Written Works

My novel, Tahòle, The Politics of Love, is now available at Amazon.com and Lulu.com.  E-Book version of Tahòle is now available at Lulu for $9.99!

The book is a novel, of course, but as with most pieces of literary fiction, I have drawn heavily on the experience of my own life. Twelve years ago this past May, I returned to the United States with my children after leaving my Bengali husband of seven years, and after having lived with his family in Bangladesh for five of those years.

Tahòle tells of an American woman’s rite of passage in a Third World country, living as part of her extended family in Bangladesh. It shares the passionate love the protagonist, Twyla, feels for her host country. It attempts to depict the country’s breathtaking beauty alongside its filth and poverty with the depth and compassion it deserves.

The story follows Twyla as she struggles to adapt to the deeply entrenched patterns of codependency inherent in the culture. She ultimately stumbles onto principles that liberate her from the disease, and allow her to create the life she wants for herself and her children. Along the way she finds herself; she discovers that she has intrinsic value, free will, and a voice of her own. The story attempts a deeper understanding of the two cultures and all its characters, and suggests not so much a culture clash as a clash between incompatible partners, both doing their best to live their highest truth. The paradox Twyla finds is in how similar—while how different—Eastern and Western cultures really are.

In my practice as a social worker and counselor, I see women and men every day who struggle with the same important questions and challenges as Twyla, and know from personal experience that sometimes the most profound connection comes out of knowing that, despite all the evidence that would suggest otherwise, you are not alone. I invite your comments, your discussion, and your feedback to the story.

Click on this link if you’d like to read some of Toni’s shorter pieces.