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bookwormbullet's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you so much to Scribner Books for sending me an early copy of The Startup Wife in exchange for an honest review!
The Startup Wife really intrigued me when I first read a description of the novel because as someone who is familiar with the tech industry and is also Bengali, I was really interested to see Tahmima Anam’s exploration of what it means to be a woman of color in a male-dominated industry. The story follows Asha Ray, daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants and a brilliant coder. During graduate school, she’s reunited with her high school crush, Cyrus Jones. The two write an algorithm that creates personalized rituals to replace actual religious ones for various types of real-life traditions. Before she knows it, she’s abandoned her PhD program, they’ve exchanged vows, and gone to work at an exclusive tech incubator called Utopia. The platform creates a sensation, with millions of users seeking personalized rituals every day, and Asha starts to question whether her marriage will survive the pressures of sudden fame.
I think one thing that’s important to note before starting this novel is that this is not a HEA-type of romance. I’m usually wary of romance novels that feature a WOC as the main character that falls in love with a white man and is forced to let go of her culture and background, and change her entire personality/character to be with him. Thus, from the beginning of the novel, I was always hesitant about Cyrus and Asha’s relationship, even when Asha professed multiple times how in love she was with him. I’m glad that Tahmima Anam continued to put the focus of the story on Asha and her personal journey, rather than making Asha succumb to Cyrus’s needs, especially at the end of the novel. It was great to see her stand up for herself and call Cyrus out when he was, frankly, being an awful person.
Regarding the tech industry-aspect of this novel, I found it interesting that this book took place in NYC with the presence of Silicon Valley looming in the background. I’m not 100% familiar with the tech industry in NYC specifically as much as I am familiar with it in Silicon Valley, but I think the startup culture portrayed in this novel, especially in the age of social media, was pretty accurate. Additionally, while I can’t comment on the Muslim rep in this book, I can say that the Bengali rep was pretty accurate. As mentioned, I’m glad that Asha did not ever separate herself from being Bengali and always stayed connected to her upbringing and identity throughout the novel. I am curious to see what other Muslim readers have to say about the Muslim rep in this book, especially since this book explores the intersection of faith and technology and WAI offers rituals that serve as a replacement for actual religious rituals.
I’d recommend this book for those who are also women of color working in tech. While the storyline in the middle of the book became a little slow, I think the end of the book proved that Tahmima Anam stayed true to her promise of delivering a story that highlights the obstacles women of color face when starting a tech company.
The Startup Wife really intrigued me when I first read a description of the novel because as someone who is familiar with the tech industry and is also Bengali, I was really interested to see Tahmima Anam’s exploration of what it means to be a woman of color in a male-dominated industry. The story follows Asha Ray, daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants and a brilliant coder. During graduate school, she’s reunited with her high school crush, Cyrus Jones. The two write an algorithm that creates personalized rituals to replace actual religious ones for various types of real-life traditions. Before she knows it, she’s abandoned her PhD program, they’ve exchanged vows, and gone to work at an exclusive tech incubator called Utopia. The platform creates a sensation, with millions of users seeking personalized rituals every day, and Asha starts to question whether her marriage will survive the pressures of sudden fame.
I think one thing that’s important to note before starting this novel is that this is not a HEA-type of romance. I’m usually wary of romance novels that feature a WOC as the main character that falls in love with a white man and is forced to let go of her culture and background, and change her entire personality/character to be with him. Thus, from the beginning of the novel, I was always hesitant about Cyrus and Asha’s relationship, even when Asha professed multiple times how in love she was with him. I’m glad that Tahmima Anam continued to put the focus of the story on Asha and her personal journey, rather than making Asha succumb to Cyrus’s needs, especially at the end of the novel. It was great to see her stand up for herself and call Cyrus out when he was, frankly, being an awful person.
Regarding the tech industry-aspect of this novel, I found it interesting that this book took place in NYC with the presence of Silicon Valley looming in the background. I’m not 100% familiar with the tech industry in NYC specifically as much as I am familiar with it in Silicon Valley, but I think the startup culture portrayed in this novel, especially in the age of social media, was pretty accurate. Additionally, while I can’t comment on the Muslim rep in this book, I can say that the Bengali rep was pretty accurate. As mentioned, I’m glad that Asha did not ever separate herself from being Bengali and always stayed connected to her upbringing and identity throughout the novel. I am curious to see what other Muslim readers have to say about the Muslim rep in this book, especially since this book explores the intersection of faith and technology and WAI offers rituals that serve as a replacement for actual religious rituals.
I’d recommend this book for those who are also women of color working in tech. While the storyline in the middle of the book became a little slow, I think the end of the book proved that Tahmima Anam stayed true to her promise of delivering a story that highlights the obstacles women of color face when starting a tech company.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Racism
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