However Far Away

A sweeping family saga about love, loss, and acceptance―set against the backdrop of a Sikh wedding.

On the morning of his nephew’s wedding, Devinder Gill is certain the delicate balance of his life will not be upset. Dev is married to Kuldip, and together they have two young children in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood. But Dev also has a secret: an affair with his first love, an Irish Canadian woman named Emily Rice, who recently returned to Canada after nine years abroad. Today, both women will attend the wedding.

As the day progresses through the traditional Sikh marriage rituals, the circumstances that led to this precarious situation are revealed through the alternating perspectives of Devinder, Emily, and Kuldip. Dev fails to recognize the building threats―an unwelcome guest, a wandering daughter, a repentant father―and by day’s end must accept that he does not have the control over his life that he imagined. Will the balance be maintained, or will the fragile house of cards come tumbling down?

A stunning debut by a talented new voice, However Far Away is an unforgettable story about family secrets, painful compromises, and the promises we break to ourselves and others.