The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda- 387 pages
Book Blurb:
Anil is the cherished son of a large family in rural India. As the eldest boy, he is expected to inherit the role of leader of his clan and arbiter of its disputes, dispensing wisdom and good advice. Leena is his closest companion, a fiercely brave girl who loves nothing more than the wild terrain where they live and her close-knit family. As childhood friends, they are inseparable – but as adulthood approaches, they grow apart. Anil is the first person in his family to leave India, the first to attend college, the first to become a doctor. Half a world away in Dallas, Texas, he is caught up in his new life, experiencing all the freedoms and temptations of American culture: he tastes alcohol for the first time, falls in love, and learns firsthand about his adopted country’s alluring, dangerous contradictions. Though his work in a gritty urban hospital is grueling, Anil is determined to carve out his own life in America.
My Review: 4.5 stars
The Golden Son lent me a peek into cultural India including the ever-present familial hierarchy. It’s the second book from Canadian author Shilpi Somaya Gowda, who first enchanted me with Secret Daughter. She is a born storyteller and that’s simply what this book is, a good story.
With dueling storylines about Anil, the main protagonist, the readers see the challenges he faces as a brilliant immigrant here in the states versus the semi-confident arbiter he is in India. Racism is bountiful and the art of fitting in, even as a doctor, takes its toll.
Having this story be about Indian men, their friendships, challenges, and work environments was quite unusual. I’ve never read a book that has shared the man’s POV on arranged marriages so I found that fascinating.
I highly recommend this lovely book told with sincerity and insight as to today’s Indian culture in both India and the states.
Quotes I liked:
Impression is everything in America. Talent, not so much.”
-“No one was who they pretended to be. Nothing was as it seemed.”
-“…mistakes were a part of life: the inevitable and essential element that helped make sense of everything else.”
-“He works to live, y’know? Here, everyone lives to work.”
-“I have often thought, if we could merge the old and the young into one person, that wisdom would multiply.”
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