A crackling debut, 26 Knots starts with a fire and never stops smouldering.

Grand in scope, spare in execution, and lush in language, 26 Knots is a fable-like tale of love, obsession, and everything in between. Araceli loves Adrien. Adrien loves Pénélope. Pénélope marries Gabriel, who is tormented by the search for the father he never knew. Set in Montreal, but spiralling out across Canada, Bindu Suresh’s debut novel deftly reveals the devastating consequences of betrayal and commitment, of grief and hope.

A former journalist and current paediatrician, Bindu Suresh is the author of short stories that have appeared in various literary publications. She studied literature at Columbia University and medicine at McGill University. Born in Wales, she grew up in Canada and has spent equal parts of her life in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. She currently lives in Montreal.

A CBC Best Book of 2019

“One of the most striking Canadian literary debuts of the year.”—Montreal Gazette

“Such a good read. Fast. And rich and dark and passionate. SO MANY FEELS.” – Jael Richardson, CBC Radio’s Q Book Columnist

“A collection of connected tales set in Montreal, Canada, Bindu Suresh’s 26 Knots is a buzzy, new novel-in-stories that you won’t want to miss out on reading.”—Bustle

“To call this novel a page-turner is an understatement… Suresh’s prose is sumptuous and lyrical.”—Montreal Review of Books

“Shakespearean in its execution, 26 Knots leaves you feeling the echoes of heartbreak and loneliness, long after you finish the last page.”—THIS Magazine

“[26 Knots] deliberately shuns prosaic narrative storytelling for a more poetic, episodic style… Suresh’s focus on her characters’ realistic fixations, loaded choices, impulsive actions, and inner turmoil relentlessly draws the reader into the stories.”—Canadian Literature

“A propulsive, taut and sultry debut, 26 Knots is a lightspeed Romeo and Juliet, a billet doux to Montreal. Bindu Suresh writes with the shine and force of a guillotine carrying us swiftly through the entanglements of love.”—Claudia Dey, author of Heartbreaker