*By Samantha Errico* Fashion designer Rachel Roy and daughter Ava Dash noticed that very few young adult novels featured Indian narratives. So they decided to write one themselves. "We realized there have been so many retellings of Greek myths, so we decided that we wanted to be the first," Dash told Cheddar. "So we went through and found a story that really spoke to us." "I asked her if she knew any Indian myths," Roy said of a telling interaction she had with her daughter, "and she said 'no, you haven't taught me any.'" According to Roy, who is half-Indian, the book was also inspired by her father, who was born in Bangalore, India. Eventually, the mother-daughter pair settled on "96 Words for Love," a story about young love and self-discovery. The coming-of-age myth follows a 17-year-old girl who "falls in love and forgets who she is," Dash said. The title, she added, refers to all 96 ways one can say the word "love" in Sanskrit. Roy said that while she was developing the story, her then-teenage daughter was facing some of the same challenges as her fictional protagonist. "What do I do next? Is it what my parents want me to do? Is it social media and what I see reflected in entertainment wants me to do?" Above all, Roy said, she wants to empower her daughter to celebrate "what makes us beautiful both on the inside and on the outside." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/fashion-designer-rachel-roy-writes-young-adult-novel-with-daughter).

Share:
More In Culture
Curaleaf CEO Weighs in on New Jersey Cannabis Market
New Jersey has legalized recreational marijuana. The state missed cannabis holiday 4/20 by just a day. Cannabis giant Curaleaf operates three dispensaries in New Jersey. The company's CEO Joe Bayern joins Cheddar to recap the big day.
Wildfires Sweep Through Western States
Tim Brown, research professor at Desert Research Institute and director at the Western Regional Climate Center, joins Cheddar News to discuss the environmental impact of recent wildfires.
Morning Consult Shows Consumer Spending Pullback in March Amid Higher Prices
According to the Morning Consult, consumer spending in March was significantly impacted by inflation even as habits changed from purchasing goods to services as pandemic restrictions ebbed. Kayla Bruun, an economic analyst for the Morning Consult, joined Cheddar News to talk about the findings."Consumers are getting more and more concerned about paying for gas, paying for groceries — all these prices that are rising so quickly for things that they really don't have the choice but to buy," she said. "They're starting to cut back on the things that are a little bit more discretionary, realizing with prices as high as they are, it's maybe not the best time to be booking a vacation or upgrading their kitchen."
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
Plastic pollution is a problem that experts say is only getting worse. One organization is looking to change that. Activists want to save the beauty of our oceans, with the beauty of art. Brad Parks, conservation education director of the Washed Ashore project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Car Crash Tests Have A Major Flaw
In February 2022, over 65 congressional members sent a letter to Secretary Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation urging the agency to update certain safety standards when it comes to crash testing. So, what exactly are advocates calling for and why do they say our crash tests need a major update?
Load More