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September 9, 2025 48 mins

What if the person your ex-husband fell for was your doppelganger?

In this episode, Sanjena Sathian takes us inside her new novel Goddess Complex, exploring one of the most personal choices a woman can make. Step into the world of Sanjana Satyananda, a woman navigating life after a challenging period in her life, grappling with themes of motherhood, fertility, divorce, and absurdly enough, a doppelganger with a cult following.

With a protagonist who almost shares her name, Sanjena reveals how much of herself she poured into the story.

She also reflects on her writing journey, her time at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, her acclaimed debut novel, and how Goddess Complex marks a shift in her storytelling.

Tune in now for this rollercoaster ride!

Books mentioned in the episode:

  • Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
  • Operation Shylock: A Confession by Philip Roth
  • The Horned Man by James Lasdun
  • Malory Towers (novel series) by Enid Blyton
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
  • All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
  • Family Planning by Karan Mahajan
  • All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews
  • The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

Movies and TV Shows mentioned in the episode:

  • Adaptation (2002)
  • Gilmore Girls (2000)
  • Veep (2012)

Upcoming Bound Retreats
Immersive, one-of-a-kind literary experiences that take writers into the heart of India’s most breathtaking landscapes.

  1. Wiling: A Weekend Writing Retreat | 28-30 November, 2025

Learn more: https://boundindia.com/retreats/ 

Apply to all retreats: http://bit.ly/44TzYpY 

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.




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