First the white members of Raj Bhatt's posh tennis club call him
racist. Then his life falls apart. Along the way, he wonders: where does
he, a brown man, belong in America? This award-winning novel "offers
deep insight into the ways the characters are shaped by racism"
(Publishers Weekly).
An NPR Best Book - A Millions Most Anticipated Title of 2020 - A
Rumpus Best Book for Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage
Month
Raj is often unsure of where he belongs. Having moved to America from
Bombay as a child, he knew few Indian kids. Now middle-aged, he lives
mostly happily in California, with a job at a university. Still, his
white wife seems to fit in better than he does at times, especially at
their tennis club, a place he's cautiously come to love. But it's there
that, in one week, his life unravels. It begins at a meeting for
potential new members: Raj thrills to find an African American couple on
the list; he dreams of a more diverse club. But in an effort to connect,
he makes a racist joke. The committee turns on him, no matter the years
of prejudice he's put up with. And worse still, he soon finds his job is
in jeopardy after a group of students report him as a reverse racist,
thanks to his alleged "anti-Western bias." Heartfelt, humorous, and
hard-hitting, Members Only explores what membership and belonging
mean, as Raj navigates the complicated space between black and white
America.
