Book Summary and Reviews of Some People by Parini Shroff

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labmom55

Loved these two main characters
Some People is based on a great premise. An almost divorced man is forced to care for his mother-in-law when she is injured and her daughter is out of town. Nathan and Malti didn’t get along even when his marriage to her daughter was going swimmingly. But, he’s nothing if not dutiful and so he takes on the job.

At times, this comes across as a little preachy and didactic. Still, I loved both of these main characters and what they were willing to share with each other. Although, having lived with a mother like Malti, I’m not sure she would have opened herself up to him quite so easily. They both have more than their share of unpleasant tendencies. But it’s the light bulb moments they both have that make the book special. It’s a story about forgiveness (of self and others), self realization, marriage, motherhood, societal racism and misogyny. If this sounds like it’s all serious thoughts, trust me, there’s plenty of humor.

The writing is beautiful and poignant. I was highlighting like mad, both big swaths of a page or just a line. I’ve never experienced divorce, but Nathan’s musings on how his marriage came apart were some of the best explanations I’ve ever read. Even though the book mostly encapsulates the interactions of Malti and Nathan, I also felt I learned enough about Kavya that she came across as a fully developed person. Nathan’s realizations about why Kavya didn’t want children rang especially true for me as they are ones I share (see above).

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.

Other books by Parini Shroff at BookBrowse