Recalling contemporary classics such as Americanah, Behold the Dreamers, and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, a funny, poignant, and insightful debut novel that explores the complexities of family, immigration, prejudice, and the American Dream through meaningful and unlikely friendships forged in unusual circumstances.Pival Sengupta has done something she never expected: she has booked a … something she never expected: she has booked a trip with the First Class India USA Destination Vacation Tour Company. But unlike other upper-class Indians on a foreign holiday, the recently widowed Pival is not interested in sightseeing. She is traveling thousands of miles from Kolkata to New York on a cross-country journey to California, where she hopes to uncover the truth about her beloved son, Rahi. A year ago Rahi devastated his very traditional parents when he told them he was gay. Then, Pival’s husband, Ram, told her that their son had died suddenly—heartbreaking news she still refuses to accept. Now, with Ram gone, she is going to America to find Rahi, alive and whole or dead and gone, and come to terms with her own life.
Arriving in New York, the tour proves to be more complicated than anticipated. Planned by the company’s indefatigable owner, Ronnie Munshi—a hard-working immigrant and entrepreneur hungry for his own taste of the American dream—it is a work of haphazard improvisation. Pival’s guide is the company’s new hire, the guileless and wonderfully resourceful Satya, who has been in America for one year—and has never actually left the five boroughs. For modesty’s sake Pival and Satya will be accompanied by Rebecca Elliot, an aspiring young actress. Eager for a paying gig, she’s along for the ride, because how hard can a two-week “working” vacation traveling across America be?
Slowly making her way from coast to coast with her unlikely companions, Pival finds that her understanding of her son—and her hopes of a reunion with him—are challenged by her growing knowledge of his adoptive country. As the bonds between this odd trio deepens, Pival, Satya, and Rebecca learn to see America—and themselves—in different and profound new ways.
A bittersweet and bighearted tale of forgiveness, hope, and acceptance, America for Beginners illuminates the unexpected enchantments life can hold, and reminds us that our most precious connections aren’t always the ones we seek.
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Compassionate and funny, America For Beginners delves into the complications of family as three unlikely companions venture across a country that challenges their understanding of themselves. A charming debut by a fresh new voice.
This beautiful debut novel was very emotional for me. After reading the reviews, it looks like it’s either a ‘love it or hate it’ book with very little middle ground. For me it was a book that I loved with characters I won’t soon forget.
The novel is about three people who are trying to find their place in the world. They are different ages, have different backgrounds and ethnicity but their search for their futures shows that they are much more alike than even they think they are.
The three main characters are well written and very believable. I enjoyed the way their views of each other changed during their tour of America. There is also some humor in the story – especially when Satya makes up stories about places in American that he’s never seen and knows nothing about.
This is a beautiful novel about love and families and forgiveness and acceptance along with a travel guide across America.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Fantastic. Will not want to put it down. A beautiful book!
The perfect book to read during social isolation, as it took me across American with some people I really enjoyed spending time with. A widow in India decides to take a trip across America to understand her possibly deceased son’s life. The story is told from her point of view, from her Bangladeshi guide, and her American companion. The novel is so moving, and even cold-hearted me teared up in some places. Truly enjoyed this one.
I loved this book from start to finish. The story is unique, the characters fully drawn and engaging. There’s a satisfying resolution that isn’t too pat–the characters learn and grow in subtle, realistic ways. And funny! So refreshing to have a novel of this depth written in an entertaining style, with large doses of humor and compassion.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “America for Beginners” by Leah Franqui, William Morrow, 2019
Leah Franqui, Author of “America for Beginners” has written an intriguing, captivating, entertaining, compassionate, witty, and emotional novel. The Genres for this story are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Multi-Cultural Interest. The story takes place in India and different areas in the United States. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events in the story. The colorful characters are described as complex, complicated, confused and flawed.
When Pavil’s husband dies, she is determined to leave India and find out if her estranged son Rahi is alive. Just prior to her husband’s death, he had told her that someone called and said that Rahi had died. That was before Rahi was banned from the family after he told his parents he was gay.
Using a tour company that supposedly upper-class Indians use, Pavil finds herself with two members of the company. Satya is a young man from Bangladesh, and Rebecca, a young Jewish actress. Of course, Pavil is not supposed to know where her tour guides come from. As they tour the different areas in the United States, the three are indirectly bonded in their search for different things.
I appreciate that the author discusses topics such as prejudice, emotional instability and depression, dysfunctional families, and poverty vs. wealth. The author also mentions compassion, the importance of emotional support, family, friends, love, and hope. I would recommend this intriguing novel.
Favorite Quotes:
They had raised Rebecca with strong assurances that she could be anything she wanted to be, and then, like so many American parents, were surprised and dismayed when she believed them.
He ate ravenously at every meal, piling on plate after plate of rice and patting his nonexistent stomach after the waiters politely told him, as they had at each place, that he couldn’t have any more of the buffet, because had exceeded what they had imagined “all you can eat” could possibly mean.
“No.” Mrs. Sengupta said it with the gentleness of a falling feather and the finality of a bag of lead.
… Jake’s knowledge of Judaism consisted of jokes made in Woody Allen movies and dishes he at in delis.
My Review:
I was stunned, astounded, and deeply awed to learn that this deftly written and thoughtfully crafted story was the author’s first book. It was superb at its lowest level and beyond divine at its zenith. I was quite taken by Ms. Franqui’s agility in conveying those elusive emotional tones, startling epiphanies, and shifts in thought. Her wry humor was clever and shrewdly placed. I was fully invested in every oddly compelling character and each well-scaffolded storyline, even though their vastly different cultural issues and disparities were completely unfamiliar and foreign to my thinking, their emotional conflicts and feelings of dissatisfaction and discontent were intensely relatable. I was captivated, enthralled, and mesmerized by Ms. Franqui’s cunningly constructed tale and found myself reading slowly to savor and contemplate each nuance. Ms. Franqui has mad skills and a rabid new fangirl.
Beautiful book, emotional, from a culture many really know little about. There’s a happily ever after of a different kind. Poignant and perfect.
A really lovely debut novel. Interesting characters, created with affection.
I loved this beautiful, deeply human tale. Exquisitely written with humor and tenderness, this novel is a perceptive exploration of prejudice, cultural differences, the American dream, and ultimately, the kindness and love that binds us all — a timely reminder of life’s profound possibilities when we open our hearts. This is one magnificent read!
This book was a joy to read. The characters are delightful. The story presents serious subjects, such as racism and homophobia without judgement and the characters learn more acceptance of others as the story unfolds.
Imagine you’ve never traveled outside the space of your neighborhood, and arrive on a different continent, being led around by strangers. Now add a secret, personal mission and a broken heart. Mix in a few unique but familiar characters to this adventure and you have America for Beginners, a terrific read that will appeal to everyone.
I recognize that I, like one of the characters in the book, do not know a great deal about the history of India and the regions and culture surrounding it. I know a bit more about it now because it is the vehicle which make this book compelling. It is conflict of an extremely personal nature but is seamlessly woven into a plot of love conquering prejudice. It is also an interesting look at America through the eyes of a foreign visitor, the tour “guides” discovering it with us along with our own preconceptions and prejudices.
I cannot emphasize how beautifully this was written, not in a lyrical sense, but in a character, plot, setting and conclusion sense. The book held surprises and humor that kept the pages turning and I wanted to keep going for a longer time. This is a book of love, longing, regrets and redemption found through characters I will remember for a long while. After I finished it I found this to be a debut novel. I can’t wait to see what this author has for us in the future. Well done!!
If you enjoyed Fatima Farheen Mirza’s A PLACE FOR US, I highly recommend AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS.
Three misfits set out on a journey across America, a journey of evolution, and are changed forever.
Pival Sengupta, a newly widowed Indian woman, has booked a trip to America. Her servants are outraged! A woman just does not do this alone. But Pival is not going to see the sights of America. Instead, she is hoping to find her son whom her husband has told her is dead. After moving to America, Rahi revealed to his father Ram that he was gay and was immediately disowned. Then one night Ram took a call and told Pival it was from their son’s lover in America and that Rahi had died. On her trip to America she wants to see what Rahi had possibly seen in America, perhaps walk where he walked before he died. But did he die? She wonders if her husband lied to her. She has had her doubts since the death was so sudden and there was no body returned to India. She is determined to find out the truth.
The characters in this story are each unique and all are engaging. From Mrs. Sengupta who is naïve about so much but determined in her mission, to Mr. Munshi, the hard-working Bangladeshi tour company owner who tries to pass himself off as Indian. The description of him that quickly comes to mind is a “snake oil salesman”. One has to wonder how his business remains open given his naivety. Pival’s guide is Satya who has only been in the US for a year and never outside New York City. He is sweet, extremely naïve, and always ravenously hungry. For reasons of modesty, Pival needs a female companion so Mr. Munshi hires Rebecca, an aspiring actress. This two-week tour being a companion sounds like a working vacation to her so she is thrilled to get the job.
As Pival, Rebecca, and Satya make their way across the country they are challenged by their cultural and generational differences. But they begin to evolve in their own self-growth and learn to see the world through someone else’s eyes. They learn to appreciate the qualities the others have to offer. Barriers come down, animosities are forgotten, and true bonds are formed. There is humor, heartbreak,
forgiveness, and acceptance. This story isn’t about where they travel but rather the voyage itself.