A Good Indian Wife: A Novel Paperback – June 8, 2009

I bought "A good Indian wife" and read it in two nights. It was hard to put down. My heart went out to Leila who was extremely brave and more tolerant with the Simpleton Neel than I ever would have been. He was what my parents referred to as an 'educated ass.' I kept wondering when she was going to open up her eyes and realise that she was no longer in India, but in the dog eat dog world of the USA. I just loved the way she toppled Caroline's cart when she called to proclaim her love for Suneel or Neel as he liked to be called. This story rings so true. Indian men are not the only men who consider having having a white trophy as reaching the epitome of one's life. It is an everyday occurence among men of all races. Neel's infidelity was absolutely hard to read about and I kept hoping that Leila would find a handsome man, for the payback would have been sweet; but she was too good a person to enter into such a clastendine affair and won in the end. Was it worth it? I can't say until Miss Cherian brings the sequel to the market.

A Good Indian Wife starts out in San Francisco with Suneel or Neel as he goes by in his American life. Neel is a Sanford graduate and an anesthesiologist in a local hospital. Neel wants his future wife to be very American with blonde hair and on the same level of intellect as himself. Neel has been summoned back to India to visit his dying grandfather. When he gets there he is talked into seeing some girls while he's there. His Grandfather talks him into seeing at least one. Leila who is thirty and considered a spinster by her village is the one girl that Neel meets with while in India. After a series of misunderstandings between Neel and his family he ends up agreeing to marry Leila afraid if he backs out it will make his grandfather worse. The story continues as Leila tries to find her place in San Francisco and Neel tries to figure out how to divorce her as he continues on with his girlfriend of three years, Caroline.A Good Indian Wife captured my attention from the get go. I kept turning pages to see where it was going next and how it would turn out. I am disappointed by the way it ended. I also find the characters a little cliché in a lot of spots, the gold digging girlfriend, the prejudice brother, the lying husband, the forgiving wife.The contrast between the American way of life and India way of life was a strong theme in the book. There were lots of descriptions of the way of life in the village in India where Neel and Leila are from. When India things, food, customs and living conditions are described from Neel's point of view they are done so in a negative way, whereas from Leila's point of view they are much more accepted. She isn't trying to fight against her heritage like Neel is. The author also shows you San Francisco through Leila's eyes as she tries to build a life for herself in a completely different country without completely losing her India customs.

I'm not sure why other reviewers called this a romance? Neel, born in India makes his way to the USA for college and ends up a successful anesthesiologist in San Fransico. He is tricked into going back to India because he is told his beloved grandfather is dying. His mother has other plans. A marriage. Arranged marriages are normal in India. Having worked with Indians myself, this story was very parallel to what they told me. Lelia, who only knows Indian tradition is excited she is finally getting a husband, especially one who lives in America. Sadly, he wants nothing to do with her. He marries her out of obligation, but tries everything in his power to make it not work, from hoping she can't get a Visa, to ignoring her completely and continuing his relationship with his blonde bimbo. Neel is not likable. An arrogant prick. This book is about Lelia learning who she is and growing despite her situation. This wasn't by any means great fiction, but I still enjoyed it. I needed something fresh to read and this definitely was an original, light read.

I have read many books about India and have come to love their food, their history, their culture. But, this is my favorite because of the new aspects I learned about India... and about Indian men especially!! The author is able to write in compelling detail just what thoughts and feelings each character has!! She shows both sides of each situation and really gets inside their 'skin.'We see over-achieving, fully-Americanized Neel living the 'good life' in Pacific Heights with no desire for anything 'Indian' including a wife!!We see lovely Leila still living with her parents at the age of 30 and teaching English in a local school in India. She has been rejected by so many suitors that she has lost hope of ever getting married.We see Neel's family frantic for him to come home and marry a 'local' girl.This is a wonderful, exciting, suspenseful book!!!! Read it!! You will be crying for more books by this author and you won't be disappointed. As soon as I finished it I ordered Anne Cherian's The Invitation!!! I plan to read every book she writes/has written!!