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lnlee78's review
5.0
What a beautiful book about three generations of black and brown women. I listened to this book on audiobook and was mesmerized by not just the excellent narration but also the rich story written by Mitali Perkins. Even though I immigrated to the United States decades after the Das family did, I could relate with so many of their experiences, struggles, etc. I also loved that the story was not only about the struggle but was in the end about the different women and love. Definitely one of the most gorgeous books I've read this year.
specificity's review
4.0
I really liked the sense of atmosphere Perkins evoked in her writing and the way she explored her characters and gave them all complex personalities.
Chantal/Shanti was definitely my favorite character in this book, not only because of how refreshing it is to see a biracial Black-Indian girl after seeing only half-white Indian characters if biracial Indians were ever mentioned. She and her mother felt so real and relatable and definitely resonated with me. I only wish we could have had more Chantal instead of some of the Anna chapters.
This book gets a star docked partly because the vignette form — although well written — was a little too abrupt for my taste. Even within the sections, years pass from one chapter to another and it was a little jarring to do the timeline math when the story dove into the next time period without really elaborating on what we missed. That's only 0.1 stars docked in my book, though.
The main reason I didn't give this five stars is because of Anna/Anu. She was insufferable and so out-of-touch in her views of the world and everything about her opinions screamed 'rich brat.' For instance, when she sneered at the Carver girls for loving Chantal seemingly for her looks, Anna claimed her popularity in Mumbai was due to her more "substantive qualities," conveniently omitting her movie star mother, investment banker father, glamorous penthouse, and giant bank account from the equation.
Throughout the last part of the book, she held herself above her half-Black, 'barely' Indian cousin, constantly asserting her own superiority in her mind because of her flawless Indianness and superior cultural connection. Her constant undermining of her grandmother's Americanizing was another sore point for me. She, a light-skinned daughter of what was practically Mumbai royalty, may have had it easy, but her grandmother — married at eighteen, a widow, and stuck in the limited social circles of conservative Bengali grandmothers of 90s Calcutta — and her sister — visibly Black and thus a visible target for antiblack racism in India — would not have nearly as comfortable a time in her darling rich-girl rose-tinted version of India.
Chantal/Shanti was definitely my favorite character in this book, not only because of how refreshing it is to see a biracial Black-Indian girl after seeing only half-white Indian characters if biracial Indians were ever mentioned. She and her mother felt so real and relatable and definitely resonated with me. I only wish we could have had more Chantal instead of some of the Anna chapters.
This book gets a star docked partly because the vignette form — although well written — was a little too abrupt for my taste. Even within the sections, years pass from one chapter to another and it was a little jarring to do the timeline math when the story dove into the next time period without really elaborating on what we missed. That's only 0.1 stars docked in my book, though.
The main reason I didn't give this five stars is because of Anna/Anu. She was insufferable and so out-of-touch in her views of the world and everything about her opinions screamed 'rich brat.' For instance, when she sneered at the Carver girls for loving Chantal seemingly for her looks, Anna claimed her popularity in Mumbai was due to her more "substantive qualities," conveniently omitting her movie star mother, investment banker father, glamorous penthouse, and giant bank account from the equation.
Throughout the last part of the book, she held herself above her half-Black, 'barely' Indian cousin, constantly asserting her own superiority in her mind because of her flawless Indianness and superior cultural connection. Her constant undermining of her grandmother's Americanizing was another sore point for me. She, a light-skinned daughter of what was practically Mumbai royalty, may have had it easy, but her grandmother — married at eighteen, a widow, and stuck in the limited social circles of conservative Bengali grandmothers of 90s Calcutta — and her sister — visibly Black and thus a visible target for antiblack racism in India — would not have nearly as comfortable a time in her darling rich-girl rose-tinted version of India.
papertraildiary's review
4.0
Beautiful story for today's world, and a unique take. Will write more soon.
bickie's review
4.0
Thoughtful exploration of what it means to be Bengali, what it means to be Black, and what it means to be American, and how the coexistence of these identities within one family (and for one person) can cause friction and create fluid alliances. The different voices were sometimes difficult to keep straight, especially in the beginning. No sex, drugs, or violence, but themes most appropriate for high school though forward-looking middle schoolers will enjoy as well.
steph01924's review
4.0
If you love books where you can watch one family grow and change over multiple generations, then you will enjoy this book! Check out my full review over at Forever Young Adult.
alli_oopsie's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
elliya's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Great premise but didn’t deliver. I really enjoyed the first half of this novel, narrated by sisters Tara and Sonia Das. For me, the second half, narrated by their teenage daughters, fell flat. The girls have complex multinational and multiracial identities and I didn’t feel that enough nuance was conveyed onto the page. I did really love the Das family living in New York in the 60s and trying to fit in without fully losing their Bengali heritage, and I loved reading about how Tara went back to her father’s family’s land to reconnect with her Bengali heritage.
johnnymacaroni's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the audio version. Really brought the characters to life. I didn’t realize when I started it that it was multigenerational. I haven’t read many (any?) books like that and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked that aspect.
cathiedalziel's review
3.0
Nice story narrated by 3 inter generational woman from the same Bengali family, and their adaption and integration into American values. This story spans from 1965 up until post 9/11 era.
For those that are more use to watching movies or films than reading books, it was like reading an after school special on how a family emigrates to the U.S.
For those that are more use to watching movies or films than reading books, it was like reading an after school special on how a family emigrates to the U.S.
ctdominguez13's review
3.0
I did enjoy reading this book but there were a couple of things that kept me from loving it. For one, I feel like I only knew the characters at face value. I don’t think we got to know them at a more deeper level. I think Ranee is the only one who was fully fleshed out. Because of this it was hard for me to care for any of the characters. I do like that we get to follow the Das family throughout the years but I feel that the time and place weren’t really clear at some points. I feel like there wasn’t any huge buildup to big events either which made it difficult to get the full impact of them. They were kind of just explained in one sentence in another POV (with the exception of the father’s death and Didu’s attempt to become “American”).
Lastly, I didn’t like how we got to meet Shanti. The first time we read from her POV we get to see her angry about not fitting entirely into both of her heritages. It felt forced and awkward. And that whole thing with her parents avoiding her grandmothers when they’re together? I understand that it happens but I think it was overdone.
All these things are not to invalidate the issues that the novels bring to light, such as race, class, gender, 9/11, nationality and patriotism and so much more. And for that, I really have a great appreciation for this novel. It really is an enjoyable read, I just wish we got more got more character depth.
Lastly, I didn’t like how we got to meet Shanti. The first time we read from her POV we get to see her angry about not fitting entirely into both of her heritages. It felt forced and awkward. And that whole thing with her parents avoiding her grandmothers when they’re together? I understand that it happens but I think it was overdone.
All these things are not to invalidate the issues that the novels bring to light, such as race, class, gender, 9/11, nationality and patriotism and so much more. And for that, I really have a great appreciation for this novel. It really is an enjoyable read, I just wish we got more got more character depth.