Sarah Thankam Mathews Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Anthologies

About Sarah Thankam Mathews

Fast becoming known for her insightful and imaginative literary fiction, Sarah Thankam Mathews is a well-known author with a lot to say. Immigrating to the United States at the age of seventeen, she writes from a unique and fresh perspective, creating a style that is very much her own. Pushing the format of the novel and shifting literary conventions, she’s a talented and imaginative author taking her stories in new and inventive directions. From short stories to full novels, she’s always a clear and articulate voice that knows exactly what she wants to say and how to say it.

Always outspoken, whether it’s through her words or through her writing, she always pushes the envelope when it comes to her work. Speaking out about different issues, including mutual aid, immigration, and climate change, she’s an actively engaged individual. This sense of due care also extends to her writing, as she underlies all of her work with a clear message and real sense of purpose. Over the years her writing has gone on to find an audience worldwide, allowing her to speak to a huge readership from far and wide.

Becoming a household name for many, she’s managed to really deliver on every level, making her writing hugely compelling. Easy to pick up, her stories are also difficult to put down at the same time, as her insights and narratives make for addictive reading. Pacing her fiction with a real feeling of momentum and drive, she carries the reader along, fully investing them in her rich and varied worlds. Setting herself apart from other writers within her field, she’s very much a singular and idiosyncratic voice all of her very own.

Another key feature of her work is that of her characters, creating compelling and intricate personalities that stand out from the page. The characters feel wholly real, as they almost speak to the reader, leaving a powerful and lasting impact upon them long after they’ve finished. Getting to the heart of the matter from the outset, she delivers her stories in a deceptively straightforward manner, immediately getting to the point. With a lot more yet to come she isn’t stopping any time soon, as there’s plenty more planned for release in the near future.

Early and Personal Life

Growing up between Oman and India, Sarah Thankam Mathews would be keenly interested in storytelling from an early age. Learning her craft and developing her voice, she would continue to refine and hone her style as a writer throughout the intervening years. When she was seventeen she would go on to immigrate to America, as she would continue to write and develop her approach to fiction.

Becoming a Rona Jaffe Fellow in fiction based at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, she would fast find her own individual style. She would also go on to write at The Asian American Writers Workshop, also becoming Margins Fellow there as well. Founding a mutual aid network named ‘Bed-Stuy Strong’ in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she continues to make her voice heard to this very day.

Writing Career

It was in 2022 that Sarah Thankam Mathews would release her first stand-alone debut novel titled ‘All This Could Be Different.’ This first effort would go on to be critically acclaimed, with many reviewers praising it, as well as it becoming a commercial success. She’d also reach scores of readers from around the world, becoming a massively sought after voice within the industry as a whole.

Prior to writing her first novel, Mathews would also be known for writing numerous short stories for various different outlets, something which she continues to do. These short stories included ‘The Love Song of G. Madhvi Suresh,’ along with various different essays and meditations on life. After release these stories would go on to gain acclaim in their own right, winning her awards, such as the ‘Best American Short Stories Workshop’ in 2020.

She would also be known for writing for a number of different outlets on her activism, from ‘The New Yorker’ to ‘CNN’ and ‘BK Reader.’ Receiving numerous honors for her work too, she would gain recognition for both her poetry and fiction over the years. Currently making a name for herself both online and off, she continues to write regularly, as she definitely has a lot more to say.

All This Could Be Different

Initially arriving in 2022 on the 2nd of August, this debut novel would come out through the ‘Viking’ publishing label to much acclaim. Winning a ‘National Book Award’ nomination in 2022, as well as being shortlisted for the ‘Barnes and Noble Discover Prize’ that same year, it was met with a great deal of critical acclaim. It would be an entirely stand-alone story with a completely self-contained narrative, making it instantly accessible to any and all readers.

Moving to Milwaukee for a corporate entry-level position, Sneha has been fortunate in the aftermath of the global recession. Despite it being gruelling work, it will prove to be beneficial when it opens many new doors for her, as she gets her friend Thom from college a position as well, all while sending money back to her parents in India. Dating women, she meets a dancer named Marina who she starts to develop a real crush on, despite her seeming just beyond her reach. That’s when painful secrets begin to emerge and trouble rears its head, and she begins to wonder if ‘all this could be different?’

The book itself is massively entertaining with a lot to say from start to finish, really grabbing the attention of the reader from the outset. Completely honest with plenty of humor and heart, it definitely doesn’t hold back from saying exactly what it wants to say. The characters all feel real too, as they’re drawn from real-life, while being entirely their own creations, giving the book its own distinct personality. Providing insight into a truly unique perspective from an exciting new author, it makes for a great first novel showing lots of promise for the future.