THE SUN HAS SET, MY FRIENDS

Friendship, romance, and rivalry entangle two Indian American boys and an Anglo-Irish girl in Gupta’s novel.

Yash Varna moves with his father from Toronto to Pittsburgh to start college after his mother dies. New to the area and living away from campus, Yash quickly befriends Jay Ahuja, a fellow Indian and pre-med student from the Pittsburgh suburbs. Despite surface similarities, Jay and Yashu couldn’t be less alike: Whereas Yash is shy, Jay is confident and outgoing, and while Yash is nervous around girls, Jay is a ladies’ man. The narrative explores how these two interact, particularly in the context of their various overlapping relationships with women. There’s Rachel, Yash’s first girlfriend in college, a childhood friend of Jay who may or may not have also dated Jay in the past. Then, there’s Darby Baccus, an Anglo-Irish girl from Reading, Pennsylvania, devoted to her family, especially her autistic brother, Hunter; Yash sees her one day and is awestruck, but they formally meet later while both he and Jay are coupled up. Tension builds as both Jay and Yash appear interested in Darby, and the novel adopts a will-they-won’t-they formula crossed with a modern take on Jules et Jim, eventually following all three out of college as they advance in their lives and careers. While Gupta’s prose can be overwrought (such as in the line, “my calves cramping up with lactic acid, begging for respite”) and redundant, the author is able to capture moments of genuine intimacy. The breakup scene between Rachel and Yash stands out as an understated but genuinely sweet, captivating moment of emotional honesty. This emotional grounding holds through to the novel’s conclusion, leading to a satisfying, if devastating, coda.

A compelling study of messy friendships and romantic relationships, and their long-lasting effects.