Appetite
By P. Paramita
The Dial Press
On Sale Aug. 4, 2026
P. Paramita’s debut novel Appetite is a love letter set in New Haven to Bangladeshi food and wrestling wrapped in an immigrant tale about ambition, belonging, and power.
Bangladeshi cuisine and wrestling may seem like an unexpected matchup, but in Appetitethey’re a perfect pair. Paramita — a native of Bangladesh who lives in New Haven and teaches creative writing at Southern Connecticut State University — conveys her protagonist Zarina’s obsession with both worlds with amazingly detailed descriptions. Wrestling, particularly professional wrestler Sierra Myst’s fluid moves, and sumptuous dishes are rendered with near-religious reverence. In one striking scene, Zarina likens the creation of a successful match to the creation of the perfect dish.
In the novel, both passions take Zarina’s life to unexpected places. But her triumph is tempered by the trauma of navigating an exploitative white supremacist system. Paramita filters this complex narrative through the contemporary lens of parasocial relationships, producing a layered story that feels both deeply personal and sharply attuned to our cultural moment.
Zarina is a 24-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant and prep cook at a restaurant called Zero’s in New Haven. Her awful manager Andrew borders on abusive and doesn’t give her any real opportunity to advance. (The Independent readers will clutch their pearls, hoping Zero is not based on one of their beloved restaurants.) Zarina’s mother’s disapproval of her career choice and lack of graduate degree is another issue weighing on her spirit. As a Bangladeshi, she was supposed to have pursued a career in the medical field or banking, like the children of her mother’s peers. Zarina’s mother cut her off when she pursued culinary school. She also doesn’t present as feminine as her mother would like. That’s a source of a quiet but constant tension.
Zarina exudes a general lack of confidence and uncertainty about life, friendship, and herself. She finds the acceptance she’s looking for in the wrestling community after she gets unexpectedly close with Sierra Myst. Their relationship quickly becomes a burden for Zarina, but she doesn’t know how to speak up for herself. Her life goals stand in the balance as she overexerts herself to stay on Sierra’s good side while constantly monitoring the social and group chat activities of her wrestling community friends. Paramita captures the peculiar anxiety of digital intimacy with unsettling precision. Zarina wonders at one point, “Can you be friends with someone if all you do is talk about another person?”
Gradually, her life begins to tilt out of balance.
Paramita excels at portraying Zarina’s interior world. Readers feel their anxiety as they mess up in the kitchen, the rush they get with each text notification from Sierra and the exhausting self-interrogation that defines Zarina’s emotional landscape.
One of the novel’s most provocative moves is its treatment of professional wrestling as a stage upon which white supremacy quietly operates. The average person wouldn’t think this of their beloved entertainment/sport. By bringing to the fore the mechanisms of the old white guys behind the curtain, Paramita demonstrates how the evil of white supremacy permeates every corner of society.
Society places as much pressure on Zarina as she places on herself. It’s no wonder she nearly buckles under the weight of her feelings of responsibility, vulnerability and victimhood. Readers will root for Zarina at every point as she gingerly finds her way and her voice. But readers may also question Zarina’s agency as she questions herself and her own motives throughout the novel. Was she too obsessed? Was her silence a form of complicity?
Appetite feels very present and “of the time.” Readers will deeply understand Zarina learning to cook cultural dishes via TikTok, as well as the strange intimacy of digital fandom. Paramita’s inclusion of underrepresented Bangladeshi culture is also particularly resonant during this time when immigrants are under constant attack.
New Haven readers, meanwhile, will delight at the novel’s local texture. Paramita sprinkles the story with familiar landmarks like Mecha Noodle Bar and Wooster Square Park. The New Haven Independent also gets a shout-out. (Insert heart emoji.) The Crafters of Color collective also makes a memorable appearance.
At its core, Appetite dissects the funny intimacy between a searching brown immigrant woman and the wealthy, enigmatic white celebrity she idolizes. Paramita examines this dynamic with scalpel-sharp insight, revealing how admiration and power can blur into something more dangerous. Here, hunger is never just about food.
Appetite comes out August 4 but you can pre-order at the beloved Possible Futures.
