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The Golden Son
The first of his family to go to college, Anil Patel, the golden son, carries the weight of tradition and his family’s expectations when he leaves his tiny Indian village to begin a medical residency in Dallas, Texas, at one of the busiest and most competitive hospitals in America. When his father dies, Anil becomes the de facto head of the Patel household and inherits the mantle of arbiter for all of the village’s disputes. But he is uneasy with the custom, uncertain that he has the wisdom and courage demonstrated by his father and grandfather. His doubts are compounded by the difficulties he discovers in adjusting to a new culture and a new job, challenges that will shake his confidence in himself and his abilities.
Back home in India, Anil’s closest childhood friend, Leena, struggles to adapt to her demanding new husband and relatives. Arranged by her parents, the marriage shatters Leena’s romantic hopes and eventually forces her to make a desperate choice that will hold drastic repercussions for herself and her family. Though Anil and Leena struggle to come to terms with their identities thousands of miles apart, their lives eventually intersect once more—changing them both and the people they love forever.
Back home in India, Anil’s closest childhood friend, Leena, struggles to adapt to her demanding new husband and relatives. Arranged by her parents, the marriage shatters Leena’s romantic hopes and eventually forces her to make a desperate choice that will hold drastic repercussions for herself and her family. Though Anil and Leena struggle to come to terms with their identities thousands of miles apart, their lives eventually intersect once more—changing them both and the people they love forever.
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2015
About the author
Shilpi Somaya Gowda
7 books73.5k followersShilpi Somaya Gowda is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of 4 novels: Secret Daughter (2010), The Golden Son (2015), The Shape of Family (2020), and A Great Country (March 26, 2024). Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages, been #1 international bestsellers in several countries and sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Shilpi was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She spent a college summer as a volunteer in an Indian orphanage, which seeded the idea for her first novel and the transition from a business career to a becoming a writer: Secret Daughter was an IndieNext Great Read, a Target Book Club Pick, a ChaptersIndigo Heather’s Pick, and an Amnesty International Book Club Pick. It was a finalist for the South African Boeke Literary Prize and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It is in production with Amazon Studios to be a feature film, starring Priyanka Chopra and Sienna Miller. The Golden Son was also a Target Book Club Pick, a Costco Buyer’s Pick, and was awarded the French literary prize, Prix des Lyceens Folio. The Shape of Family was an international and American bestseller.
Her fourth novel, A Great Country will be published on March 26, 2024 in North America, then in other territories around the world. It has been named an Anticipated/Top Book of 2024 by over a dozen publications, a Heather's Pick at Indigo, and received a starred review from Publishers’ Weekly.
Shilpi holds an MBA from Stanford University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead-Cain scholar. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Children's Defense Fund, and is a Patron of Childhaven International, the organization for which she volunteered in India. She now lives in California.
Shilpi was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She spent a college summer as a volunteer in an Indian orphanage, which seeded the idea for her first novel and the transition from a business career to a becoming a writer: Secret Daughter was an IndieNext Great Read, a Target Book Club Pick, a ChaptersIndigo Heather’s Pick, and an Amnesty International Book Club Pick. It was a finalist for the South African Boeke Literary Prize and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It is in production with Amazon Studios to be a feature film, starring Priyanka Chopra and Sienna Miller. The Golden Son was also a Target Book Club Pick, a Costco Buyer’s Pick, and was awarded the French literary prize, Prix des Lyceens Folio. The Shape of Family was an international and American bestseller.
Her fourth novel, A Great Country will be published on March 26, 2024 in North America, then in other territories around the world. It has been named an Anticipated/Top Book of 2024 by over a dozen publications, a Heather's Pick at Indigo, and received a starred review from Publishers’ Weekly.
Shilpi holds an MBA from Stanford University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead-Cain scholar. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Children's Defense Fund, and is a Patron of Childhaven International, the organization for which she volunteered in India. She now lives in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,349 reviews
January 29, 2022
This book tells the tale of Anil, eldest son of the rich Patel family, and his childhood friend, Leena, the neighborhood girl from the poor family. Anil went to US to study and practice medicine, while Leena was married off to Girish. The book showed us the struggles of both. Anil, who was a great student on his way to becoming a doctor faces hardships of a medical intern in American hospital, navigate the treacherous path of love and race.
Leena too had her share of bad luck. Married into a greedy family, she was treated like a slave, was beaten on the whims of her groom and his family. Through her we saw how women are still treated in India for dowry, and how they try to bear all the cruelties thinking about her parents and the society who would shun her if she leave her husband.
Right from the start this book gripped me even though it was predictable at times. Being from the same country, I know author was spot on so many accounts. She was able to do justice to the characters in this story. There were times when my heart went out for them and applauded them for their courage. The times when Anil felt like an outsider in the land he was born and the land he was adopting, it simply was heart wrenching.
Highly recommended!
Leena too had her share of bad luck. Married into a greedy family, she was treated like a slave, was beaten on the whims of her groom and his family. Through her we saw how women are still treated in India for dowry, and how they try to bear all the cruelties thinking about her parents and the society who would shun her if she leave her husband.
Right from the start this book gripped me even though it was predictable at times. Being from the same country, I know author was spot on so many accounts. She was able to do justice to the characters in this story. There were times when my heart went out for them and applauded them for their courage. The times when Anil felt like an outsider in the land he was born and the land he was adopting, it simply was heart wrenching.
Highly recommended!
March 28, 2016
This is one of those books I didn't want to end. I love books that allow me to have just a glimpse into life in another part of the world. A life and culture so different from mine.
This story is heartbreaking and shocking at times, but will leave you rooting for Anil and his friends.
I highly recommend it if you enjoyed Secret Daughter, her other wonderful book, or if you are a fan of Nadia Hashimi. Both women favorite authors of mine.
This story is heartbreaking and shocking at times, but will leave you rooting for Anil and his friends.
I highly recommend it if you enjoyed Secret Daughter, her other wonderful book, or if you are a fan of Nadia Hashimi. Both women favorite authors of mine.
March 14, 2016
The first few times I found a cracked piece, I tried to apply a thick paint all over and bake it again, but the crack grew bigger from the crack and the heat of the second baking. Then it was really of no use. Or if I dropped it, it would break along that line, even if it was invisible. You can never fix it completely. Clay has a memory. Once it's scarred, the heat helps it remember. It's always the weakest point, where there's been a fracture.
I remember when Shilpi Somaya Gowda's The Secret Daughter was a thing and it's too bad that I wasn't writing reviews back then because all I have is a vague memory of having been disappointed – it didn't live up to its hype for me – but I can't really remember why. With so many gushing reviews here for The Golden Son, I figured that my vague memory shouldn't be enough to prevent me from picking up the latest thing, but once again, I'm disappointed: this book is all Bollywood soap opera – with drama piled on romance piled on exoticism – and nothing deeper. I can see the mass market appeal, but with simplistic writing, unnecessary melodrama, and logical inconsistencies, this really wasn't for me. Spoilers ahead so I can memorialise why I wasn't impressed.
The eponymous golden son is Anil Patel: as the oldest son of an important landholder, he is expected to not just learn farming from his father but also to one day take over his role as the arbiter of local disputes. When Anil proves himself to be clever at school, however, his father encourages him to become a doctor instead. Anil is accepted for a prestigious medical residency in Texas, but before his first year is done, the father dies and Anil's mother expects him to become arbiter, even if it's by long distance phone calls. Feeling out of his depths with both the fast-paced hospital work – where mistakes have deadly consequences – and the complicated squabbles for which he has no particular wisdom, Anil is miserable at every turn; except when enjoying his secret affair with the hot personal trainer next door.
Meanwhile, back in rural India, Anil's childhood friend Leena was happily looking forward to her arranged marriage until she arrived at her new home (which was much poorer and broken down than her parents had been led to believe) and discovered that she's thought of as little more than a servant; with her possessions taken away and daily physical abuse. After a year, Leena's new husband has extorted more and more money from her poor parents, and when they have nothing more to give, he sets her on fire. Leena runs home to be nursed back to health, but the whole thing is shameful for the family and her father kills himself after finally paying the Patels back for the extra dowry he was forced to borrow from them.
After Anil and his girlfriend break up – because a couple of rednecks from their apartment building beat his friend near to death when they mistook him for Amber's boyfriend – Anil returns home for a visit, sees Leena, and realises he's always been in love with her. They begin to plan a future together, but when Leena's niece from her inlaws' house arrives beaten and bruised, Leena realises that she could never leave. After formally rescuing both the niece and her little brother from the bad men (ie, their father and his brothers), and after deciding his family can hold arbitration tribunals without him, Anil returns to America and his unsatisfactory professional life. But wait! Anil's Indian boss not only counsels Anil to pick a more suitable specialisation, but she also has a beautiful little sister who has just finished medical school, and although she's never been mentioned before, it is suddenly six years later, Anil and Geeta are married, expecting their first child, and vacationing, like always, in Panchanagar to visit the basic clinic that Anil's sister runs (with naturopathic medicines) and which is named in honour of Leena's father. Happy ending for all!
That's the soap opera – leaving a lot of the drama out – but even in the small details, I was so often annoyed while reading The Golden Son. I was annoyed when Anil went with Amber to a family wedding, and after much teasing and posturing around whether Anil would be a real man and go hunting with the menfolk in the morning, the next scene is the wedding and we never learn if Anil went or not (and yet, we do learn that he didn't go when, near the end of the book, he laments never learning to handle a gun). I was annoyed that Leena gathered all those reeds for no purpose until she randomly decided to weave baskets out of them, which sell out at the market and her family is saved! But wait! Other merchants remember that they have longtime basket-making traditions in their villages, so they glut the market and Leena is driven out of business (Seriously? These people never sold baskets before?) But wait! Leena is able to teach herself how to throw and fire pottery, becoming so adept at it, that within months she's receiving corporate orders and her family is saved! I was annoyed that when Anil went to save the little boy and girl from the evil inlaws, he demanded the return of Leena's jewellry, and when Girish said no, Anil said “Okay, you keep the jewellry and leave us alone forever.” And the next day, Anil is back at the house with Leena, rummaging around until she gets her jewellry: and while this is the just result, it totally undermines what came immediately before.
But the worst problem I have is this: When Baldev was nearly beaten to death by the two cartoonish rednecks at their apartment complex, it takes pages to discover that he doesn't intend to press charges. This is accepted as reasonable and only Amber is scared enough to move out of the building; the goons are never mentioned again. Yet when Leena's young niece shows up with the physical results of a beating, Anil is dumbfounded that they won't go to the police; to the same village cops who didn't lay charges when Leena was set on fire. Am I really supposed to believe that the same man who didn't expect justice for an attempted murder in Dallas is going to demand that the police in rural India take a hard line against a father disciplining his daughter? There's simply no logic in this whole scenario.
There was no lovely writing, no deeper meanings, no insight into human behaviour. I chose that passage I opened with because it was as close as I found to a metaphor, but immediately after Leena makes this statement about her pottery, Anil thinks “That's just like people”; and then he thinks back on it later in the book; so the only stab at subtlety becomes ham-fisted. I won't go into the irrelevant Trey subplot or complain that Charlie needed a bit more characterisation than just adding “mate” to everything he said. I won't even. This book was simply not for me; and to anyone wanting a literary peek into Indian society I want to say, “You can do much better than this.”
December 4, 2015
Just plain awesome! Loved this book as much as I did "Secret Daughter". :) I will happily read more of Shilpi Somaya Gowda's books if she decides to write more.
October 15, 2016
This is one of those books you sort of get swept up in, with its quiet brand of storytelling about a culture very different from my own. The audio narration was excellent with the variation in voices extremely well done.
Anil is the oldest son in an Indian family, expected to do great things with his life; and he goes to Houston to learn to become a doctor. Long hours in the hospital, falling in love with an American, a stuttering problem, never feeling like he quite fits in. After many years, though, he feels the same way whenever he goes back home.
Leena was his childhood friend who he always felt a special connection to. Her story in India highlights why dowries have been outlawed in India (I hadn't known that before) and how despicably women are treated in their culture (this I have heard, unfortunately). Not all women, but those unlucky to have been poorly matched can be treated like dogs and can lose everything. There is always something to learn, something to gain, when reading about other cultures, and that's what makes them so enjoyable.
Some parts were difficult but overall a really good story. 3.5 stars.
Anil is the oldest son in an Indian family, expected to do great things with his life; and he goes to Houston to learn to become a doctor. Long hours in the hospital, falling in love with an American, a stuttering problem, never feeling like he quite fits in. After many years, though, he feels the same way whenever he goes back home.
Leena was his childhood friend who he always felt a special connection to. Her story in India highlights why dowries have been outlawed in India (I hadn't known that before) and how despicably women are treated in their culture (this I have heard, unfortunately). Not all women, but those unlucky to have been poorly matched can be treated like dogs and can lose everything. There is always something to learn, something to gain, when reading about other cultures, and that's what makes them so enjoyable.
Some parts were difficult but overall a really good story. 3.5 stars.
December 27, 2015
This is another lovely book from the author of Secret Daughter, a book I loved. The intertwined stories of Anil and Leena were at times heartwarming, and sometimes horrifying. The fact that they prevailed in spite of their challenges, while maintaining solid ties, was deeply moving.
Both of the author's novels are unforgettable portraits of the challenges of modern India, and the struggle to find a place in the Indian diaspora. I look forward to her next book.
Both of the author's novels are unforgettable portraits of the challenges of modern India, and the struggle to find a place in the Indian diaspora. I look forward to her next book.
November 3, 2015
My Review: I have been so eager to read another book by Canadian author Shilpi Somaya Gowda since I simply adored her first book, Secret Daughter back in August 2010. Once again Ms Gowda doesn't disappoint her readers.
The Golden Son is a culture-filled coming of age story that also showcases the complexities of family bonds and friendships. Anil is a young man who lives precariously between two worlds - Gujarat, a small, rural town in India where he was born and raised as part of the town's most respected families and Texas where he is training to be a doctor.
Anil is initially a fish out of water as he struggles to acclimate to life in Texas, Western culture/technology and sadly racism and ignorance. He struggles with the individualism he has in the States versus the communal, family obligations that he has back in India, specifically the demands put on him by his family as the eldest son and the Arbiter for Gujarat, an old tradition of a respected person settling grievances of family and friends in a community.
The story also follows Leena, Anil's childhood friend who was raised on a neighbouring farm as the daughter of a tenant farmer. She follows a more traditional path for her life back in India with some heartbreaking results. While these two lead very different lives they are both struggling to find their own ways.
The only criticism I have regarding this book is that, at times, Anil's medical school issues were more at the forefront than I would have liked. I was much more invested in his personal/cultural issues than what studies he was working on for his education.
As with Secret Daughter, Gowda teaches her readers about the complexities and beauty of Indian culture. Her characters are interesting and as I read the book I figured I knew how it would all play out but Gowda threw in some unexpected twists. The book ended with a different outcome than I was expecting yet it was still a very satisfying conclusion.
My Rating: 4/5 stars
**This book review can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I share hundreds of book reviews and my favourite recipes. **
The Golden Son is a culture-filled coming of age story that also showcases the complexities of family bonds and friendships. Anil is a young man who lives precariously between two worlds - Gujarat, a small, rural town in India where he was born and raised as part of the town's most respected families and Texas where he is training to be a doctor.
Anil is initially a fish out of water as he struggles to acclimate to life in Texas, Western culture/technology and sadly racism and ignorance. He struggles with the individualism he has in the States versus the communal, family obligations that he has back in India, specifically the demands put on him by his family as the eldest son and the Arbiter for Gujarat, an old tradition of a respected person settling grievances of family and friends in a community.
The story also follows Leena, Anil's childhood friend who was raised on a neighbouring farm as the daughter of a tenant farmer. She follows a more traditional path for her life back in India with some heartbreaking results. While these two lead very different lives they are both struggling to find their own ways.
The only criticism I have regarding this book is that, at times, Anil's medical school issues were more at the forefront than I would have liked. I was much more invested in his personal/cultural issues than what studies he was working on for his education.
As with Secret Daughter, Gowda teaches her readers about the complexities and beauty of Indian culture. Her characters are interesting and as I read the book I figured I knew how it would all play out but Gowda threw in some unexpected twists. The book ended with a different outcome than I was expecting yet it was still a very satisfying conclusion.
My Rating: 4/5 stars
**This book review can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I share hundreds of book reviews and my favourite recipes. **
December 29, 2015
What I love about Shilpi Somaya Gowda's books, aside from the extraordinary storytelling, is that they open windows for me to peek inside of cultures and experiences outside of my own. Somewhere I heard that one benefit of reading is that it develops a greater sense of empathy in the reader as compared to the non-reader. I don't know if that is true, but reading The Golden Son extended my understanding and feelings of empathy for immigrants, for the oppressed and abused, for grown children and for parents of grown children. That may sound like this book is a total downer or dark in some way but actually the opposite is true. Gowda has written an adventure story; a love story; a story of family, community and friendship; of overcoming the odds to reach your dreams. It is a story that seamlessly weaves together these themes and creates a warm and uplifting story for the reader to get lost in. No spoilers - but I absolutely loved the ending, which seals the deal for me. The Golden Son has a place on my list of favourites.
December 8, 2018
Ehhh... I mean, it was engaging but felt so stereotypical
Watch me discuss it more in my reading vlog: https://youtu.be/upSzTm5QfmQ
Watch me discuss it more in my reading vlog: https://youtu.be/upSzTm5QfmQ
January 30, 2016
This book was packed with issues very real today. I got a sense I was walking in the shoes (or barefoot) of each of the characters. Powerful book. The topics-India; monumental challenges related to religion, family, castes, traditions, values, marriages (long standing, failed), deaths, acceptance & attempts to integrate of different cultures in India and America, impact of higher learning on the person (family, friends & community), selecting a career path & following through with it but at what costs....
The book captures the readers interest with story lines from India and the deals with Medical School in Dallas, USA, with overlapping time frames. Was very easy to switch from one section to the other, which isn't always the case in some books.
Would highly recommend this book. This is the type of book I can't wait to pass it along to family and friends. Thanks for the great book Ms. Gowda (from a fellow Torontonian)
The book captures the readers interest with story lines from India and the deals with Medical School in Dallas, USA, with overlapping time frames. Was very easy to switch from one section to the other, which isn't always the case in some books.
Would highly recommend this book. This is the type of book I can't wait to pass it along to family and friends. Thanks for the great book Ms. Gowda (from a fellow Torontonian)
April 4, 2017
Once again this author did a fabulous job transporting me to another time and place! I was immersed in a culture so different from the west!! One of the best things about books - being somewhere new!!! The audio narration was really good - totally recommend!!!
India.....I loved being in the fields as they tended the crops. Loved being in the kitchen as they made their Chai to drink and lentils to eat! Loved having a front row seat to the family squabbles - where so much of daily life was filled with tradition and honor as the pressure mounted for the oldest son...the golden one ~ Anil. Take your father's place....you are so smart, people listen to you. Go be a doctor....but come back to India, find a good wife.
Pair that with the story of his friend Leena - her struggles, her triumphs - it was all so good!!!!! I enjoyed this Author's first book Secret Daughter and this one did not disappoint!! I hope she has another book in the works!!
India.....I loved being in the fields as they tended the crops. Loved being in the kitchen as they made their Chai to drink and lentils to eat! Loved having a front row seat to the family squabbles - where so much of daily life was filled with tradition and honor as the pressure mounted for the oldest son...the golden one ~ Anil. Take your father's place....you are so smart, people listen to you. Go be a doctor....but come back to India, find a good wife.
Pair that with the story of his friend Leena - her struggles, her triumphs - it was all so good!!!!! I enjoyed this Author's first book Secret Daughter and this one did not disappoint!! I hope she has another book in the works!!
February 29, 2016
I read this book in big gulps. The characters come alive and the reader is propelled along with the story wanting to know what comes next. Without regurgitating what the book cover and marketing blurb reported on the book, I would say The Golden Son touches on a variety of perspectives - customs of India, family dynamics and expectations, the new immigrant experience in North America, the scars and burdens we carry and how these shape our decisions and lives, and insights into the student medical residency stint as well as the demanding and difficult journey towards becoming not only a doctor but a specialist.
Gowda contrasts two landscapes - a fictional rural setting in India and modern Texas. Admittedly, Gowda capitalized on two solid stereotypes - the propensity of Indians towards careers in IT and medicine and also the sizeable number of Indians who reside in Texas, many of whom work in medical or IT related fields. The book is narrated from the point-of view of the two main characters and in alternating chapters.
Anil is the son of a prominent family in the fictional village of Panchanagar. His family owns land, hire labourers, lives in what is referred to as the "Big House" and his Dad is the unofficial village arbiter who navigates and settles disputes brought forward to him by the locals. As the eldest son, Anil is expected to assume the helm of the family business and to be the informal arbitrator when his father passes. He chose a different path - one even suggested by his father - to become a doctor.
Leena lives in the same village; her parents are simply hard-working, doing their best with a small plot of land they owned and eking out a comfortable and content life. As an only child, Leena enjoyed a wonderful childhood and was fortunate to be brought up in a loving home. She adored her parents and hoped in her heart that she would one day enjoy the same harmonious life with her partner once married.
Leena and Anil were childhood friends. Leena, a bit of a tomboy - strong, brave and daring. Anil suffers from a stutter, was often teased, and was not as athletic as other boys of his age who can boast about their cricket skills.
Leena was kind hearted, fun and good company for Anil as they were growing up. They climbed trees, played hide and seek, and roamed about the farming lands all the way down to a gully (presumably carved out by the heavy monsoons) and onwards to a nearby river. Their childhood adventures include witnessing a brutal rape of a servant girl by the man whose family employed her.
Much of the story also seems to project vestiges of practices similar to slavery. The servant girl whose eyes had a "vacant and haunting look" implies endurance and helplessness. In Anil's big house, "the household servants used a separate entrance at the back of the house, and ate their meals on the porch outside. The field hands used the water pump outside to drink from and wash themselves."
The book also touched on the practice of the marriage dowry and the devastating effect it had on Leena's family. It also exposed a custom which expects a woman to endure and which punishes a woman for ever leaving her matrimonial home. Divorced women or those who abandoned the matrimonial home are treated like a pariah, and deemed "damaged goods."
A complementary plot revolves around Anil's life and those of his two Indian roommates in Texas. Here is the fictional Anil's experience when he landed at the Dallas Fort Worth airport:
"The airport had been a marvel of order and cleanliness. Passengers stood in straight lines and stepped politely forward. There was no jostling to get to the front. Although Anil had come prepared with a roll of cash in his pocket, neither the customs nor the immigration officers suggested a bribe to let him pass; they simply looked at his foreign-student papers and stamped his passport."
And then.. "the roads were free of bumps and debris, with clean white lines that echoed the sense of possibility in a fresh note-book page. Where were the belching cargo trucks, the scooters weaving through traffic, the ambling goats and cows?
As Anil journeyed on to embrace a North American lifestyle and pursued his career, here is one of his reflections:
"Medicine had once seemed like a noble profession, but most of the time it was messy and imperfect. Anil had not anticipated the interplay of power between doctors, or the reality that some patients inspired him to give his best and others, he could now admit, did not. He had not imagined the guilt he would carry from making a bad judgement call that could never be undone."
Or in comparing his services in Texas to Panchanagar, his constant dilemma was - "Did he belong where he could strive to do his best, or where he could do the most good". One advice given to him was to not only concentrate on the science of medicine but to master the art of medicine.
This is the second book I have read by this Canadian born author and it did not disappoint. In the author's note at the end of the book, she mentioned "I am humbled by the nobility of the medical profession. I only hope I did it justice." It had a more defined interest for me as I have a few close relatives in the field including one who is currently a resident at a hospital in Texas. I am also enchanted by the customs and practices of India, where I hope to visit one day.
This review attempted no spoilers rather I relied on quotes to pique the interest and to provide a glimpse into the story line. I liked the way Gowda ended this story - neither contrived nor predictable. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
Gowda contrasts two landscapes - a fictional rural setting in India and modern Texas. Admittedly, Gowda capitalized on two solid stereotypes - the propensity of Indians towards careers in IT and medicine and also the sizeable number of Indians who reside in Texas, many of whom work in medical or IT related fields. The book is narrated from the point-of view of the two main characters and in alternating chapters.
Anil is the son of a prominent family in the fictional village of Panchanagar. His family owns land, hire labourers, lives in what is referred to as the "Big House" and his Dad is the unofficial village arbiter who navigates and settles disputes brought forward to him by the locals. As the eldest son, Anil is expected to assume the helm of the family business and to be the informal arbitrator when his father passes. He chose a different path - one even suggested by his father - to become a doctor.
Leena lives in the same village; her parents are simply hard-working, doing their best with a small plot of land they owned and eking out a comfortable and content life. As an only child, Leena enjoyed a wonderful childhood and was fortunate to be brought up in a loving home. She adored her parents and hoped in her heart that she would one day enjoy the same harmonious life with her partner once married.
Leena and Anil were childhood friends. Leena, a bit of a tomboy - strong, brave and daring. Anil suffers from a stutter, was often teased, and was not as athletic as other boys of his age who can boast about their cricket skills.
Leena was kind hearted, fun and good company for Anil as they were growing up. They climbed trees, played hide and seek, and roamed about the farming lands all the way down to a gully (presumably carved out by the heavy monsoons) and onwards to a nearby river. Their childhood adventures include witnessing a brutal rape of a servant girl by the man whose family employed her.
Much of the story also seems to project vestiges of practices similar to slavery. The servant girl whose eyes had a "vacant and haunting look" implies endurance and helplessness. In Anil's big house, "the household servants used a separate entrance at the back of the house, and ate their meals on the porch outside. The field hands used the water pump outside to drink from and wash themselves."
The book also touched on the practice of the marriage dowry and the devastating effect it had on Leena's family. It also exposed a custom which expects a woman to endure and which punishes a woman for ever leaving her matrimonial home. Divorced women or those who abandoned the matrimonial home are treated like a pariah, and deemed "damaged goods."
A complementary plot revolves around Anil's life and those of his two Indian roommates in Texas. Here is the fictional Anil's experience when he landed at the Dallas Fort Worth airport:
"The airport had been a marvel of order and cleanliness. Passengers stood in straight lines and stepped politely forward. There was no jostling to get to the front. Although Anil had come prepared with a roll of cash in his pocket, neither the customs nor the immigration officers suggested a bribe to let him pass; they simply looked at his foreign-student papers and stamped his passport."
And then.. "the roads were free of bumps and debris, with clean white lines that echoed the sense of possibility in a fresh note-book page. Where were the belching cargo trucks, the scooters weaving through traffic, the ambling goats and cows?
As Anil journeyed on to embrace a North American lifestyle and pursued his career, here is one of his reflections:
"Medicine had once seemed like a noble profession, but most of the time it was messy and imperfect. Anil had not anticipated the interplay of power between doctors, or the reality that some patients inspired him to give his best and others, he could now admit, did not. He had not imagined the guilt he would carry from making a bad judgement call that could never be undone."
Or in comparing his services in Texas to Panchanagar, his constant dilemma was - "Did he belong where he could strive to do his best, or where he could do the most good". One advice given to him was to not only concentrate on the science of medicine but to master the art of medicine.
This is the second book I have read by this Canadian born author and it did not disappoint. In the author's note at the end of the book, she mentioned "I am humbled by the nobility of the medical profession. I only hope I did it justice." It had a more defined interest for me as I have a few close relatives in the field including one who is currently a resident at a hospital in Texas. I am also enchanted by the customs and practices of India, where I hope to visit one day.
This review attempted no spoilers rather I relied on quotes to pique the interest and to provide a glimpse into the story line. I liked the way Gowda ended this story - neither contrived nor predictable. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
March 31, 2016
In Shilpi Gowda's second book, The Golden Son, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story from the very beginning. As in her first book, The Secret Daughter, Gowda has a talent for writing fiction within her ethnic sensibilities combined with the culture of her birth. Again, she compares and contrasts life in India and the U.S. The characters were fascinating, vivid and well developed. Anvil's journey is intriguing, heartbreaking, at times, and heartwarming. 5 stars for this very special novel.
October 11, 2016
Very sweet story about relationships, family, and making tough choices that alter your life's path. I didn't give it 5 stars because it didn't blow me away or anything, but I really enjoyed the writing and the characters. It also provided me with my new favorite quote:
"That’s the key thing about a strong marriage. It gives you a safe place to be yourself, entirely, even the weak parts. Especially the weak parts." Love that. <3
"That’s the key thing about a strong marriage. It gives you a safe place to be yourself, entirely, even the weak parts. Especially the weak parts." Love that. <3
September 2, 2019
Five stunning, incredible stars. This book goes on my Best of All Time list, no question. These characters will stay with me for a long, long time. I don’t want to leave Anil’s world. Highly recommend this book to just about anyone. A beautiful, moving, heart-wrenching story.
January 28, 2018
I read The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda for a book club. This novel lends itself perfectly to a group discussion.
January 25, 2016
I received an advanced review copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
*The Golden Son* was a great read. I usually devour books set in India, and what a surprise when half the novel is also set in Dallas, Texas, my hometown! If the author hasn't spent a lot of time here, I would be seriously surprised. She included such great detail that only a long-time resident would know.
Anil is the eldest son of a traditional Indian family, but his father has always had great plans for Anil to become a doctor. When Anil moves to Dallas to pursue a residency, he leaves his family behind to run the family business. He also learns what it is like to be free and single in the 21st century which can be both fun and dangerous. When Anil's father becomes ill, he is faced with a tough decision. Should he return home and take over the head of the family, or should he finish the plans his father expressly made for him?
There is also a concurrent storyline of a girl that Anil used to play with as children and who also grows up, as she enters into an arranged marriage far from home. Her life is so incredibly interesting and heartbreaking and I loved the way the author ended the book.
I will be recommending this book to friends and family for sure.
*The Golden Son* was a great read. I usually devour books set in India, and what a surprise when half the novel is also set in Dallas, Texas, my hometown! If the author hasn't spent a lot of time here, I would be seriously surprised. She included such great detail that only a long-time resident would know.
Anil is the eldest son of a traditional Indian family, but his father has always had great plans for Anil to become a doctor. When Anil moves to Dallas to pursue a residency, he leaves his family behind to run the family business. He also learns what it is like to be free and single in the 21st century which can be both fun and dangerous. When Anil's father becomes ill, he is faced with a tough decision. Should he return home and take over the head of the family, or should he finish the plans his father expressly made for him?
There is also a concurrent storyline of a girl that Anil used to play with as children and who also grows up, as she enters into an arranged marriage far from home. Her life is so incredibly interesting and heartbreaking and I loved the way the author ended the book.
I will be recommending this book to friends and family for sure.
April 1, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The author painted a good picture of why dowries have been outlawed in India. She did an excellent job of showing how Patel did not quite fit in as an American and also how he no longer belonged in India. Definitely worth the read!
June 22, 2017
Odlična!
January 13, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Golden Son was a perfectly satisfying read for me. Anil Patel was the oldest son in a rural village in India whose father understood that he was meant for a greater destiny. Leena was his childhood companion who faced a different and much more traditional destiny.
Anil was the first person to leave his village and to attend university. His calling was to become a doctor. He ends up doing his residency in Dallas. So begins the clash/merging of American vs Indian culture. The author is adept at addressing the issues of race, xenophobia, class, language and acceptance. The residency experience was equally enjoyable with the medical dramas a young resident might face.
I’ve had this author’s debut novel sitting in my I-Pad for a few years now and I’m sure it will be near the top of my reading list for 2023.
The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge - 2022
Prompt #20 - Related to the word “gold”
The Golden Son was a perfectly satisfying read for me. Anil Patel was the oldest son in a rural village in India whose father understood that he was meant for a greater destiny. Leena was his childhood companion who faced a different and much more traditional destiny.
Anil was the first person to leave his village and to attend university. His calling was to become a doctor. He ends up doing his residency in Dallas. So begins the clash/merging of American vs Indian culture. The author is adept at addressing the issues of race, xenophobia, class, language and acceptance. The residency experience was equally enjoyable with the medical dramas a young resident might face.
I’ve had this author’s debut novel sitting in my I-Pad for a few years now and I’m sure it will be near the top of my reading list for 2023.
The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge - 2022
Prompt #20 - Related to the word “gold”
November 8, 2015
If you have read any of my other reviews I always seem to be giving 4 or 5 stars out. Is this a pattern for me or have I just been very lucky lately in picking up fabulous books!!! The Golden Son has definitely earned a spot on my favorite list.
I started this book last Thursday and got up early this am to finish the last 100 pages or so. The one problem I have finishing a good book is that let down feeling of trying to find one as good as the last that will hold my interest. The Golden Son is going to be hard to compete with. This book really revolves around a young man from India that has worked hard toward obtaining a medical degree and then a coveted spot in Dallas Texas to continue with his internship. His story alternates with life in India vs life in the USA and the hardship of not belonging to either community.
the story is so touchingly written that you experience the same emotions being written about while you are reading. If you choose one book to read this year, let it be this one. I am so afraid of giving something away in writing this review that I have been vague in the details...this is a must read is all I can say!
I started this book last Thursday and got up early this am to finish the last 100 pages or so. The one problem I have finishing a good book is that let down feeling of trying to find one as good as the last that will hold my interest. The Golden Son is going to be hard to compete with. This book really revolves around a young man from India that has worked hard toward obtaining a medical degree and then a coveted spot in Dallas Texas to continue with his internship. His story alternates with life in India vs life in the USA and the hardship of not belonging to either community.
the story is so touchingly written that you experience the same emotions being written about while you are reading. If you choose one book to read this year, let it be this one. I am so afraid of giving something away in writing this review that I have been vague in the details...this is a must read is all I can say!
February 17, 2016
4.5 really enjoyable book, this author is wonderful! Always interesting to read and experience a different culture
January 6, 2017
Hooray!!!! The first book i read in 2017 was absolutely wonderful!!!!
Hard to say goodbye to these characters.
Hard to say goodbye to these characters.
February 24, 2017
I liked it.
October 18, 2021
This is an emotionally intense story of a young man straddling two vastly different cultures. I don't want to risk spoiling any part of this book, so I'll just say that what sets it apart is the depth and fullness of virtually every character and the cultural richness of its descriptions of a small village in India as well as urban Dallas, Texas. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
March 6, 2016
The Golden Son is a book of contrasts and choices and responsibilities and consequences and families and, above all else, a beautiful illustration that not everything in life is wonderful and turns out okay - but some things eventually do. As we suspect, being The Golden Son is not always so golden, but the journey that we take with him is fascinating and heartbreaking and heartwarming and I won't forget any of these characters any time soon. A special book.
July 19, 2016
This is a very heart-warming book about family bonds - so well written. All of the characters were very well developed and enjoyable to read about. I really wasn't ready for this story to end!
I have had this author's debut novel, "The Secret Daughter" on my iPad for quite some time and will now move it more to the top of my TBR list.
I have had this author's debut novel, "The Secret Daughter" on my iPad for quite some time and will now move it more to the top of my TBR list.
February 3, 2017
Enjoyed this book and learning more about the culture and the difficulties involved in moving back and forth between cultures. Well written although at times I felt there was too much detail. Would be interested in reading more from the same
August 11, 2016
Just. Plain. Awesome! I loved this novel from the beginning to the end. Beautifully written. I felt like I was "with" these characters as they experienced their life events. Bravo, Mrs. Gowda!
February 28, 2016
Best book that I have read this year. Woke up at 1 am and read it until it was finished.
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