A Good Indian Wife: A Novel

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!!

I read negative reviews more than positive ones so that I can be sure I want to spend the money on a book, and then, after reading the book, read the negative reviews again. I understand the criticisms (stereotyping white characters, resolution at the end of the story felt slightly uncomfortable) but still feel that this book captures the reader and brings you into Neel and Leila's world. What I enjoyed: 1. Unexpected twists in the story, including the very end, when you're still reading every word until the last page waiting to find out what happened. 2. Sympathizing with one character, then hating them, then sympathizing with them again. And having this happen with multiple characters reminds me that as humans we have so many facets and our stories aren't so clear. 3. Resilience of women in the story. I hope the author keeps writing with more strong female characters-- I look forward to reading every word.

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.

Loved the book. Well written and good story. Good for the first book. Looking forward to reading more. Thumbs up

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 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.

This book was a great introduction into the Indian culture and provides an indepth look into the values of family loyalty, respect and the traditions of arranged marriages, which still happen in today's society. The central characters; Suneel and Leila are brought together rather forcibly through their family's hands. It is surreal for us in America to have two people who did not want to marry/get married to each other do so, but through the cultural expose that Cherian offers us, we come to understand it. The reader fluctuates from feeling badly for both characters, to wanting to defend one against the other. Leila's character blossoms upon meeting Suneel and we get to see her transform from one who had self esteem issues into a more confident and acclimated woman once she settles in America and in her new life with Suneel. Suneel, once resigned of his new life, realizes all the things he thought he didn't like in India were still with him; his love of family, loyalty to his family and most importantly he comes to recognize his love of the country from which he was born. This was a first time read for me by Cherian and I will check out her other works. This was an easy and quick read, so give it a try if you want to be entertained as well as learning a bit about a new culture.

Exceptional writing. Not your usual story. More layered which works well and effectively fogs a clear view at the book's outcome. I believe the moral of this story is our family knows us best. Another reader might say if you leave one culture and adapt to life in another culture, don't go home again. The characters were fairly complex and very interesting. I will add, skin shade played an important element in this story. If you find that thought distressing, don't read this book.

Interesting, well written and succinct book which sticks to the plot without diverting from it. Good use of humour without overdoing it or being sterotypical.

Really enjoyed reading A good Indian wife, love that a village girl has more class, cultural and guts. Takes her family values to the USA and don't disappoint. Totally related to the facts of this novel.

Not bad, but the subject could have been "exploited" more by writing more about the differences in the 2 cultures. All in all a good read though.

Well thought out a jolly good read, highly recommendable.

I loved this book and I got it for a decent price. You can really relate to the characters. I really liked the way that Anne had written this book!