What Makes Us Alike?

What is normal and who defines it?
Welcome to single mother Eira Dey's life where regular comes to die, and controversies spring alive. With an unplanned pregnancy at twenty-one, followed by an unconventional decision to not marry the father of her child, and more recently, a media scandal involving an ex-boyfriend's prison sentencing, Eira's seen it all.
But Eira's no damsel in distress, and her opinionated twelve-year-old daughter, Zasha, takes up after her. Until two years ago, they were the perfect mother-daughter team, but not anymore. Zasha disapproves of Dr Nihal Zane, the new man in Eira's life. To make life difficult, Zasha opts to spend her summer holidays in Mumbai with her father, leaving Eira insecure about her return to Washington, D.C.
While trying to navigate the guilt-ridden landmines of parenthood, Eira finds an indispensable ally in her own mother, Kanika Dey. But Kanika has a secret that will split open Eira's life. Will Eira follow in her mother's footsteps and rewrite the rules of motherhood, or will she choose her daughter's transient happiness over her own?
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Praise for Love is Never Easy
"Engaging, compelling and heart-warming tale."
— hindustantimes.com
"The writing is fresh, delightful and unpretentious."
— Nirmika Singh, Executive Editor - Rolling Stone India"

Donna Dias Manuel grew up in Mumbai, in an estrogen-dominated family. She has a degree in Geology from St. Xavier's, Mumbai and an MBA from Deakin University, Melbourne. After working in media, advertising, and finance in Mumbai, she moved to Bangkok and began her writing journey. Her debut novel, Love is Never Easy, was published in 2017. Presently, she lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.
'What Makes Us Alike?' is her second novel.