Book Review: "A Great Country" by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

This was a tremendously thought-provoking and beautifully written book. It really is so timely in its exploration of culture, race, family, identity, and prejudice, as well as the lies we tell ourselves.

Ashok and Priya Shah came to the U.S. 20 years ago from India with only college degrees and a dream of creating a better world for their future children. And after years of hard work and sacrifice, they have finally succeeded, with a beautiful home in a gated California community and being able to send their children to the best schools.

But one night, their grasp of the American Dream is shattered. Ajay, their 12-year-old son, is arrested. This sets off a chain of events that will make the Shah family question everything they know about their adopted country, and how much they’ve sacrificed to get to a level at which their family is still not safe.

Multiple people narrate the story: Priya and Ashok, as well as their two daughters, Deepa and Maya, along with the policeman who arrested Ajay and the mother of one of Maya’s friends. It’s interesting to get their perspectives, which include seeing the origin of one person’s prejudice.

I was born and raised in the U.S., so it was really fascinating to read about the challenges that immigrants face in trying to get ahead and assimilate. Some of the characters are more well-drawn than others, and some are not as empathetic, but I found the book was very impactful.

This would be a great book to read with a book club because there’s lots to spark discussion!

Book Review: "The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen" by Isaac Blum

This debut novel is insightful, emotional, and very relevant.

Judah “Hoodie” Rosen is an Orthodox Jewish teenager. He knows he’s supposed to be focused on his studies but there’s always something to distract him—quite often it’s the mischief he and his friends cause in class.

But even though life seems carefree, it’s actually quite stressful. Their Orthodox community has moved into the suburban town of Tregaron and they intend to build a large apartment complex so more of them can settle there. However, the town has other ideas—they don’t want to get overrun by Jews, and thwart and harass the community at every turn.

And then Hoodie meets Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary, the daughter of Tregaron’s mayor, who is leading the charge to “protect” the town. He falls head over heels, as she’s completely different from anyone he’s ever met, and the fact that he’s not even supposed to talk to her only adds to her appeal.

As antisemitic violence increases in Tregaron, Hoodie is viewed as a traitor by his family and friends, and is ostracized. But when the violence takes a tragic turn, Hoodie has to decide between his family and his faith and the girl who won his heart.

Hoodie is such a terrific narrator, sensitive yet oblivious, funny, and flawed. This is an incredibly relevant story—whether it’s Orthodox Jews, immigrants in general, people of other races and ethnicities—there are many communities committed to doing whatever it takes to keep these “outsiders” out. This was definitely a memorable read!!

Book Review: "The Last White Man" by Mohsin Hamid

Mohsin Hamid's latest novel, The Last White Man, is powerful, thought-provoking, and so timely.

“One morning Anders, a white man, woke up tofind he had turned a deep and undeniable brown.”

So begins the latest book by the author of Exit West, a book I absolutely loved. Anders doesn’t understand what happened to him, and for a while he can hardly believe he is the person looking back at him in the mirror. He feels totally different and feels everyone is judging him differently (although that could just be his paranoia).

He keeps his secret from everyone around him except Oona, an old friend with whom he’s recently become much closer. But as the same phenomenon starts occurring to many others, people wonder what could be causing this and what it means.

This is a fascinating story, with a walk-a-mile-in-my-shoes feel, and it’s tremendously thought-provoking. How often do we feel like strangers in our own skin when nothing has changed, so this is pretty profound.

I wanted a bit more from the book, but I honestly just love the way Hamid writes and captures both emotion and the zeitgeist of the moment. This would definitely be a great book for book club discussion.

Book Review: "What the Fireflies Knew" by Kai Harris

Kai Harris' latest novel is a poignant, emotional coming-of-age story.

KB (short for Kenyatta Bernice) is nearly 11 years old and growing up in Detroit in the mid-1990s. She wants to be treated as older than she is and always wants to know what’s going on around her, but she’s utterly unprepared for the death of her father due to a drug overdose.

Unable to cope, KB’s mother sends her and her teenage sister Nia to spend the summer in Lansing with their estranged grandfather. KB is having trouble making sense of her drastically changed world, from wondering why their mother left and whether she’ll ever come back, to trying to understand her grandfather’s mercurial moods. More than that, she’s losing her connection with Nia, who believes she’s more mature than she is and doesn’t have patience to be saddled with her immature little sister.

At the same time, KB has to deal with the fickle nature of the kids across the street, who often aren’t allowed to play with her, and the unwanted attention of others when she tries to act older. It’s a summer of laughter and tears, fears and victories, a summer of learning things about her mother—and herself—that she never knew.

“In life, we’re going to get hurt. If we stay focused on that hurt, and nothing else, then we won’t ever be able to heal. But if we focus on the healing, well, then we’ll start to notice that hurt disappear. It’s all a matter of what you choose to focus on.”

What the Fireflies Knew was one of my February Book of the Month picks, and I thought it was sweet, sad at times, and inspiring, too. I enjoy coming-of-age novels, and this is a worthy new inclusion to the genre.

Book Review: "Tell Me How to Be" by Neel Patel

Tell Me How to Be is an emotional, well-written story about secrets, regrets, and coming to terms with the truth.

It’s been one year since Akash’s father died. Living in Los Angeles, mostly estranged from his family, he’s expected home in Illinois for the traditional ceremony celebrating his father. His mother calls and tells him she’s sold their house and will be moving back to London.

In the year since her husband died, Akash’s mother, Renu, has been binge-watching soap operas and longing to tell off everyone around her. She’s also been thinking nonstop about her first love, the man she let get away, and whom she’s longed to be with most of her life. So when she finds him on Facebook, she decides to reach out and see where that path might lead.

Returning home to Illinois is unsettling for Akash, who is adrift in every aspect of his life. He’s kept his sexuality a secret from his family, he’s struggling as a songwriter, and turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism has proven more destructive than soothing. And he can’t seem to stop thinking about his childhood best friend, who broke his heart years before.

As Akash and Renu pack the house up along with Akash’s ultra-successful older brother, they must confront the secrets they’ve kept hidden, the resentments that barely dwell beneath the surface, and accept themselves, flaws and all. It’s amazing how an offhand remark or gesture can scar someone so profoundly.

Having read his debut story collection, I love the way Neel Patel writes. I’ll admit it took me a LONG time to warm up to these characters as they’re not particularly likable, but I’m a sucker for good family drama and unrequited love. Tell Me How to Be is a thought-provoking, insightful read.

Book Review: "Can't Take That Away" by Steven Salvatore

Can't Take That Away, Steven Salvatore's debut novel, is an absolutely fantastic book about the courage to be yourself and be proud of yourself that left me in a complete emotional puddle.

Carey is a genderqueer teenager who is finally starting to feel comfortable in their own skin. Coming out to friends and family was difficult (because they were essentially blackmailed into doing so) but apart from some homophobic bullying from a fellow student and a teacher, they’re trying to find the joy in life. They have a fiercely loyal best friend, a tremendously supportive mother, and an understanding English teacher, all of whom have Carey's back.

What Carey wants more than anything is to be a diva, like their idol (and namesake), Mariah Carey. They dream of bringing the house down with their voice. They have the talent to do it but they don’t like to call attention to themselves. But after they meet Cris, their burgeoning relationship gives Carey the confidence they need to audition for the school musical and play the part of Elphaba in Wicked.

But some in the school don’t think Carey should play that part and they’ll stop at nothing to create trouble. Carey, with the support of their best friends and family, must decide if they’re willing to let their dream be killed or if they are ready to stand up and make change happen. At the same time they have to struggle with doubts about their relationship with Cris and deal with the rapid decline of their grandmother, who was Carey's biggest fan and musical inspiration.

Can't Take That Away works on so many levels. It's funny, thought-provoking, moving, and so emotional. Salvatore brings such life and complexity to the characters, and Carey's grandmother reminded me so much of my own paternal grandmother, who was my biggest supporter. (I still miss her even though she's been gone almost 16 years.) Another touch that was so incredible is that each chapter of the book is headed by the pronouns Carey identifies with on that particular day.

God, I loved this so much!! Storygram Tours and Bloomsbury YA provided me a complimentary advance copy of Can't Take That Away in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!