Delhi Author Shivani Sibal Announces New Novel Moms on Elite Modern Motherhood

Delhi-based author Shivani Sibal is set to release her new novel, "Moms," which examines the complexities of modern motherhood, marriage, and social expectations among the city's elite. The book is scheduled for release on September 12 by publisher HarperCollins India.

The novel delves into what Sibal describes as the distance between what life looks like on the outside and what it feels like on the inside. The narrative centres on Radhika Khanna, a woman who appears to possess an ideal life complete with a glamorous address, an immaculate home, and a seemingly perfect family in Delhi.

Beneath the surface, however, the protagonist is consumed by anxiety, dread, and the relentless pressure to maintain appearances. The storyline develops after a confrontation at her daughter's elite school turns her from an admired committee head into the subject of a whispered cautionary tale, causing fissures to spread through her managed world. As gala weekends and themed dinners lead toward a destination party in Rajasthan, she is forced to pay the true price of her perfection.

Speaking about the novel, Sibal said that human lives have never been so overtly performative or admired on flimsy illusions of perfection. She stated that she hopes the book resonates with anyone who has felt the pressure to iron over the messy bits of life to make everything look effortless, as well as those wishing to be seen more wholly.

Rashmi Menon, publisher at Harper Fiction, noted that the novel captures the performance of elite life and the cost of sustaining it with clarity, describing the writing as sharp, elegant, and empathetic.

The upcoming book marks Sibal's second published work following the release of her debut novel, "Equations," in 2021.