by Marie Lamba
I take a donut from his outstretched hand. “Thanks.”
“Sangeet, this is not at all what I would have wanted,” he says in a stern voice, looking at the horde of people swarming our yard.
“I know.”
“And yet…” he says. He smiles tearfully. And that, to me, says it all.
I smile broadly as he squeezes my arm. He walks over to my mom and shakes hands with some people she is talking with.
I set down the tiny dress as Doodles races up to me. “Two thousand, Sang. Two thousand and counting.”
It’s nowhere near what we need. But as Doodles hugs me tight like I’m some sort of hero, I realize every little bit does count. And I feel a surge of love for my messy-haired little goofball of a sister.
Love. That’s what it’s all about. I can see it all so clearly now. Love is about really caring. Taking risks. Sharing your heart no matter what you’ll get back in return. It’s truly worth fighting for.
“Come see all the money,” Doodles says, tugging my hand.
“I will. But in a minute. First there’s something I’ve got to do.”
I go inside to the kitchen. I bite my lip, pick up the phone, and dial. “Hi,” I say. “It’s me. I know it’s been a while, but I had to call you and tell you how I feel. I—I love you. I just do. That’s all I can say.”
“I love you too, my little scholar girl,” Taoji says. “I love you too.”
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Also by Marie Lamba
What I Meant…
(Random House Publishers)
Ever feel misunderstood? Ever have people tell lies about you? Ever try to do the right thing only to have it turn out so very wrong?
It’s the start of sophomore year, and Sang Jumnal (the heroine of Over My Head) is crazy about a guy, but her Indian dad insists she’s too young to date. And her mom, who usually sticks up for her, suddenly thinks Sang is a liar, a thief and a bulimic. Why? Sang’s aunt, who has been living with them for the past few months, has been stealing food and money and setting up Sang to take the blame. Now Sang must take drastic action or she’ll never be trusted, or date, again.
What I Meant… is the hilarious and touching story about one girl who fights back hard…and sort of wins.
Booklist says, “many readers will not be able to get enough…hilarious, angry, hip narrative”
School Library Journal says, “…teens will enjoy the interesting cast of characters…the book will have a broad appeal, leaving readers wanting more”
Acknowledgements
Jennifer DeChiara for always being in my corner. Lisa Findlay, my daughters Adria and Cari, Jennifer Strohmeyer and Janice Bashman for their brilliant guidance and edits. My fantastic writers group the Rebel Writers for insightful critiques and meaningful friendship: Jeanne Denault, Damian McNicholl, David Jarret, Chris Bauer, John Wirebach and Russ Allen. My poor family, especially my husband, who suffered through a messy house and plenty of lousy dinners while this book was written. Lisa Farnin for sharing important and touching info with me. Megha Bhargava, Guncha Sahni, Sid Sahni, Surinder Sahni and my beloved Kuldip Sahni for assisting with the Indian background research, and really helping to bring Raina’s character to life. My glorious Liars Club who are always there to share advice, to laugh with, and to lean on: Kelly Simmons, Merry Jones, Solomon Jones, Jonathan Maberry, Gregory Frost, Don Lafferty, Ed Pettit, Keith Strunk, Keith DeCandido, Jon McGoran, Dennis Tafoya, and especially Leslie Banks who inspired me to go indie. My scout troops 21852 and 2539, because they asked me to mention them! The Fray for their inspiring music.
I especially want to acknowledge the love, support and courage of Jagmeet, Sumeet and Sudeep Lamba. I love you all!
Author’s Note
While Over My Head is a work of fiction, one thing is absolutely true: there is a serious need for bone marrow donors, especially among Indian, mixed race, and other minority populations. Anyone between the ages of 18-60 in good health can help. If you or someone you know would like to be screened to be a donor, or would like more information, please visit http://www.marrow.org/. You can save a life!
About the Author
Marie Lamba is a full-time writer and author of What I Meant… (Random House Young Adult), which was dubbed “an impressive debut” by Publisher’s Weekly. In a perfect world, Marie would spend half the year lounging in a village in Italy, sketching and eating dark chocolate. The other half of the year she’d spend cloistered in her studio writing novels, while also eating dark chocolate. Marie’s husband, Baldev, is a native of New Delhi, and together the couple has journeyed all over the Indian subcontinent. They live in Pennsylvania with their two remarkable daughters and a poodle who is a bit too much like Poopsie in Over My Head. To keep up with Marie’s new books, to contact her, get book club guides, or to plan an author visit, stop by http://www.marielamba.com/.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Also by Marie Lamba
Acknowledgements
Author’s Note
About the Author