Selected as a Best Book of 2021 by the Observer, Stylist, Cosmopolitan, Red and the Daily Mail

Halfway through her PhD and already dreaming of running her own lab, computer scientist Asha has her future all mapped out. Then a chance meeting and whirlwind romance with her old high-school crush, Cyrus, changes everything.

Dreaming big, together with their friend Jules they come up with a revolutionary idea: to build a social networking app that could bring meaning to millions of lives. While Asha creates an ingenious algorithm, Cyrus' charismatic appeal throws him into the spotlight.

When the app explodes into the next big thing, Asha should be happy, shouldn't she? But why does she feel invisible in the boardroom of her own company? Why are decisions being made without her? Gripping, witty and razor-sharp, The Startup Wife is a blistering novel about big ambitions, speaking out and standing up for what you believe in.

About the Author

Tahmima Anam's first novel, A Golden Age, won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and went on to be translated into 27 languages. It was followed by The Good Muslim and The Bones of Grace. She is the recipient of an O. Henry Award and has been named one of Granta's best young British novelists. She was a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and was recently elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, she attended Mount Holyoke College and Harvard University and now lives in London, where she is on the board of ROLI, a music tech company founded by her husband.

@tahmima | thestartupwife.com

Reviews
Pulses with up-to-the-minute topicality . . . as high-octane entertainment that hits notes poignant as well as savagely witty, it soars * * Observer * *
Fresh, funny, brave, savage, smart - Tahmima Anam hits every note perfectly in this novel about our new reality and the age-old problems of men and women that no app can fix -- KAMILA SHAMSIE
Impossibly timely and bewilderingly smart -- ELIF SHAFAK
Excellent on the intricacies of sexism and racism (Asha is Bengali) and how migrant experiences differ . . . Anam's writing is stylish and funny . . . and she guides the reader deftly towards a satisfying conclusion * * Sunday Times * *
A sparkling comedy about love, work and the search for meaning in our lives, that is funny, tender, sometimes raunchy, always smart. It satirises these crazy times, but with compassion and elegance. A rambunctious, radiant riot of a novel -- MONICA ALI
[A] sparky satire of startup culture and the modern search for meaning . . . Smart and funny on culture clashes, male-female dynamics and the cult of wellness * * Guardian * *
An extremely enjoyable, feminist rom-com - gloriously readable, irresistibly funny and even smarter than you realise until you turn the final, triumphant page. I loved this novel -- GILLIAN ANDERSON
Well-observed and funny: Anam deftly skewers a world of polished concrete and exposed brick, deranged venture capitalists and apocalypse-obsessed entrepreneurs . . . zippy and smart * * Sunday Telegraph * *
Brilliant . . . if you enjoyed Self Care by Leigh Stein or Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener you'll love this. A modern novel about love, start-ups, technology, ambition and the future, all wrapped up in one. It's very clever, but also subtle and very funny too. That sort of dry wit that makes you snort. [I] loved it . . . the perfect escapism -- EMMA GANNON
I raced through this beautifully written, often hilarious and always thought-provoking book about big tech, love, faith and chasing dreams . . . fabulous * * Mail on Sunday * *


Awards
Short-listed for Comedy Women in Print Prize 2023 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781838852481
Author Tahmima Anam
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint Canongate Books
Publisher Canongate Books
Weight(grams) 418g
Dimensions(mm) 220mm * 144mm * 29mm