What readers think of America for Beginners, plus links to write your own review.

What a curious and complex cast of characters Leah Frangui created for her debut novel. A wealthy but naive widow from Kolkata, with a Bangladeshi immigrant posing as an Indian guide and a feisty down-and-out American actress as companion lead the troupe in their (and the reader's vicarious) journey across the USA. Add to these the voices of the vividly drawn supporting characters, and there emerges a smooth narrative, compelling in its humor and its pathos. I laughed out loud at some scenes; at others, I wept. The characters, flawed as they are, ring true in their grief, guilt, and prejudices, and in their quests for acceptance, forgiveness, and a small slice of American freedom. Are the loose ends at the novel's finish too quickly and neatly tied up? Probably. But the lasting impressions for this reader were of joy and hope.

What an appealing book. Three unique and sympathetic characters take a trip across America with multicultural confusions and prejudices that slowly are overcome by compassion and friendship. A pleasure to read.

I really enjoyed this book. It covers the search that Pival Sengupta from Kolkata (Calcutta), India, makes in the United States to find out what happened to her son. She is a widow, but her husband disowned the boy when he came out while in California. Then they received word that he had died.
Pival travels from Kokata to New York City and then across the country to California. She has made arrangements to have a personal guide and a personal companion on this trip. Her guide, Satya, is a Bangladeshi who has not been in the U.S. for long. This is his first trip as a guide. The companion, Rebecca, is a life-long New Yorker, desperately needs a change of lifestyle. The three make an unusual trio as they explore several cities and locales. They are likeable and the book makes interesting points about the way the U.S. looks to those seeing it for the first time.

The voices of the characters were clear and strong. Each person from the widow, the owner of the travel agency, the tour guide, the companion and others offer dramatically different points of view. Malcolm Gladwell's, new book, Talking to Strangers is non-fiction; this book helps to walk in the shoes of each person, who is in totally different circumstances. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Look forward to reading more by this author!

Interesting characters and a very unique story. All the characters have a story of their own to tell. Worth a read.

Franqui’s characters in America for Beginners are cleverly created and developed. The story explores many interesting themes such as class, prejudice, parental expectations and cultural differences. Each character had problems but grew and changed in some way during the course of the book. I like a book that doesn’t tidy up everything in the end and leaves me wondering what’s next. A very enjoyable read.

Yes!! I made it out of Las Vegas. Kind of an inside joke, with apologies to those who loved book:The Goldfinch|17333223, but I always say when referring to that book that I never made it out of Vegas. That's where I laid that book aside.

Pival from Kolkata is going to America to try to find her son. Told by her husband after her son's sexual orientation was revealed, that he was dead. Now her husband is the one who is dead and Pival, for once is going to find out the truth. Three unlikely characters will find themselves in each other's company, which leads to some comedic moments. Touring the different sites on the travel itenary, allows the reader to visit for the first time or revisit some great sites. Some I had been to, some not.

Along the way they find self confidence, some answers to their different questions, and find out the importance of friendship. The themes of family, prejudice and immigration make this not only an interesting read but a timely one. A debut novel and one well worth reading.

ARC from bookbrowse.

Pival Sengupta, a widow, plans an extensive tour of the US, starting in NY and ending in CA. Satya, her tour guide and Rebecca, her companion, are unaware of her motives for the tour and are surprised by her changing the plans once they reach CA. All of the characters are struggling with their own losses, life difficulties, and pains. They keep much of their own pain to themselves, but occasionally, they allow their traveling companions glimpses into their real selves.