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Summary and Reviews of A Great Country by Shilpi Gowda

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

A Great Country

A Novel

by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • Readers' Rating (5):
  • First Published:
  • Mar 26, 2024, 256 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel in the tradition of Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, exploring the ties and fractures of a close-knit Indian-American family in the aftermath of a violent encounter with the police.

Pacific Hills, California: Gated communities, ocean views, well-tended lawns, serene pools, and now the new home of the Shah family. For the Shah parents, who came to America twenty years earlier with little more than an education and their new marriage, this move represents the culmination of years of hard work and dreaming. For their children, born and raised in America, success is not so simple. 

For the most part, these differences among the five members of the Shah family are minor irritants, arguments between parents and children, older and younger siblings. But one Saturday night, the twelve-year-old son is arrested. The fallout from that event will shake each family member's perception of themselves as individuals, as community members, as Americans, and will lead each to consider: how do we define success? At what cost comes ambition? And what is our role and responsibility in the cultural mosaic of modern America?

For readers of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, A Great Country explores themes of immigration, generational conflict, social class and privilege as it reconsiders the myth of the model minority and questions the price of the American dream.

Excerpt
A Great Country



Saturday

5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

While twelve-year-old Ajay sat trembling in a jail cell, his parents were enjoying themselves at a dinner party. The tony coastal enclave of Southern California was situated only hours, but worlds, away from the bustle of Los Angeles and the grit of Tijuana, and not far from the happiest place on earth. Rolling hills through the exclusive neighborhood showcased sprawling estates, bordered by expansive lawns and gated driveways. On one of these properties, perched high on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, cocktails were being served and all still seemed well.

"Congratulations, my friend. You have officially arrived," Vikram said, raising his tumbler of single malt toward Ashok. The thick crystal glasses made a satisfying baritone clink as they met. "Welcome to the jewel of Orange County."

Ashok couldn't keep the smile from edging onto his face, even as he shook his head modestly. "Ah, we still have a long way to go before ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Consider the title and how it works with the story. Why do you think the author, Shilpi Somaya Gowda, chose it?
  2. Did you find yourself torn about how to feel about any of the characters' reactions or decisions? What moments were particularly controversial to you, and how did they challenge your perceptions? Were there parts of A Great Country that made you uncomfortable? Why?
  3. Did the alternating perspectives of each character highlight any important similarities or differences about their experiences and how they move through the world? Did you come away with a better understanding of any one character in particular?
  4. Vikram says: "No one willingly gives up their place of privilege for someone new." How is this statement proven or ...
Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!


Here are some of the comments posted about A Great Country in our legacy forum.
You can see the full discussion here.


Compare Deepa's friendship with Paco to Maya's with Ashley. Where does each friendship stand by the end of the novel?
Deepa and Paco had a mature teenager relationship, built on trust and acceptance. Maya and Ashley, on the other hand, had an immature, early teen friendship, based on superficial items like looks, status, weath. It is interesting, though, that while ... - A.T.

Did the alternating perspectives of each character highlight any important similarities or differences about their experiences and how they move through the world?
The alternating perspectives were effective in providing a glimpse into each character's unique point of view. I agree with Angela and find alternative perspectives of the same event crucial in reducing polarization in our highly polarized ... - K Bosman

Did you find yourself torn about how to feel about any of the characters' reactions or decisions?
One of the things that struck me in the book is how human the author portrayed her characters to be. In terms of being clueless for example, Deepa clearly didn't understand the danger she put Paco in by insisting he ... - Lyris

Early on, Vikram suggests that money and assets are as effective as weapons for protection. Do you agree with this philosophy?
Rather than write a repetitious post, I too agree with Marcia and Patricia Ann. - rebeccar

How do Jonathan Stern's and Helen Wu's family stories of immigration compare to the Shahs' story?
This section of the story is important as it provides an opportunity to reflect on the broader picture. The notion of a varied immigrant community is significant in the narrative because it reminds (and exposes) readers of the diverse range... - K Bosman

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Reviews

Media Reviews

BookPage
Gowda is superb at plotting and pacing, and the book spirits readers along. At the same time we learn enough of the histories of her characters to slow down and understand their dilemmas and the deep emotional stress these events place the family under. We feel for them and we will continue to think about them. Which, really, is just about the best we can hope for from a good read.

Real Simple
With vivid characters and an absorbing plot, A Great Country asks important ques­tions about race, class, and what it really means to 'make it' in the U.S. today.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Scorching...[Gowda's] light touch is refreshing and graced with nuance, allowing her to find the truth in a wide range of perspectives. Readers won't want to put this down.

Booklist
Gowda's storytelling prowess shines through in this emotionally charged tale of survival, understanding, and familial unity in the face of adversity.

Kirkus Reviews
Gowda's narration is fast-paced, and she is gifted at building suspense, but the prose sometimes falls flat and the dialogue too often echoes movie cliches.

Author Blurb Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push and The Whispers 
A deeply moving, layered portrait of the hopes, dreams and fears a family carries as 'other' in the face of the modern American Dream, where social currency and privilege threaten even the most basic of instincts: to protect one's child at all costs. Shilpi Somaya Gowda has the incredible gift of telling poignant, empathetic stories that make us think differently about the world we live in, and A Great Country is no exception.

Author Blurb Christine Pride, author of We Are Not Like Them
Shilpi has done it again with A Great Country-- a tender, multi-layered meditation on family and community and how we find our way to belonging in both. The novel is also a poignant reminder that politics (and social justice) is always personal. I know other readers will fall as hard for the Shah family as I did and be enriched by the deep levels of empathy this engrossing story evokes.

Author Blurb Therese Ann Fowler
In A Great Country, Shilpi Somaya Gowda has crafted a moving story of an immigrant family's challenges in the wake of their son's troubling arrest. Each character and situation is drawn with heart and nuance, resulting in a masterful portrayal of the pressures on and prejudices of well-meaning people. Right and wrong, good and bad: if only life were so simple. This is a thought-provoking, truly worthwhile book.

Reader Reviews

Ricki A.

Wonderful Book!
This is a book I couldn’t put down. The characters, action, scenes, narrative, and dialogue kept me engaged. Unfamiliar with Asian culture and the caste system in Mumbai and India, I was taken by the author’s ability to raise awareness and bring a ...   Read More
Tired Bookreader

Is There a Solution?
This book touches on several racial/prejudice issues: how to respond to people you aren't comfortable with; how to respond to police in certain circumstances; how to offer support to ethnicities you aren't familiar with; why would someone speaking ...   Read More
Dianne

Aspiration meets reality
Priya and Ashok, parents of three very different children, recently moved to the upscale gated community of Pacific Hills. This exemplified, especially for Ashok, the culmination of his American dream. When he arrived from India he wanted to give ...   Read More
Rebecca

A Great Country?
Ashok and Priya Shah leave their home in India, where the written caste system is oppressive and restrictive and move to America, the land of dreams and supposedly a great country. They work hard and after 20:years are able to move into a gated, ...   Read More

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