This subtle novel of belonging explores family dynamics in an intimate way. I enjoyed the themes of memory and identity and appreciated Desai’s use of vivid imagery. Unfortunately, I did not connect with any of the characters. Although this is not my not favorite book written by Anita Desai, I enjoyed the atmospheric vibe and the thoughts that were provoked upon completion.

If this truly is Desai's last novel (novella), what a way to go out. This was beautiful, moving, and every sentence was exquisite. How she did so much in so few pages is truly astounding. This was moody, atmospheric, and I highly recommend.

In her first novel since 2011, Anita Desai delivers a beautiful contemplation on the idea of if we ever truly know our mothers.

In Rosarita, Bonita is visiting Mexico when an older woman approaches her and says she knew her mother once. To Bonita, this can't possibly be true because her mother lives in India and was certainly not an artist like the woman claims. So unravels Rosarita, exploring the idea of the past and it's effect on the present. The prose is gorgeous but the story is sparse. Readers who don't mind a bit of ambiguity and stories that are beautiful but don't contain much will find a lot to contend with in this slim volume.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.

I don't know what to make of this book. I both love and dislike the prose. I don't know what to make of the characters, either, to be honest. I'm going to go back and reread this at some point, because I'm unsure if I simply wasn't in the mood for this story, or if I genuinely didn't like it.

I wanted more. This slender volume is all about a daughter's search for a part of her mother she never knew. Bonita is alone on a park bench in Mexico when she is approached by an older woman she eventually deems the Trickster who claims that she knew Bonita's mother. This is news to Bonita who sets off on a quest for answers. There's much potential here - potential that went unfulfilled. Desai writes beautifully but this felt overwrought in spots. All of that said it's always interesting to see where she's leading the reader. Thanks to netgalley for the ArC. For fans of literary fiction.

Enjoyed this. It’s slow and moody. Atmospheric. Solid storytelling and strong character development. I’m not often one to really enjoy literary fiction but I do respect it and I respected this read.

I was immediately drawn to the cover. It is simple but beautiful. I think this will look pretty on a shelf.

I’m afraid writing like this never works well for me. I’m not even sure how to describe it but I like books that are a little more straightforward. I fear most of this went over my head. But it was a quick read and the scenery described was lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anita Desai and Scribner for the opportunity to read Rosarita. I have written this review voluntarily.

As the author explains in an afterword, Rosarita found its beginnings in artwork produced by two art students from India during their time in Mexico. Inspired by works documenting events during the Mexican Revolution, these students began creating work documenting the extreme violence of the partition of India and Pakistan. That's an interesting place from which to begin a novel, but Rosarita only touches on those artists and their work briefly.

The plot of Rosarita (as opposed to its inspiration) tells the story of an unnamed present-day student from India who is in Mexico to study Spanish. A key part of our student's back story is the relatively recent death of her mother and how little her daughter actually new about her. Our student is approached one day by an elderly woman who claims to have been a friend of her mother and who insists the student's mother studied art in Mexico. However, as far as our student knows, her mother never traveled beyond India and never made art, so she's torn between the possibility of coming to know her mother a bit more and the possibility that the older woman is either delusional or running an elaborate con of some sort.

The novel leaves readers in a state of unknowing, which seems appropriate. What our student doesn't know about her mother and what she doesn't know about herself should remain a mystery to us as well. If you like novellas that make wonderful use of language and don't spell everything out in detail, you'll enjoy Rosarita. If you're a reader who wants extended and certain plotting, you will probably find Rosarita both interesting and frustrating.

I received an electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

it’s obvious that Desai is an insanely talented writer, I loved her descriptions and overall prose. however for such an interesting summary, the book itself sadly didn’t quite meet my expectations. it’s a less than 100 pages novella but I kept wishing it was longer so it could be more fleshed out, I feel like some of it went over my head but I definitely want to read a full novel from her now.

At almost 90 years old, Anita Desai is undoubtedly a living literary legend whose prowess in prose is indisputable. In Rosarita, she wastes no time in placing you firmly in San Miguel, and the protagonist's surreal quest. That she goes on this journey despite all her very valid misgivings tests your suspension of disbelief. But you stay with her because her writing is so evocative you can truly feel the tastes and texture of this journey. And then...it just ends. The intrigue of the premise gets lost in all the vivid textures and ultimately, the plot runs out and you're left stranded in an unfamiliar town, for ed to forget why you came here in the first place. So, not gonna lie, I'm upset about how that turned out but I can't say I didn't enjoy riding the short, but pointless, journey of masterful craft. I cannot help but grieve for the novel this could've been given the themes of Revolution and Art that were touched upon but not particularly expanded on because somewhere, very quickly the novella lost its titular character Rosarita herself. Pick this up if you're already a fan of Desai or enjoy mediative narratives without resolution. Otherwise, pick up older works by her.

ROSARITA is a sweet and elegant novel, which I highly recommend for readers of literary fiction. I admire the shorter length; the story is exactly as it should be. There is no unnecessary padding here. The writing is ethereal and carries the reader along. The author does not resort to overt sentimentality while at the same time evoking true emotion in the reader. The second person POV took some getting used to but after a couple pages I was completely immersed. This is another winner from talented author Anita Desai.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

A clash of two cultures lies at the heart of a daughter’s discovery of a life her mother left to truly be herself. It takes the reader of the heat of India as it moves to modernize and how it affects Rosarita. A mother tortured by convention , but freed by a moment of promise in a world so far from the confines of her daily life. Bonita the daughter studying in a foreign country but destined to discovery a mother freed from one life and discovered in another. Happy reading

This book definitely doesn't work as a novella. It is short but also shallow. The premise, though interesting, fails to deliver the reader: a young Indian woman (Bonita) is studying languages in Mexico. While sitting on a bench in a park she is approached by a stranger who recognizes her as the daugter of a woman named Rosarita, a woman she knew many years ago in Mexico and, she affirms, was there studying Art and painting with The Maestro. Bonita, at the begining, is sure that the starnger is taking her for somone else: as far as she is concerned, her mom wasn not and artist and never been to Mexico. But the seed of the doubt is planted, so while she reminisces, she starts to consider that is possible that her mother kept this part of her life a secret from her family. Interesting. What are the chances! But, Ok, this probably has an explanation. One of the problems of the book is that the "spanish" used in it is HORRIBLE. As a Spanish speaker I could not get over some obvious mistakes that I really don't understand how they even made it to the proof. There are words that don't exist in the spanish language. I'm sorry but I find that's not excusable.

Thank you to Net Galley and Scribner for providing this eARC of Rosarita by Anita Desai in exchange for my honest review.

Anita Desai’s latest novel is a beautifully crafted work, written in a lyrical and poetic style that brings every scene to life. The vivid descriptions of Mexico and it's people are both colorful and evocative. The story unfolds with a misty veil of memories, while the daughter Bonita navigates her grief after the loss of her mother.
While I appreciated the beauty of the writing, I found that the characters lacked the depth I was hoping for. The relationships and personalities didn’t feel fully fleshed out, leaving me with a sense that the story remained somewhat loose and thready. The narrative didn’t quite come together for me in the end.

Additionally, while the novel hints at connections between the Partition of India and the Mexican Revolution, particularly involving the railway, I struggled to fully grasp the significance of these historical parallels. This left me feeling a bit disconnected from one of the central themes of the book.

Overall, though there is much to admire in Desai’s graceful prose, I was left wanting more cohesion and clarity in the story's development.

This is a novella, and rather an allusive one. It seems to spring from a single idea but doesn’t really follow through. All the questions about the central character’s mother remain unanswered and are suddenly shelved. There is little backstory, just a lot of immediacy which is vibrant and colorful but not wholly satisfying. Yes, Destini’s a fine writer and observer, but this work is limited.

Desai's novella is a quick, yet puzzling read where readers wonder about the main characters, a young woman, Bonita, from India studying abroad in San Miguel, Mexico, who meets a woman who claims to have met her mother decades earlier, in San Miguel. Bonita has never heard of her mother visiting San Miguel, yet, the woman persuades her that he mother came and hung out with artists, revolutionaries, painting images of Partition, trains, and violence. The novel is magical and mystical, yet, leaving readers to ponder what's real and unreal, the way Bonita questions her experiences with this woman. Perhaps, if we knew more about the mother and daughter, more would have been more clear, more relevant.