Mitali Perkins

Mitali Perkins writes stirring novels for young readers, including “Rickshaw Girl” (a New York Public Library Top 100 Book) and “Bamboo People” (an American Library Association Top 10 YA novel). Her latest novel, “You Bring the Distant Near,” undertakes a tremendous task: telling a complexly woven multigenerational story of five women grappling with romance, friendship, and the Indian-American identity, earning recognition as a National Book Award finalist. Mitali was born in Kolkata, India, and has lived in Bangladesh, India, England, Thailand, Mexico, Cameroon, and Ghana. She is a lecturer at Saint Mary’s College of California.