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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
For the most part, this was disappointing to me. I was expecting the book to move me but overall, it was a little messy - the story was all over the place and the pacing was off. Maybe that was intentional as our lives are not linear but I thought it took away from the poignancy of what was really happening. Reading this reminded me of watching the show Succession - how I couldn't get past 3-4 episodes because the characters were unlikeable. In this case, I didn't find the characters to be redeeming (and yes, in life people are complicated, so I get it but at the end, I thought there would be enough for me to move past the flaws and appreciate the goodness of each character, including the matriarch). Instead it read off more like a resume of all the good things they've done (especially Dava) but then we were expected to forgive her and her ungrateful children for all the messy parts of her life. I grappled a lot about Dava's ambitions - It was empowering to see a woman of color take charge of her path in life, pick the untraditional route and be successful; however, there was also just something distasteful about her that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it was the Tom Buck angle? I think if I had seen closure with her husband about it, maybe her character would make more sense to me.
With that being said, there were definitely worthwhile scenes and qualities to the book. I appreciated how parents, especially the mother, shapes a child's life and essentially, their level of happiness as an adult. What we want from our children may not be what our children want (even if we think that's the right path) and to witness this happening over the course of the book felt relevant and relatable. Also, I thought the book was unique in how she identifies relationships. The types of affairs she describes in the novel are not usually presented in classic South Asian literature and I am glad SA characters are starting to forge new stories without having to fit into all the standard brown tropes and euphemisms. I also really enjoyed the adoption angle and the scene where she has that "come to" moment with her grandkids was really well done.
Overall, there were parts of the novel that exceeded my expectations, but overall, the book did not live up to it's hype in my opinion. And not sure if it's worth the time even if the last 50 pages were decent.
With that being said, there were definitely worthwhile scenes and qualities to the book. I appreciated how parents, especially the mother, shapes a child's life and essentially, their level of happiness as an adult. What we want from our children may not be what our children want (even if we think that's the right path) and to witness this happening over the course of the book felt relevant and relatable. Also, I thought the book was unique in how she identifies relationships. The types of affairs she describes in the novel are not usually presented in classic South Asian literature and I am glad SA characters are starting to forge new stories without having to fit into all the standard brown tropes and euphemisms. I also really enjoyed the adoption angle and the scene where she has that "come to" moment with her grandkids was really well done.
Overall, there were parts of the novel that exceeded my expectations, but overall, the book did not live up to it's hype in my opinion. And not sure if it's worth the time even if the last 50 pages were decent.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would (I am not usually into books about famous people or celebrities), but this book had so much power and beauty. Loved reading all of the small and beautiful details of the family dynamics that existed throughout the story. Really beautiful book about life, love, and grief, and choosing one’s own path right until the end of life.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
The overall plot of the book is good but there is so much more I wish the author expanded on. I wanted to hear more from Chaitanya, and focus on Dava’s life growing up,
This will sound weird — but I’m tempted to not read any further books for the few days remaining in 2021. Why? So I can end on a high note! I can’t tell you how much I loved Dava Shastri’s Last Day. It feels good to think about ending my reading year with such a terrific 5-star read!
In this sensitive, compelling book, we meet the awesome Dava Shastri at age 70. She’s a world-famous philanthropist, having devoted her adult life to using her billions to support worthwhile causes around the world. She’s also a mother, a grandmother, and a widow, and as the book opens, Dava has called her family to their private island for reasons not yet disclosed.
As the family gathers, she shares her big secret: Dava has terminal cancer, and faced with months of painful treatments that may prolong her life but not sustain it in any sort of quality, she decides to leave on her own terms. A doctor is on stand-by, already on the island. After a final day with her family, Dava will be ending her life via assisted suicide.
The family, naturally, is shocked. They’re even more shocked to learn that Dava’s attorney has already announced her death to the world. Faced with the end, Dava has decided to indulge her curiosity and see how she’s remembered — because hasn’t everyone always wondered about attending their own funeral?
The news, while full of praise for Dava’s generosity, soon turns to gossip and scandal, as a decades-old rumor of an extramarital affair with a rock singer resurfaces in the wake of the death announcements. Dava is dismayed that these old stories have taken over the headlines, so instead of the tributes she expected, she’s faced once again with the rumors she could never quite shake.
As the book progresses, each of Dava’s four adult children tries to come to terms with Dava’s legacy and their own relationships to their powerful, hard-working, often absent mother. In devoting her life to serving others, Dava’s homelife by necessity came second. And while she raised her children to follow in her footsteps and devote themselves to the family foundations and charitable causes, each has to face their own soul-searching to find their purpose in life — and to figure out whether Dava is someone they want to emulate or rebel against.
There are so many lovely moments, as the siblings explore their connections, their own marriages and relationships, and their place in the world. Even the grandchildren have important roles to play, as they get a final chance to learn the truth about their grandmother — who she is, what her life has meant, and what paths she’s blazed for them.
Dava herself is a fascinating character, a self-made woman whose life contains heartbreak and challenge and ultimate success. She often enigmatic, and at first seems to be a woman who places too much emphasis on physical comfort and luxuries, but we soon learn that there’s so much more to this powerful, determined woman.
The one element that rang a little oddly for me is the setting — the main events surround Dava’s last day take place in 2044. I suppose this is so that the author could root some of Dava and her children’s earlier years in our own contemporary times. The fact that it’s 2044 in this book isn’t particularly explored, beyond a couple of references to climate and the ease of accessing Dava’s chosen end-of-life medical treatment.
Other than that, there’s really not a false note in this beautiful book. I loved the characters, the relationships, the secrets that emerge, and the lovely way the stories all tie together by the end.
This would be a fabulous book group selection — there’s so much to think about and discuss!
Dava Shastri’s Last Day seems to have been an under-the-radar release for the end of 2021. Fortunately, I stumbled across a mention of the book in a year-end list, and the beautiful cover caught my eye. I’m so happy to have read this book, and will be sharing it with lots of friends and family.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
In this sensitive, compelling book, we meet the awesome Dava Shastri at age 70. She’s a world-famous philanthropist, having devoted her adult life to using her billions to support worthwhile causes around the world. She’s also a mother, a grandmother, and a widow, and as the book opens, Dava has called her family to their private island for reasons not yet disclosed.
As the family gathers, she shares her big secret: Dava has terminal cancer, and faced with months of painful treatments that may prolong her life but not sustain it in any sort of quality, she decides to leave on her own terms. A doctor is on stand-by, already on the island. After a final day with her family, Dava will be ending her life via assisted suicide.
The family, naturally, is shocked. They’re even more shocked to learn that Dava’s attorney has already announced her death to the world. Faced with the end, Dava has decided to indulge her curiosity and see how she’s remembered — because hasn’t everyone always wondered about attending their own funeral?
The news, while full of praise for Dava’s generosity, soon turns to gossip and scandal, as a decades-old rumor of an extramarital affair with a rock singer resurfaces in the wake of the death announcements. Dava is dismayed that these old stories have taken over the headlines, so instead of the tributes she expected, she’s faced once again with the rumors she could never quite shake.
As the book progresses, each of Dava’s four adult children tries to come to terms with Dava’s legacy and their own relationships to their powerful, hard-working, often absent mother. In devoting her life to serving others, Dava’s homelife by necessity came second. And while she raised her children to follow in her footsteps and devote themselves to the family foundations and charitable causes, each has to face their own soul-searching to find their purpose in life — and to figure out whether Dava is someone they want to emulate or rebel against.
There are so many lovely moments, as the siblings explore their connections, their own marriages and relationships, and their place in the world. Even the grandchildren have important roles to play, as they get a final chance to learn the truth about their grandmother — who she is, what her life has meant, and what paths she’s blazed for them.
Dava herself is a fascinating character, a self-made woman whose life contains heartbreak and challenge and ultimate success. She often enigmatic, and at first seems to be a woman who places too much emphasis on physical comfort and luxuries, but we soon learn that there’s so much more to this powerful, determined woman.
The one element that rang a little oddly for me is the setting — the main events surround Dava’s last day take place in 2044. I suppose this is so that the author could root some of Dava and her children’s earlier years in our own contemporary times. The fact that it’s 2044 in this book isn’t particularly explored, beyond a couple of references to climate and the ease of accessing Dava’s chosen end-of-life medical treatment.
Other than that, there’s really not a false note in this beautiful book. I loved the characters, the relationships, the secrets that emerge, and the lovely way the stories all tie together by the end.
This would be a fabulous book group selection — there’s so much to think about and discuss!
Dava Shastri’s Last Day seems to have been an under-the-radar release for the end of 2021. Fortunately, I stumbled across a mention of the book in a year-end list, and the beautiful cover caught my eye. I’m so happy to have read this book, and will be sharing it with lots of friends and family.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
Loved this!! Not life changing but i loved the story and characters. Complex family dynamics are just sooo engaging