*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
Anxious Overthinker? Time To Try a Brain Dump
If you have noisy and overwhelming thoughts in your head, you might want to try a brain dump. A brain dump is the physical act of untangling your brain and getting all your thoughts, anxieties, fears, ideas, errands, and complaints in one place. It might sound daunting, but it's easier and more rewarding than you'd think. People who have tried a brain dump for just one week have actually reported an easier time focusing, a clearer head, and an easier time staying organized on day to day tasks. Dr. Marsha Brown, a forensic and clinical psychologist, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Winter Olympics: Sports, Politics, and COVID
The Winter Olympics is slowly winding down with a lot of competition left. Boston Globe Reporter Nicole Yang, joined Cheddar to discuss more on what we can expect to see and some of the hiccups surrounding the games this year.
President Biden Unveils New Sanctions Against Russia
Within hours of Russia's first attack on Ukraine, President Joe Biden addressed the nation by stating that the White House will impose wider sanctions on Russian banks. These sanctions could result in damage to the Russian economy. Host of "Oh My World" on Youtube and Former Spokesperson for the U. S. Mission to the U. N. Hagar Chemali, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Leafly CEO on Big 2021 Cannabis Jobs Growth, Looking Ahead to NJ, NY Adult Use
Even amid the Great Resignation, the cannabis industry saw major job growth. As of January 2022, the legal industry supported more than 428,000 jobs — a 33 percent increase year-over-year, according to the sixth annual jobs report from Leafly, a website focused on cannabis use and education. Yoko Miyashita, CEO of Leafly, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. “You know we've got big moments coming ahead in New Jersey and New York with adult-use sales starting in New Jersey, hopefully by this fall, with New York quickly to follow," she said. "So we're hugely optimistic about the kind of job growth that those markets can drive with the right type of market setup.
Load More