The Golden Son audiobook

What I love about Shilpi Somaya Gowda's books, aside from the extraordinary storytelling, is that they open windows for me to peek inside of cultures and experiences outside of my own. Somewhere I heard that one benefit of reading is that it develops a greater sense of empathy in the reader as compared to the non-reader. I don't know if that is true, but reading The Golden Son extended my understanding and feelings of empathy for immigrants, for the oppressed and abused, for grown children and for parents of grown children. That may sound like this book is a total downer or dark in some way but actually the opposite is true. Gowda has written an adventure story; a love story; a story of family, community and friendship; of overcoming the odds to reach your dreams. It is a story that seamlessly weaves together these themes and creates a warm and uplifting story for the reader to get lost in. No spoilers - but I absolutely loved the ending, which seals the deal for me. The Golden Son has a place on my list of favourites.

My Review: I have been so eager to read another book by Canadian author Shilpi Somaya Gowda since I simply adored her first book, Secret Daughter back in August 2010. Once again Ms Gowda doesn't disappoint her readers.The Golden Son is a culture-filled coming of age story that also showcases the complexities of family bonds and friendships. Anil is a young man who lives precariously between two worlds - Gujarat, a small, rural town in India where he was born and raised as part of the town's most respected families and Texas where he is training to be a doctor. Anil is initially a fish out of water as he struggles to acclimate to life in Texas, Western culture/technology and sadly racism and ignorance. He struggles with the individualism he has in the States versus the communal, family obligations that he has back in India, specifically the demands put on him by his family as the eldest son and the Arbiter for Gujarat, an old tradition of a respected person settling grievances of family and friends in a community.The story also follows Leena, Anil's childhood friend who was raised on a neighbouring farm as the daughter of a tenant farmer. She follows a more traditional path for her life back in India with some heartbreaking results. While these two lead very different lives they are both struggling to find their own ways.The only criticism I have regarding this book is that, at times, Anil's medical school issues were more at the forefront than I would have liked. I was much more invested in his personal/cultural issues than what studies he was working on for his education. As with Secret Daughter, Gowda teaches her readers about the complexities and beauty of Indian culture. Her characters are interesting and as I read the book I figured I knew how it would all play out but Gowda threw in some unexpected twists. The book ended with a different outcome than I was expecting yet it was still a very satisfying conclusion.My Rating: 4/5 stars**This book review can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I share hundreds of book reviews and my favourite recipes. **

I read this book in big gulps. The characters come alive and the reader is propelled along with the story wanting to know what comes next. Without regurgitating what the book cover and marketing blurb reported on the book, I would say The Golden Son touches on a variety of perspectives - customs of India, family dynamics and expectations, the new immigrant experience in North America, the scars and burdens we carry and how these shape our decisions and lives, and insights into the student medical residency stint as well as the demanding and difficult journey towards becoming not only a doctor but a specialist.Gowda contrasts two landscapes - a fictional rural setting in India and modern Texas. Admittedly, Gowda capitalized on two solid stereotypes - the propensity of Indians towards careers in IT and medicine and also the sizeable number of Indians who reside in Texas, many of whom work in medical or IT related fields. The book is narrated from the point-of view of the two main characters and in alternating chapters. Anil is the son of a prominent family in the fictional village of Panchanagar. His family owns land, hire labourers, lives in what is referred to as the "Big House" and his Dad is the unofficial village arbiter who navigates and settles disputes brought forward to him by the locals. As the eldest son, Anil is expected to assume the helm of the family business and to be the informal arbitrator when his father passes. He chose a different path - one even suggested by his father - to become a doctor. Leena lives in the same village; her parents are simply hard-working, doing their best with a small plot of land they owned and eking out a comfortable and content life. As an only child, Leena enjoyed a wonderful childhood and was fortunate to be brought up in a loving home. She adored her parents and hoped in her heart that she would one day enjoy the same harmonious life with her partner once married. Leena and Anil were childhood friends. Leena, a bit of a tomboy - strong, brave and daring. Anil suffers from a stutter, was often teased, and was not as athletic as other boys of his age who can boast about their cricket skills. Leena was kind hearted, fun and good company for Anil as they were growing up. They climbed trees, played hide and seek, and roamed about the farming lands all the way down to a gully (presumably carved out by the heavy monsoons) and onwards to a nearby river. Their childhood adventures include witnessing a brutal rape of a servant girl by the man whose family employed her.Much of the story also seems to project vestiges of practices similar to slavery. The servant girl whose eyes had a "vacant and haunting look" implies endurance and helplessness. In Anil's big house, "the household servants used a separate entrance at the back of the house, and ate their meals on the porch outside. The field hands used the water pump outside to drink from and wash themselves." The book also touched on the practice of the marriage dowry and the devastating effect it had on Leena's family. It also exposed a custom which expects a woman to endure and which punishes a woman for ever leaving her matrimonial home. Divorced women or those who abandoned the matrimonial home are treated like a pariah, and deemed "damaged goods."A complementary plot revolves around Anil's life and those of his two Indian roommates in Texas. Here is the fictional Anil's experience when he landed at the Dallas Fort Worth airport:"The airport had been a marvel of order and cleanliness. Passengers stood in straight lines and stepped politely forward. There was no jostling to get to the front. Although Anil had come prepared with a roll of cash in his pocket, neither the customs nor the immigration officers suggested a bribe to let him pass; they simply looked at his foreign-student papers and stamped his passport."And then.. "the roads were free of bumps and debris, with clean white lines that echoed the sense of possibility in a fresh note-book page. Where were the belching cargo trucks, the scooters weaving through traffic, the ambling goats and cows?As Anil journeyed on to embrace a North American lifestyle and pursued his career, here is one of his reflections:"Medicine had once seemed like a noble profession, but most of the time it was messy and imperfect. Anil had not anticipated the interplay of power between doctors, or the reality that some patients inspired him to give his best and others, he could now admit, did not. He had not imagined the guilt he would carry from making a bad judgement call that could never be undone."Or in comparing his services in Texas to Panchanagar, his constant dilemma was - "Did he belong where he could strive to do his best, or where he could do the most good". One advice given to him was to not only concentrate on the science of medicine but to master the art of medicine.This is the second book I have read by this Canadian born author and it did not disappoint. In the author's note at the end of the book, she mentioned "I am humbled by the nobility of the medical profession. I only hope I did it justice." It had a more defined interest for me as I have a few close relatives in the field including one who is currently a resident at a hospital in Texas. I am also enchanted by the customs and practices of India, where I hope to visit one day.This review attempted no spoilers rather I relied on quotes to pique the interest and to provide a glimpse into the story line. I liked the way Gowda ended this story - neither contrived nor predictable. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

In Shilpi Gowda's second book, The Golden Son, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story from the very beginning. As in her first book, The Secret Daughter, Gowda has a talent for writing fiction within her ethnic sensibilities combined with the culture of her birth. Again, she compares and contrasts life in India and the U.S. The characters were fascinating, vivid and well developed. Anvil's journey is intriguing, heartbreaking, at times, and heartwarming. 5 stars for this very special novel.

Very sweet story about relationships, family, and making tough choices that alter your life's path. I didn't give it 5 stars because it didn't blow me away or anything, but I really enjoyed the writing and the characters. It also provided me with my new favorite quote:"That’s the key thing about a strong marriage. It gives you a safe place to be yourself, entirely, even the weak parts. Especially the weak parts." Love that.

Five stunning, incredible stars. This book goes on my Best of All Time list, no question. These characters will stay with me for a long, long time. I don’t want to leave Anil’s world. Highly recommend this book to just about anyone. A beautiful, moving, heart-wrenching story.

I really enjoyed this book. The author painted a good picture of why dowries have been outlawed in India. She did an excellent job of showing how Patel did not quite fit in as an American and also how he no longer belonged in India. Definitely worth the read!

Odlična!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5The Golden Son was a perfectly satisfying read for me. Anil Patel was the oldest son in a rural village in India whose father understood that he was meant for a greater destiny. Leena was his childhood companion who faced a different and much more traditional destiny. Anil was the first person to leave his village and to attend university. His calling was to become a doctor. He ends up doing his residency in Dallas. So begins the clash/merging of American vs Indian culture. The author is adept at addressing the issues of race, xenophobia, class, language and acceptance. The residency experience was equally enjoyable with the medical dramas a young resident might face. I’ve had this author’s debut novel sitting in my I-Pad for a few years now and I’m sure it will be near the top of my reading list for 2023. The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge - 2022Prompt #20 - Related to the word “gold”

If you have read any of my other reviews I always seem to be giving 4 or 5 stars out. Is this a pattern for me or have I just been very lucky lately in picking up fabulous books!!! The Golden Son has definitely earned a spot on my favorite list.I started this book last Thursday and got up early this am to finish the last 100 pages or so. The one problem I have finishing a good book is that let down feeling of trying to find one as good as the last that will hold my interest. The Golden Son is going to be hard to compete with. This book really revolves around a young man from India that has worked hard toward obtaining a medical degree and then a coveted spot in Dallas Texas to continue with his internship. His story alternates with life in India vs life in the USA and the hardship of not belonging to either community.the story is so touchingly written that you experience the same emotions being written about while you are reading. If you choose one book to read this year, let it be this one. I am so afraid of giving something away in writing this review that I have been vague in the details...this is a must read is all I can say!

4.5 really enjoyable book, this author is wonderful! Always interesting to read and experience a different culture

This is an emotionally intense story of a young man straddling two vastly different cultures. I don't want to risk spoiling any part of this book, so I'll just say that what sets it apart is the depth and fullness of virtually every character and the cultural richness of its descriptions of a small village in India as well as urban Dallas, Texas. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.