom of choice. Her sense of right and wrong becomes blurred as she navigates a world where the adults around her are either indifferent to her suffering or actively contributing to it.

Beautiful Prose: Reddy’s writing is poetic and emotionally rich, vividly bringing to life both the idyllic sugar cane fields of Guyana and the harsh realities of immigrant life in America. Nanda Reddy is really good at crafting expansive, visually imaginative prose that brings both the physical settings and the emotional landscapes of her characters to life.

Themes of Identity and Survival: The novel tackles complex issues like identity, assimilation, and the immigrant experience with sensitivity. It also delves into the question of what it means to “survive”—how much of ourselves we must sacrifice along the way. The book strikes a perfect balance between heartbreak and hope. Sunny’s journey is filled with trauma, yet there are moments of light that suggest redemption is possible.

Cons:

Pacing in Some Areas: While the dual timelines provide depth to the narrative, there are points where the pacing feels uneven, especially in Maya’s present-day sections. At times, the urgency of the present storyline doesn’t quite match the emotional intensity of the past.

Conclusion

Reddy’s debut is a moving and insightful exploration of a woman’s fight for survival across multiple identities. It tackles immigration, trauma, and the complexities of identity with grace and power, making it an unforgettable read. While the narrative stumbles in pacing at times, the emotional core of the story remains strong, particularly through Maya’s journey of self-reckoning.

This novel will resonate with anyone who has grappled with the question of who they are, how their past shapes them, and the lengths they will go to protect the future they’ve built.

I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was great. I would’ve liked a bit more of ‘Sunny’s’ present day. A great read.

Twelve year old Sunny is sent to America to live with the family of a dead girl. Her parents think this will make it possible for the whole family to get the papers needed to move them to the US from Guyana. Little do they know the man who set up the arrangements can not be trusted, and nothing he says is true. Using her wit, determination and yearning to see her sister again she tries to find a way out of the situation she is living in. Over the course of the next few years she will meet some who save her, who can be trusted and some who lead her down dark paths.


The story is also told from the present day, the girl that Sunny became. Maya has kept this dark past from everyone in her current life. No one knows who she really is because she was afraid she would be deported, sent to prison or worse, if anyone ever found out she was illegally in America. She has a life, is a mother, a wife and a tax paying citizen when a letter arrives from her sister, making her think deeply about her past, and how it will affect the present. Your heart breaks for Sunny, at every turn she must make choices in order to save her life. I also found myself cheering for her, and waiting for her to find her happy ending.

Zibby books does it again with another great debut, bravo Nanda Reddy!
Thank you for allowing the advance reading of this fabulous book.

Have you ever had a piece of mail delivered that changes your future? Get ready to learn more about what happens when a wife and mother opens an envelope to her past in Reddy's novel. The book's expansive story, which is mysterious, hopeful, sad, and triumphant, will draw you in. Thanks to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I think book clubs will enjoy this title as it will provide great discussion topics.

What an amazing read. Sunny is sent to America from Guyana to potentially pave the way for the rest of her family to follow. Once she gets to America she realizes that all of the things that she was promised were lies. She is placed with a couple and has to endure years of hardship and abuse.

This book is at times heartbreaking and uplifting. Sunny/Neena/Synthia/Maya goes through some unimaginable traumatic events but she also gathers a small group of people who are in her corner trying to help her.

The writing is beautiful and the story is told in such a way that no matter what Sunny does I was always rooting for her!!!

Thank you Zibby Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!!!

I really enjoyed this story. I do wish that we could have had some more scenes in present day dealing with how the family copes and communicates.