“An appealing debut . . . Cynical, street-smart Rakhi is . . . a sharply drawn protagonist [who] gives this novel power and zest.”—Kirkus Reviews

“... riveting ... With a captivating arc and solid character development, the story highlights the impact of greed in a poverty-stricken Mumbai. It’s a powerful debut.” —Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“With a whip-smart, funny, and strong-willed woman at its core, Such Big Dreams is an absolute pleasure to read…There’s a lot that Patel tackles in this book—the disparity of wealth in India and abroad, the education gap; the non-profit world commandeered by celebrity; loss and love—and yet, it’s done with such a deft hand that it’s impossible to put this book down.” —Amazon Book Review

“Patel vividly portrays the many strata of Mumbai, from the streets to the slums to the upper echelons, through the eyes of a young woman seeking control of her own future.”—Booklist

“A heartbreaking yet hopeful story about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of insurmountable odds.”—Etaf Rum, New York Times bestselling author of A Woman Is No Man

“An astonishingly gifted storyteller, Reema Patel writes with a confidence, insight, and skill that belies her status as a debut novelist. A smart, haunting, compulsively readable novel with  tightly woven plot and an unforgettable narrator, Such Big Dreams is a gripping story you’ll want to simultaneously race through at breakneck speed and slow down to savor every word.”—Amy Jones, author of We’re All in This Together

“From the very first page, Such Big Dreams grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Patel’s prose jumps with energy, plunging the reader into a page-turner of a story that doesn’t shy away from exploring hard and painful truths about the way people navigate the systemic conditions of society. With assured writing, Patel explores themes ranging from societal elitism to the nuances of interpersonal betrayal. Visceral and kinetic, Such Big Dreams is a splash of a debut.”—Zalika Reid-Benta, author of Frying Plantain

“Such Big Dreams charts the ambitions, disappointments, and dreams of two people who are improbably thrust together as they try to find their way in—and make their mark on—a bustling Mumbai that’s indifferent to their struggles. Unflinching yet written with compassion and insight, Such Big Dreams is a richly textured and powerful novel that, like Mumbai itself, pulsates with humanity. Patel is a writer to watch. I absolutely loved this book.”—Bianca Marais, author of Hum If You Don’t Know the Words

“Mumbai has inspired many great novels about the city, and now we can add Patel’s Such Big Dreams to that list. Her portrayal of Mumbai is fresh, vivid, and personal, in part because of the book’s charming and perceptive narrator, Rakhi. I finished the book with a sigh of regret, feeling already the loss of Rakhi and the gift of Patel’s Mumbai.”—Shyam Selvadurai, author of Funny Boy

“Such Big Dreams, by Reema Patel, follows Rakhi, a young woman who is coming of age in Mumbai. This ambitious debut tackles big themes like class, displacement, and the longing for home and community while rooting the narrative in a compelling, singular, and funny protagonist. Patel is a remarkable novelist who can call out issues of displacement, hypocrisy, and the white-savior complex with a steady gaze that forces deep contemplation and collapses the borders between nations grappling with similar issues of displacement and gentrification. Though we may think the issues of gentrification are singular to American cities, in this book we see how displacement is a global crisis.” — Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park