Bella & Rami

An Epic Romance Based on a True Story

One fair-skinned girl. One dark-skinned boy. One passion that lasts a lifetime.

Bella is an Australian schoolgirl living in 1980s India. Rami is an athlete just out of college, about to start life abroad. From the start, their connection is powerful and physical. As they navigate distance, family, trauma, and complicated lives, first love becomes...

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Praise

Unconventional, courageous, intimate, and—at times—defiant ... In a heart-wrenching work of autofiction, Isobel de Border explores the deepest recesses of these two lovers’ emotions over years of hope and decades of desperation.

– Leissa Shahrak, author of Half the World

Readers' Favorite
I’m so glad I read this book. It was honest and easy to read. Bella and Rami were complex, both as a couple and as individuals. Their emotions are messy at times, but that authenticity gave the story weight. ...I have never read a story set in India before, so I found myself interested in the author’s descriptions of the country, as well. Anyone looking for a coming-of-age love story with a more grown-up edge will want to read this.

– Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

In her debut novel "Bella and Rami," Isobel de Border gifts us with an authentic tale of love... With a sprinkle of humor and a dash of nostalgia, de Border's raw emotional writing style captures the magic of first love and the sweet chaos it brings.

– Sonja Koch, author of Bookends of Life

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