NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
Named a book not to miss by USA Today * Chicago Sun-Times * New York Post
“Deeply involving….Rings so true.” — Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room
From the international bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family’s growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.
“… Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family’s growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.
“The Shape of Family is a novel about race and culture, parents and siblings, marriage and love, but most of all, it’s about finding hope after darkness. Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a compassionate and wise storyteller who keeps us riveted from beginning to end.” — Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation
The Olander family embodies the modern American Dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home.
But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the family’s foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.
When Karina heads off to college for a fresh start, her search for identity and belonging leads her down a dark path, forcing her and her family to reckon with the past, the secrets they’ve held and the weight of their choices.
The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging—in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves.
more
This is a beautifully written story about a family and how grief affected them as a family and as individuals. The story is told by each of the family members but Karina’s story is the central part of the novel. The novel begins with them as a cohesive family but grief makes them take their own paths and follow their own plans for the future.
The family is made up of
-Keith, a banker from Philadelphia
-Jaya, the daughter of an Indian diplomat
-Karina – their 11 year old daughter who is a headstrong and often difficult child
-Prem- their 5 year old son who is the joy of the family
The novel begins in 2007 and is about the struggles and changes in this family for the next nine years. As it begins, they are a happy family enjoying their lives together. Keith spends too much time at work and Jaya also works but their family is still the most important part of their lives. Despite the 6 year age difference, the two children are very close and enjoy spending time with each other. When a terrible tragedy happens, the foundation of the family starts to crack as each member tries to find a way to deal with their grief. Jaya becomes more spiritual and relies on the gods and goddesses in Indian history, Keith works more and longer hours, Karina focuses on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.
When Karina leaves for college, her goal is to get as far away from her family as possible and to work to find her own identity. This quest leads her down a dark path as she becomes involved with people she thinks will help her find herself but are only interested in their personal goals with no thought for Karina. Once she gets in so deep, her parents come to her rescue and the family cracks start to heal.
I enjoyed this book so much that I just ordered earlier books by this author. This is one of my most favorite books of the year.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this hearbreaking family drama read about a family who suffered through a painful tragedy. The writing was beautiful, sensitive and realistic that I related to the characters immediately.
This was my first book with Gowda and she became a favorite very quickly. This was an amazing character driven story in which the readers will experience how each of the family members dealt with this terrible tragedy in each of their own way. Warning – the first 10 percent of the book had me in tears so make sure to have some tissues handy.
The Olander family consisted of Jaya, the mother and wife from India who immigrates to London and meets her future husband, Keith an American from Philadephia. Karina is their teenage daughter and the younger son is Prem. The story was centered on their daughter Katrina 11 yo who is quite headstrong and obviously hurting and follows through as she is leaving for college. Her path to separate away from her family from the hurt that has not healed, will be the poignant part of the story as she is reeled back to the family that love her the most.
I truly enjoyed reading about this family and I felt that through her writing, Gowda really had a deep understanding on the human experience of anger, grief and loss.
Shilpi Somaya Gowda has written a heart wrenching novel about grief. Follow the individual family members as each of them tries to heal the pain of loss in their own way. Their journeys create distance between them, and eventually brings them back together. The Shape of Family is a great read that will evoke many emotions.
What a great book, I love how each chapter was from a family members point of view. When a tragedy in the family happens, this books shows how each member of the family handles it. You can feel the grief in this family, it will tear at your heart and make you feel like you are right there with them. I love Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s books so much.
This started out well but dissolved into cliches and clunky scenes. I believe the writer has good ideas but needs editing help. I liked her first book but this seems hurriedly written without the guidance of a good editor.