A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya GowdaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Certain themes recur in immigrant stories. One of the most common – because it is a reality for most immigrants – is the desire to fit in and be accepted in the new land. Whether it is Jews in France (e.g. The Postcard) or America (e.g. The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank), Koreans in Japan (e.g. Pachinko)¸or, as in A Great Country, Indians in California, even successful immigrants often find that they are never fully accepted as equals in the new country. At a time when American demonization of immigrants is at historic highs, Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s novel, A Great Country, is a particularly timely read.
It follows the lives of the Shah family. After years of hard work, and at the urging of a more prosperous Indian immigrant family, they’ve managed to stretch their budget to the point of buying a house in the ritzy Pacific Hills neighbourhood. All seems to be off to a good start, but it turns out that neither the parents nor any of their three children have adapted as well as it seems on the surface. When their 12-year-old autistic son inadvertently runs afoul of a police force trained to view anyone with brown skin as dangerous, the illusion is shattered.
The writing is simple, making it a fast, easy read. In fact, I assumed it was intended as a young adult novel, especially since much of it is told from the perspective of the teenage children. It also touched on many common teenage struggles (e.g. how far will you go to fit in, or to make that cute boy like you?). I’d recommend it for adults and teenagers alike. The combination of the fast pace and topical issues would likely also make a good book club selection.
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