“A sparkling debut.”—Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author From a compelling new voice in women’s fiction comes a mother-daughter story about three generations of women who struggle to define themselves as they pursue their dreams. Simran Mehta has always felt harshly judged by her mother, Nandini, especially when it comes to her little “writing hobby.” But when a charismatic and … hobby.” But when a charismatic and highly respected journalist careens into Simran’s life, she begins to question not only her future as a psychologist, but her engagement to her high school sweetheart.
Nandini Mehta has strived to create an easy life for her children in America. From dealing with her husband’s demanding family to the casual racism of her patients, everything Nandini has endured has been for her children’s sake. It isn’t until an old colleague makes her a life-changing offer that Nandini realizes she’s spent so much time focusing on being the Perfect Indian Woman, she’s let herself slip away.
Mimi Kadakia failed her daughter, Nandini, in ways she’ll never be able to fix—or forget. But with her granddaughter, she has the chance to be supportive and offer help when it’s needed. As life begins to pull Nandini and Simran apart, Mimi is determined to be the bridge that keeps them connected, even as she carries her own secret burden.
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Well-Behaved Indian Women is a lesson in dreaming passionately, loving deeply, and living authentically. Dave reminds us that it’s never too late to resurrect an abandoned dream. This stunning debut is a celebration of women—their loves and loyalties, dreams and disappointments, hopes and heartbreaks.
Well-Behaved Indian Women is a sparkling debut about family, identity, and finding the courage to pursue your own dreams. Saumya Dave is a bright new voice in women’s fiction.
I love reading books set in India or featuring Indian characters figuring out who they are in a changing world. This book shifted from daughter to mother to grandmother, and from New York to India. All three women were struggling to reconcile their hidden desires and fears with the heavy weight of the expectations of their culture. I was happy to go along for the ride.
The title of Dave’s debut novel triggered a bunch of feels in me. So often I’ve been told to “behave” in a certain way as an Indian woman. More often I’ve rebelled against those so-called societal rules. In Dave’s novel, three generations of Indian women face the challenges of doing what is right for them or what will be accepted from them and of them.
Lovely first book by Saumya Dave. A nice glimpse into an Indian-American family.
Saumya Dave’s wonderful debut is about mothers, daughters, and the rewards of following your own path. Told with warmth, humor, and insight, Well-Behaved Indian Women is a joy from start to finish.
Saumya Dave’s debut explores the relationships between mothers and daughters and their constant dance between meeting expectations while trying to fulfill self-desires. Nandini and Simran are both conflicted in how to be true to themselves. This debut is a love letter to the complexities of families and personal ambitions.
Thanks to First Look Book Club and Penguin Random House Publishers for a gifted copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
I’ve been reading a lot of India-based books lately so was intrigued by this title and by the author, described as a “compelling new voice in women’s fiction.” This is a story of mothers and daughters, superimposed on the traditions of Indian culture. Themes of family, women sublimating their lives for their families, subtle racism and outright sexism are juxtaposed between the educational and medical settings in New York City, the nearby suburbs, and India.
The novel is primarily focused on Simran, a 27-year old psychology student who begins to question her career choice and engagement to her high school sweetheart. Her mother, Nandini, is a doctor in a medical clinic who simultaneously must deal with her husband’s demanding family and who sacrifices her own happiness to make a happy life for her children. Grandmother Mimi, living in India, has health issues and a volunteer job that is in jeopardy.
The three women all have secrets, hiding things from each other related to their past as well as the present. These secrets have helped shape them and their perception of themselves. I found it frustrating that they had such trouble communicating with each other, and with the men in their lives. There were often unnecessary misunderstandings because they just wouldn’t say what they were thinking, or wouldn’t explain why they made certain decisions. They were “well-behaved” rather than being honest with themselves and others.
The reason this book earned only 3 stars from me was because the author often had to tell us how the characters were feeling rather than showing us through actions or conversations. And I didn’t believe the mothers and daughters grew closer throughout their experiences, as the author implies. The only relationship that seem authentically warm and loving was between Simran and her grandmother Mimi. My favorite parts were those describing the Indian wedding plans – the traditions, food, clothes, parties, and the typical family interactions.
I recently met this author at a fellow doctor author’s book release in Brooklyn. The description of her debut novel sounded delightful, and it delivered perfectly on the promise. The story follows Simran, a twenty-something psychology graduate student and her physician mother, Nandini. Simran has always been the perfect Indian daughter and now she’s planning a traditional Indian wedding to her medical student fiancé, Kunal. But when Simran randomly meets Neil Desai, a charming New York Times journalist whom she’s long admired, she begins to question everything she’s always believed about herself. Her story contrasts with that of Nandini, who’s been working at an unfulfilling job at a local clinic in order to support her family and her husban’d’s career. When she is presented with her dream job opportunity in another city, she must reexamine her priorities and what she truly wants for her future.
An easy read, this lovely book examines many themes about family obligation, tradition and defying expectations. The story is nicely paced and closes with a satisfying and believable conclusion. I loved both Simran and Nandini and Soneela Nankani did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life in the audio recording.
* ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
This is a compelling story about three generations of women who dealt with or are currently dealing with life in different ways. Nandini as matriarch of her family, feels the responsibility and pressure of making sure her daughter, Simran has a good life ahead of her. That means making sure she’s marrying the right man and following all the family and religious traditions. Simran has been with her fiance since they were in high school and strongly feels that he’s ‘the one’. While they’re both facing stressful careers ahead, they’re also committed to making their relationship work. Then Simran meets a journalist at a book signing who not only shares her love of books and writing but encourages her to look into it as a career. Everything that Simran has built her life around so far all of a sudden feels off to her. She begins questioning what she really wants and what’s expected. This draws her into direct conflict with her mother who demands excellence and commitment. Nandini has always subscribed to putting family ahead of her own dreams so while she recognizes something of herself in Simran, she’s hesitant to encourage Simran to be so reckless as she sees it.
This was hard for me at times. I couldn’t help but get irritated every time outrageous expectations were placed on either Simran or Nandini. A lot of it has to do with some warped patriarchal thinking about what women can and should be allowed to do. A lot of it generational or cultural. Then there’s the whole not wanting to care about what others think of them but then being painfully mindful of what the community does think about them. I am familiar with a lot of the sentiments conveyed in this novel (having lived some of it) which is why it was so hard on me. But what I do appreciate is how Simran and Nandini come in to their own and expand their perspectives. While mother and daughter might not come to a full understanding of each other, they do come to some sort of truce and it’s a hard fought for one. What’s important here is that these two women fight for what they believe in even if it means ruffling feathers and upsetting the status quo. They do so knowing that they can’t be truly happy until they speak up and step outside the confines of their worlds.
Simran’s grandmother, Mimi doesn’t figure as prominently but she is a pivotal piece that helps to bridge the gap between her daughter and granddaughter. Call it a blessing of a long life but she has had the time to reflect on events to become the sensitive sounding board to Simran and Nandini, giving them the emotional support and nudge they need to come back to each other. She is easily one of the most precious women ever.
Reading Well-Behaved Indian Women means getting your heart squeezed and wrung out a good number of times but by the end you’re wrapped in a warm blanket that lets you know everything will be all right. I was glad to see this mother-daughter duo find their strengthand voice to demand that they can also be happy!
~ Bel