A Booked Summer
On tour with first-time novelist Saira Rao
by sarah estes graham
It has seemed almost effortless for Saira Rao (Col ’96) to drum up interest in her newly published novel, Chambermaid. She received her first two advance copies from Grove Press while staying at a B&B, so she gave one copy to the owner. The B&B owner loved it so much she passed it on to the owner of the nearby Borghese Vineyard, who liked it so much she decided to host a reading and book signing as part of Rao’s summer book tour.
Not a bad start for a debut novelist. And while touring and promotion are usually the bane of published writers, Rao seems to be loving every serendipitous minute of it.
Saira Rao
Photo by Hillery Stone |
Whether it be her stint in journalism (producing TV news in Washington, D.C., and Miami), her move to law (she graduated from NYU Law School in 2002), a federal clerkship, or her latest career as an author, Rao takes delight in "pouring her heart and soul into each phase of the process," she says. During her cross-country book tour, she’s made the usual appearances at Barnes & Noble but has also given readings at law offices and, yes, wineries. She laughs that she has met more people in the past year than she has since her first year at U.Va.
Chambermaid tells the story of Sheila Raj, an idealistic law school graduate who wants to make a difference in the world. She gets a prized clerkship in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals working for legendary U.S. Judge Helga Friedman. The satirical portrait that Rao sketches of these chambers is both scathing and hilarious: Judge Friedman turns out to be an abusive, self-obsessed "liberal" surrounded by an odd cast of aggressive gatekeeper assistant clerks collected by color and creed, each more socially entitled than the next.
While fictional, Rao’s book has set legal blogs ablaze with speculation about which scenes and characters might be based in reality. The federal clerkship, traditionally shrouded in secrecy, is revealed in Rao’s depiction as a bastion of hierarchy and fiercely guarded privilege. Pitched as "The Devil Wears Prada meets John Grisham," Rao’s book is actually a trenchant analysis of the cultural politics of the judicial branch.
At her readings, though, fans are attracted to the qualities that got the book circulating from that B&B in the first place: It’s simply a great read.
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