Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2020
384 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
From the critically acclaimed author of America for Beginners, a wonderfully insightful, witty, and heart-piercing novel, set in Mumbai, about an impulsive American woman, her headstrong Indian mother-in-law, and the unexpected twists and turns of life that bond them.
When Rachel Meyer, a thirtysomething foodie from New York, agrees to move to Mumbai with her Indian-born husband, Dhruv, she knows some culture shock is inevitable. Blessed with a curious mind and an independent spirit, Rachel is determined to learn her way around the hot, noisy, seemingly infinite metropolis she now calls home.
But the ex-pat American's sense of adventure is sorely tested when her mother-in-law, Swati, suddenly arrives from Kolkata—a thousand miles away—alone, with an even more shocking announcement: she's left her husband of more than forty years and is moving in with them. Nothing the newlyweds say can budge the steadfast Swati, and as the days pass, it becomes clear she is here to stay—an uneasy situation that becomes more difficult when Dhruv is called away on business.
Suddenly these two strong-willed women from such very different backgrounds, who see life so differently, are alone together in a home that each is determined to run in her own way—a situation that ultimately brings into question the very things in their lives that had seemed perfect and permanent...with results neither of them expect.
Heartfelt, charming, deeply insightful and wise, Mother Land introduces us to two very different women from very different cultures...who maybe aren't so different after all.
"[E]ngaging...While Rachel's digressive, dishy narration and keen eye for cultural details contrast with her initial bumbling, Franqui smartly shows how Rachel recognizes her limits. The women's credible learning from each other makes this a worthy tale of bridging a cultural divide." - Publishers Weekly
"By the time the plot takes off in the novel's final quarter...it's too late. The friction between Rachel and Swati is belabored and the friendship that eventually develops between them, belated. A slow story that misses the mark." - Kirkus Reviews
"Lively and evocative, Mother Land is a deftly crafted exploration of identity and culture, with memorable and deeply human characters who highlight how that which makes us different can ultimately unite us." - Amy Myerson, author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays and The Imperfects
This information about Mother Land was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Leah Franqui is a graduate of Yale University. She is a playwright and the recipient of the 2013 Goldberg Playwriting Award. Leah, a Puerto Rican-Jewish Philadelphia native, lives with her Kolkata-born husband in Mumbai.
Name Pronunciation
Leah Franqui: LEE-ah FRAN-key
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