There are so many things that I want to say about this book and I don't think I can do it justice. A generational story surrounding one Indian family that moves from India to Britain, then to New York it touches my heart and I think that it will touch yours as well. I don't want to give too much away because I really think this book you should just go in knowing that but as someone that doesn't usually read contemporary books, this is one that definitely needs more hype.

The one thing that I wish there was more of was time to dive into each girls world. The short length left a lot of things to be slightly rushed through that I would have loved to learn more about. But, alas, it isn't so. I am just glad that I got to meet Tara, Sonia, Shanti, Anna, and Ranee!

This book had a lot to do with identity. All five women in this family had their own struggle with identity. They didn't want to lose their culture or they wanted to embrace the new. They worried about fitting in with the world around them or they wanted to stand out. I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. There was a central theme but I usually want to read books with more of a plot. That was how I felt with this book. I loved the author's writing because I enjoyed the story I was reading but I was getting frustrated because the story skips years and moves to the next generation.

This book is so charming! We meet three generations of women in the Das family and watch them grow up and discover themselves. I love the family interactions and the way the coming-of-age stories are woven together. And I hope the National Book Award long list will bring this book the attention it deserves!

You Bring the Distant Near is follows with a 3-generations of Bengali family who has been living away from their home country for many many years. The girls' father has been working around the globe - Ghana, Singapore, Cameroon, the Philippines, Malaysia (OMG! Feels so amazing seeing my country is in this book being mention here!), London and finally, the United States. While their father working almost half part of the world, the girls (Sonia and Tara) with the mother resides in London and after that, their father brings them to the United States and settles down there. In this book, it is so full of insightful things from the customs to their cultures also their experiences immigrating to the United States.

I am glad that I got the chance to read a wonderful family story and learning about their customs and cultures. I live in a multi-race country and this book has it all. Mitali Perkins has written such a beautiful books that I cannot say I don't like it because I love it! The story follows with Sonia and Tara (the daughter from the second generation) and Grandmother Ranee (the first generation) and Chantal and Anna (the third generation). They all have a different experience in their life, how they manage themselves to fit in with the society, how they work together to maintain their relationship to be strong no matter what happened and the love they show to each other is so beautiful.

Of all the characters, I love Anna and Chantal the most. Anna has been living in India since she was a kid and has been schooling for most of her life there but her parents want her to complete her high school senior in the United States with her cousin, Chantal. Here, I see how Anna struggles to fit herself in the new school and blend with the people, she opens the eyes of her teacher and other kids about women needs to have their own private place. All the characters in the book have different personality and perspectives.

Overall, I enjoy reading the book and it really unfolds things that we do not realize before. I think if you are looking for something that has a different culture and about family, You Bring the Distant Near is for you.

Sadly I had too many galleys and couldn't keep up I apologize and will do better in the future,......................................................

Very engaging portrait of a family. Couldn't put it down.

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This started out great, but slowly fell apart the further I got into it. The blurb announced that it's "Told in alternating teen voices across three generations," but I did not expect from this that we would actually fast-forward through all three generations, and eventually be moving so rapidly that it was all-but impossible to keep track of who was who.

I'd thought it would be about the interactions between three generations all existing together! I did not expect to be flung summarily and unexpectedly into the future as those new generations arrived on the scene. The story lost so much in those jumps that it was ruined for me.

The huge, unbridged chasms between different parts of the novel were destructive, and really spoiled the story which had begun at a really good pace and allowed the reader to honestly get to know this family. I would have been quite content to follow the first two girls, Sonia and Tara, through the whole book, and see how their lives panned out. Unfortunately, I was robbed of that in this author's hell-bent, breakneck sprint to get to the grandchildren.

I felt Sonia and Tara were torn from me and diminished into becoming distant and vague memories as the new generation swept in. We learned nothing of their adult lives except what we were told in summary. It was like riding an elevator, and the car coming down at a comfortable pace, then something goes wrong and suddenly you're plunging the last few floors in free-fall. There was no warning; nothing to indicate that the comfortable pace of the early story was suddenly going to change to a rough ride.

Even that might have worked, but the story moved far too fast and spent so little time on the youngest generation that we never got to know them. They were brought in so quickly, and were danced around so capriciously that they were never more than two-dimensional shadow puppets, and not real people at all. I could not connect with them.

I was left not caring about them because they were strangers. I was left wondering why I had read that far instead of DNF-ing this novel as soon as Sonia and Tara were forced to take a back seat. It felt like the author had lost interest in the story and wanted to get it over with as soon as she could, so that she might move on to another project, and so she just summarized, or maybe simply published her outline instead of turning it into an actual story.

Perhaps I should have figured out how it would end when we met the first two girls with their story already in progress. After the briefest flash-in-the-pan memory of life in Ghana, which I had thought might be relevant later, but which was not, we meet the girls already on a plane from London to New York, so London is not even a memory in the author's desperation to get these teens onto American soil - like no other soil really matters, not even for Indian girls.

We did get a very brief time in India, which was delightful, but that was quickly over, and then the future was already banging on the door, demanding entrance, and people were married and having children before any courtship had seriously begun. It was too fast, too furious, to borrow the name of a movie, and like the movie, it was all fumes and madcap rushing from that point onwards. It was very unsatisfying.

This had the potential to be a great story and I wish the author had had enough faith in her two girls to let their story shine, but she evidently didn't, and it obviously didn't, and I felt robbed. I cannot recommend this as a worthy read.

A story about identity, race, culture, and finding your place and your home in the world! Perkins, once again, develops characters that you care about, and you hope will succeed in our complicated world.

*I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

"Five girls. Three generations. One great American love story."

I loved this book so much. The characters all felt so real and different and human to me and that in and of itself helped to shape this book. I enjoyed reading about their lives as they came to and from America and how the relationships between families grew together and apart. Each woman truly had their own story to tell and it was told expertly through this story. My only complaint is that I wished it was longer as I wanted to know more, I felt like there were so many years and pieces missing from the story and I wanted the gaps to be filled in.

Mitali Perkins’ You Bring the Distant Near is an unforgettable narrative

Much like Sandhya Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi I have fallen in love with Mitali Perkins’ You Bring the Distant Near.

You Bring the Distant Near tells the stories of five girls/women over the span of three generations. Ranee, the oldest, is worried that her children are losing their Indian culture. Sonia is Ranee’s daughter who falls in love with an African-American friend. Tara is Sonia’s sister who is always acting, even though she’s never been on stage. Shanti is struggling to bring balance to a family divided by two cultures. And Anna, Shanti’s cousin, can’t understand why her family wants her to give up her Bengali identity.

There’s something about reading a book so well written that you feel at home with the characters and setting, even when in your real life, you have no reference point. That’s what happens with You Bring the Distant Near.

Author Mitali Perkins has the ability to bring readers of all backgrounds together. She builds her characters and their stories through context in such a seamless manner that you don’t realize you’ve been swept into her world.

I did not want to put down You Bring the Distant Near. I read my digital copy wherever I could sneak in a minute or two. There’s nothing over the top in this book. There are no battles or explosions. There are, however, simple moments as well as complex. It’s a story of sisterhood, friendship and family that you’ll want to read more than once.

Five girls. Three generations. One great American love story.

Tara’s family has just immigrated to New York from India via London. Her beauty draws everyone’s eyes, but she doesn’t let anyone truly see her.

Her younger sister, Sonia, is falling in love with a boy her mother can’t accept, cutting a deep wound in the Das family.

The daughter of a Bollywood star, Anna is both brilliant and shy, like the Bengal tigers she fights to protect.

Chantal is as fierce a dancer as she is a friend, student, and athlete. But will her wealthy new boyfriend be able to thrive in her shadow?

And Ranee, the center that binds them all together, is beginning to unravel.

As each Das woman decides which Bengali traditions to uphold in America and which to leave behind, one hard truth remains: some scars take generations to heal.- Goodreads

This was an interesting read for me. I wasn't expecting much (tbh) and its not because of the author or the hype but a lot of contemporary books try so hard to reach someone that the flow and empathy to an issue is often is missed. In this read that wasn't the case exactly.

It was written with care, respect and empathy towards several issues; colourism, stereotypes, family relationships, death, being bi-racial, racism and being an immigrant. A lot is going on and you have to pay attention to have a open heart in order to see the obvious as well as the underline. The author did a really good job to not over complicate things but to make it known that these issues are part of life and as easy as the author fit it in it is common in the lives of some people. 

I really loved Tara and Sunny's section of the book. Anna and Chantal come off more entitled then I would have liked but their lives is completely different from Tara and Sunny. 

If you are expecting this book to be fast pace it really isn't but you get wrapped into the lives of these girls and you come to live them, want to support them, relate and understand them. It is detailed without feeling like it is being dragged and it is complex without feeling as if the author is doing too much. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book, the second half lost its spark for me but I liked how the author tied up loose ends. 

3 Pickles

This is a great book symbolizing family, love and development. Everyone who likes these three things would love this book. Enjoy.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. Three generations of women, weaving together a tale spanning different ages, countries, identities.

However, I just wasn't able to get into it. It took me over a month to read (not a good sign), and I started and finished a few books after beginning this one. I couldn't necessarily connect with any of the characters, save for the matriarch of the family-- and only in the beginning. It felt like every character had distinctions about them, but all these distinctions were told, never shown. Perkins chose to explain some things in great detail.. and then skimmed over other events.

Excellent novel. I love the relationships between the characters and the evolution of tolerance.

I don’t know that I’m going to be able to find adequate words to describe my feelings for this book. This intergenerational heart-wrenching gem of a book, with its slow burn that creeps into your veins and takes hold of you; there really aren’t words that do it justice. Mitali Perkins has crafted something precious here. A deceivingly simple story about three generations of women – just 5 girls growing up, changing, learning, making mistakes, and, of course, falling in love. You may be tempted to think that this book will be a quick read, but let me tell you: You Bring the Distant Near is not a “quick” book. The story is soft and slow, and it’ll stay with you long after you finish it.

I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that reminds me so much of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton, and if you know me, then you know that there is no higher compliment I can give a book than to compare it to what is one of my all-time favorite stories. You Bring the Distant Near is not a replica of Ava Lavender, not by a long shot (in fact, besides being an intergenerational story, they have almost nothing in common), but it has the same power that Ava Lavender has. It’s the power to completely transform your way of thinking. It’ll sink into your heart, into your mind, into your very bones.

Tara and Sonia are sisters growing up around the world – from Ghana to London and finally to New York, where they must learn how to forge their own path amidst the pressures of their parents’ cultural expectations. Then, when tragedy strikes, they must choose once and for all who they’re going to be. Will they choose to follow their mother’s wishes that they become successful Bengali girls or will they step outside of their comfort zones and pursue their passions in theater and civil rights activism? Then, we follow Shanti and Anna, cousins who couldn’t be from two more polar backgrounds. Shanti is striving to connect her black and Bengali heritages (and keep her grandmothers from killing each other) while Anna is staunchly protecting her Indian culture and refusing to assimilate into America. But when the grandmother they share, Ranee, decides to become an American citizen, they both must come to terms with what it means to be American, and face their heritage – all of it – head on.

The prose is beautiful, and the story even more so. The Bengali-American Das women are sure to win you over with their charm, their grit, their tenacity, and their strength to more forward through everything life has to offer. I think, in the end, that’s what I love most about You Bring the Distant Near – it’s a book that truly captures life: the good and the bad, the happiness and the sorrow – it explores the very marrow we all are made of. Humans are capable of such incredible things, but the true beauty of living is that the small things are what end up making a life. From choosing to marry someone despite your family’s cultural objections to deciding when to stop wearing traditional mourning clothes after the death of a loved one, this book celebrates the small stuff. It revels in the details. In the many minute facets that truly make our lives. It’s a beautiful thing, and you don’t want to miss it. If you read one contemporary this year, make sure it’s this one.

Rating: 5+/5 stars

You Bring the Distant Near is a well executed story of heritage, expectations, points of view, and how to live in a world where these things clash.

Each generation had something that was important to their story. While these themes overlapped, they were stronger with the woman/women who are the focal point in the time period. It was interesting to see as Ranee's children, who have lived in many countries, adapted to America in contrast to their mother at first. There were prejudices to be dealt with and none were resolved quite so easily as perhaps Tara and Anna would have liked.

Even as the years passed and progress came into their lives, there were still difficulties hanging over from the past, such as Ranee's views of black people. Anna's Indian heritage, so vital to her personal identity (not least of which is because she was raised in Mumbai), is challenged when she feels her family is becoming too Americanized. It was difficult to watch these women struggle with their views, some changing over time and some needing coaching. Shanti's own identity is brought into sharp focus during a clash between her grandmothers: Ranee, a Bengali widow, and Rose, an African-American drama teacher whose views about their families don't mesh well for several years. Shanti's outburst and her declaration that she's "both" was powerful, not only to herself but to those around her.

The synopsis was somewhat misleading in details regarding the story, or at least how important they are to the individual women. Anna certainly fights to preserve her Bengali identity and that of her grandmother, but the reference to Bengal tigers is mentioned once and I don't believe ever again. Ranee does try to preserve her children's Indian heritage, but again, not nearly so much as the synopsis would lead you to believe.

I loved reading the stories of these women, over the course of several decades. I felt at the end, though, that it bordered on too short? Each section felt good but like it could have been so much more involved. 

The writing style makes me certain that I will be looking for more works by this author, as I was wrapped up in the story so well that I didn't want it to end.

You Bring the Distant Near is a heart-warming family saga following the women of one family as they navigate the uncertain waters of identity, assimilation, and family. It has a wonderful cast of diverse women who are brave and tender. By taking the time, Perkins shows us the power of open-mindedness, love, and the ability to change our minds.

So I was absolutely blow away by the amount of nuanced ethnic representation here. While the majority of the family is Bengali, there’s much more - half African American, and varying different experiences of religion, culture, and opinions. Each of the characters, especially the women, were intricate. Not only that, but ethnicity, stereotypes, and prejudice play a huge role in the book. Not only are our main characters encountering challenges fitting in, but also against their families (and within their families).

And there were, of course, tons of little things I loved, like the mentions of other books, or the little details in the settings. One of the things I absolutely loved was Sonia’s love of writing and books. This basically sold me the novel from the beginning as I fell in love with her and was able to see her family change. There were also amazing quotes throughout the book that make reading not only educating, but also entertaining.

I truly enjoyed this book! The characters were strong and clear, each with his or her own motivations and personalities. The storyline was engaging the whole way through - I wish there hadn't been so much time that passed in-between sections, though, that we got more of the transition stories between the generations. This book could have been 500 pages and I would have devoured it all.

You Bring the Distant Near is a three generational saga about a Bengali family that migrates to London before coming to America. The author speaks through the voices of the women in each generation (during the years 1965 - 2006) and deftly shows the inward conflict immigrants face about trying to "fit in" while still honoring their original culture. It was intriguing to view America through the eyes of immigrants, and also interesting to learn different aspects of their culture; that the Bengalis also have a color-based caste/class system and that inter-racial and inter-cultural marriages are highly discouraged. I found it fascinating how the interactions between husband and wife, and parents and children changed the longer they were exposed to the American culture.

This is a beautifully written book that is well worth the time to read it!! Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing group for providing me with an ARC of this delightful book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I really wanted to fall in love with this book, but I did feel that parts were jumbled, confusing and some disconnect from the characters. But I still recommend it for those who are looking to read more immigrant stories, a diverse read or reading something different altogether. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Check out my linked review for my full thoughts.