"_PUQ My_DPS mother_NN1 always_AV0 told_VVD me_PNP to_TO0 be_VBI a_AT0 good_AJ0 boy_NN1 ._SENT I_PNP suspect_VVB she_PNP knew_VVD that_CJT I_PNP was_VBD n't_XX0 ,_PUN "_PUQ Akash_NN1 Amin_NP0 explains_VVZ as_PRP Neel_NP0 Patel_NP0 's_POS novel_NN1 "_PUQ Tell_VVB Me_PNP How_AVQ to_TO0 Be_VBI "_PUQ begins_VVZ ._SENT This_DT0 melancholy_AJ0 drama_NN1 is_VBZ structured_VVN as_PRP a_AT0 first-person_AJ0 duet_NN1 between_PRP narrators_NN2 Renu_NP0 and_CJC Akash_NN1 Amin_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 mother_NN1 and_CJC son_NN1 who_PNQ have_VHB been_VBN singing_VVG past_PRP each_DT0 other_NN1 their_DPS whole_AJ0 lives_NN2 ._SENT Fittingly_AV0 ,_PUN Renu_NP0 and_CJC Akash_NN1 do_VDB n't_XX0 address_VVI one_PNI another_DT0 ,_PUN but_CJC instead_AV0 each_DT0 speaks_VVZ to_PRP a_AT0 longed-for_AJ0 "_PUQ you_PNP ,_PUN "_PUQ a_AT0 perpetual_AJ0 ,_PUN beloved_AJ0 ,_PUN missed_AJ0 connection_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 particulars_NN2 of_PRF which_DTQ Patel_NP0 gradually_AV0 reveals_VVZ ._SENT Akash_NN1 is_VBZ 28_CRD ,_PUN living_VVG in_PRP Los_NP0 Angeles_NP0 ,_PUN trying_VVG to_TO0 break_VVI through_AVP as_PRP a_AT0 songwriter_NN1 ._SENT His_DPS father_NN1 cautioned_VVD him_PNP never_AV0 to_TO0 tell_VVI his_DPS mother_NN1 that_CJT he_PNP 's_VBZ gay_AJ0 ,_PUN and_CJC although_CJS living_VVG inauthentically_AV0 with_PRP his_DPS family_NN1 has_VHZ contorted_VVN Akash_NN1 with_PRP pain_NN1 and_CJC contributed_VVD to_PRP his_DPS alcoholism_NN1 ,_PUN he_PNP keeps_VVZ this_DT0 promise_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Tell_VVB Me_PNP How_AVQ to_TO0 Be_VBI "_PUQ is_VBZ a_AT0 book_NN1 of_PRF full_AJ0 of_PRF longing_NN1 and_CJC regret_NN1 ,_PUN like_PRP the_AT0 R_ZZ0 &_NN1 B_ZZ0 ballads_NN2 Akash_NN1 labors_NN2 to_TO0 create_VVI ._SENT Renu_NP0 summons_NN1 Akash_NN1 and_CJC her_DPS older_AJC son_NN1 Bijal_NN1 to_PRP her_DPS palatial_AJ0 home_NN1 in_PRP suburban_AJ0 Illinois_NP0 to_TO0 commemorate_VVI the_AT0 one-year_AJ0 anniversary_NN1 of_PRF their_DPS father_NN1 Ashok_NP0 's_POS death_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC to_TO0 empty_VVI the_AT0 house_NN1 so_CJS she_PNP can_VM0 sell_VVI it_PNP and_CJC move_VVB to_PRP London_NP0 ._SENT Renu_NP0 grew_VVD up_AVP in_PRP a_AT0 family_NN1 of_PRF Indian_AJ0 immigrants_NN2 in_PRP Tanzania_NP0 before_PRP heading_VVG to_PRP London_NP0 for_PRP college_NN1 ._SENT There_AV0 ,_PUN her_DPS family_NN1 arranged_VVD a_AT0 marriage_NN1 for_PRP her_PNP with_PRP Ashok_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 genial_AJ0 man_NN1 who_PNQ became_VVD a_AT0 successful_AJ0 doctor_NN1 in_PRP Illinois_NP0 ._SENT But_CJC Renu_NP0 has_VHZ a_AT0 secret_NN1 —_PUN she_PNP loved_VVD another_DT0 man_NN1 in_PRP London_NP0 before_PRP Ashok_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 Muslim_NN1 named_VVD Kareem_NP0 ._SENT The_AT0 longing_NN1 for_PRP Kareem_NP0 has_VHZ made_VVN her_DPS never_AV0 satisfied_AJ0 ._SENT "_PUQ I_PNP have_VHB languished_VVN in_PRP this_DT0 town_NN1 with_PRP its_DPS Walmart_NN1 and_CJC its_DPS Applebees_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ she_PNP explains_VVZ ._SENT The_AT0 three_CRD remaining_AJ0 members_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 Amin_NP0 family_NN1 converge_VVB at_PRP the_AT0 home_NN1 at_PRP a_AT0 time_NN1 of_PRF personal_AJ0 crises_NN2 that_CJT they_PNP 've_VHB hidden_VVN from_PRP the_AT0 others_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 secrets_NN2 have_VHB curdled_VVN Renu_NP0 and_CJC Akash_NN1 so_AV0 that_CJT they_PNP mock_VVB or_CJC use_VVB certain_AJ0 people_NN0 who_PNQ befriend_VVB them_PNP ._SENT Broke_VVD Akash_NN1 lives_NN2 with_PRP a_AT0 financially_AV0 secure_AJ0 white_AJ0 boyfriend_NN1 that_CJT he_PNP cheats_VVZ on_AVP ,_PUN and_CJC Renu_NP0 makes_VVZ bitter_AJ0 jokes_NN2 about_PRP easy_AJ0 Midwestern_AJ0 targets_NN2 —_PUN such_DT0 as_PRP the_AT0 white_AJ0 women_NN2 in_PRP her_DPS book_NN1 group_NN1 who_PNQ call_VVB their_DPS favorite_AJ0 wine_NN1 "_PUQ Sauvi-B_NP0 ._SENT "_PUQ In_PRP this_DT0 soulful_AJ0 ,_PUN moody_AJ0 novel_NN1 ,_PUN Patel_NP0 shows_VVZ how_AVQ Akash_NN1 and_CJC Renu_NP0 suffer_VVB from_PRP the_AT0 impossibility_NN1 of_PRF emotional_AJ0 honesty_NN1 within_PRP their_DPS Indian_AJ0 immigrant_AJ0 community_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 Midwest_NN1 ,_PUN its_DPS norms_NN2 enforced_VVN by_PRP gossip_NN1 and_CJC social_AJ0 snubs_NN2 ._SENT There_EX0 's_VBZ an_AT0 inherent_AJ0 forgiveness_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 two-narrator_AJ0 structure_NN1 of_PRF this_DT0 novel_NN1 ,_PUN recognizing_VVG that_CJT people_NN0 who_PNQ 've_VHB made_VVN life_NN1 difficult_AJ0 for_PRP others_NN2 are_VBB themselves_PNX laboring_AJ0 under_PRP the_AT0 burdens_NN2 of_PRF their_DPS own_DT0 thwarted_AJ0 hopes_NN2 ._SENT 
