Stealing Our Hearts: An Interview with Sara Desai

To Have and To Heist by Sara Desai is the perfect rom-com caper and one of the most enjoyable summer releases that I’ve read. It had me asking some deeply important questions. If my best friend was accused of stealing a diamond necklace, who would I assemble to exonerate her? Naturally my wife will fill the role of the mysterious con-woman (although in her defense she isn’t really a liar, she just has a face most people trust). I will also happily have Rihanna play the role of our team’s hacker. Her performance in Ocean’s 8 is unparalleled. And clearly one of the shop dogs (probably, Roxy) will be the pretty face. I’m still mulling over the rest of my team and I’m certain once you crack open this delicious summer read you’ll be asking yourself the same hard-hitting questions.We were so excited to interview Sara and equally excited for To Have and To Heist to be the Between the Covers Romance Book Club’s August pick! Desai brings us the experiences of many young, second generation Indian Americans — pressure to live up to familial expectations, to be successful, and, of course, to get married. Expertly weaving these experiences into a laugh-out loud-romance, Desai’s To Have and To Heist is the fun, heart-racing, summer romance adventure that we all deserve. Enjoy!—Katie Garaby, Parnassus bookseller and host of Between the Covers

Sara Desai

Katie Garaby: Sara! Thank you so much for being willing to chat with me. I am a HUGE fan. When I read To Have and To Heist earlier this year (perks of being a bookseller) I could not stop evangelizing. It was my first five-star read of the year and I am so excited for it to be our August Between the Covers pick. Tell me a little bit about this most recent project. Is it a mystery with a romance plotline? Is it a romance with a mystery plotline? How would you describe it?

Sara Desai: I would describe it as a romcom caper with the focus more on the caper than the romance but it still has a romance arc and a HEA/HFN ending.

KG: To Have and To Heist gives major screw-ball comedy meets Ocean’s Eleven vibes. It is just so much fun! What about a heist felt like the perfect setting for this most recent project?

SD: There are so many moving parts to a heist which means there are so many things that can go wrong and you can always have fun with your characters when things go sideways. The book starts out with Simi going to check on her elderly neighbor and walking into a nightmare involving a naked octogenarian and a bottle of bleach!

KG: Your books do such an incredible job discussing heavier topics like cross-cultural differences and familial pressure, but you do it with such humor and love. Do you feel pressure to put your culture at the forefront? Or is it a privilege to highlight these stories?

SD: It has been wonderful to see the shift toward diversity in romance and I have welcomed the opportunity to share different aspects of the South Asian culture in my stories.

KG: Side characters can really make or break a book. In both the romance and mystery genres, we often see them as a segue into the next book. This rag-tag crew is an absolute delight. Truly some of my favorites. If you were going to stage a heist, who would you want by your side, real or fictional?

SD: Putting together a heist crew isn’t easy and it depends entirely on what you want to steal! I would want an experienced crew to maximize my chances of success (unlike my misfits in To Have and To Heist). My dream crew would include Danny Ocean from Ocean’s Eleven (professional thief with lots of experience leading a heist crew), Lizbeth Salander from Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (remorseless, relentless, experienced with weapons and has tech and hacking skills), Baby from Baby Driver (best driver there is), and Jack Wilder from Now You See Me (illusionist, pick pocket and lock picker).

KG: Our heroine, Simi Chopra, is having more than just a bad day. She is striking out left and right. Tell me what you like to do when you are having a particularly bad day. How do you switch things up to try and turn things around?

SD: I’ll usually get out of the house and go for a hike or a drive or get out on the water in my kayak. Usually, a change of scenery is enough to help me reset and put everything in perspective. If that doesn’t work, it’s time for ice cream and romcoms.

KG: We know that the romance market is heavily saturated with white/het/cis authors and because of that, I think it’s important to lift up queer and BIPOC authors. Who is a queer and/or BIPOC author that you are excited about and want to make sure we are reading?

SD: I just finished reading an early copy of Trisha Das’ Never Meant to Stay, which was absolutely delightful. It’s about a high-end wedding photographer who goes to stay with family friends in Delhi and finds the love and family she has been missing all her life. I also had the chance to read Noreen Mughees’ charming debut, The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed, which is a wonderful second chance romance chock full of Bollywood-style
drama.

KG:  And finally, we always like to finish up with this question: What is your favorite thing about independent bookstores?

SD: I love independent bookstores for several reasons. First, they are always in unique spaces—whether it’s a historic building or a cozy corner, every indie bookstore offers a new experience. Second, they are integrated into the fabric of the community, showcasing local books and making it possible for readers connect with their favorite authors. Third, the staff are readers themselves and genuinely love books. And finally…cats. When I see a cat walking around, I know I’ve found my perfect bookstore!

To Have and To Heist is on our shelves now! Grab your copy and join the Between the Covers meeting in-store on August 16 at 7:15pm!