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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My favourite kind of book, I enjoyed the reflection on important topics and biases while getting to know this family. The ending could have been a bit more abstract and less an obvious recap of everything we learned. Not enough to deduct, I enjoyed it!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Poignant and thought-provoking, A Great Country centres around the Shah family, an immigrant Indian family headed by Ashok and his wife Priya who moved to the USA to give their family more opportunities. When their teenage son Ajay is arrested, their lives become fodder for the news and community gossip and the shockwaves created by the arrest are felt throughout their family.
Gowda explores the personal experiences of immigrants and the idea of the American 'melting pot' and how it may not be the same experience for all. Themes of racism (including racism within the immigrant communities), class, police brutality and the tension between generations are explored through the perspectives of different characters in different generations and classes.
As a white Canadian woman, I appreciated how Gowda brings readers into the struggles non-white immigrants can face. These include the barriers - both direct and in-direct - as they try to fit in with American culture while also hoping not to gain unwanted attention for fear of racist repercussions.
The first half of the book was strong and felt like it was in a similar vein to Jodi Picoult's books and their focus on societal issues. That is high praise indeed! The second half of the story lost some of that energy and didn't go into the issues with as much depth as I had hoped, but despite that, A Great Country was a compelling read that will give book clubs much to discuss.
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the themes of this book. The tone/writing style is very direct and seems to tell everything instead of showing. It's a style that I don't tend tend to like, and sometimes find too simple. However, I enjoyed the characters and the plot, and the writing style does make the book accessible in a way that many books are not.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No