An Indian-American family whose teenage children were born in the United States struggles when they move to a nicer neighborhood in the LA area. This is a very readable book with lots to discuss but it's fairly short length and the multiple important topics covered had it lacking some needed depth. Still worthy of reading.

Ashok Shah and his wife, Priya, are an upwardly mobile Indian American couple who have recently moved with their three children to the upscale, gated community of Pacific Hills, California. When the novel opens, the Shahs are at a dinner party hosted by Vikram Sharma, the wealthy founder of a medical technology company whom Ashok had met at a networking event for Indian entrepreneurs. While at the party, the Shahs receive a call that their 12 year old son, Ajay (who is likely on the spectrum but never diagnosed), had been arrested outside of John Wayne Airport for flying a homemade drone. When the Shahs come to the jail to collect their traumatized son, it was apparent that Ajay, who his parents insist made an “honest mistake,” had been brutally beaten by the police, and arrested as a potential terrorist.

As they navigate the criminal justice system with the help of a lawyer recommended by Vikram, Priya thinks back to when she and Ashok came to the United States twenty years before filled with optimism and energy. Priya was relieved to leave behind an abusive uncle and Ashok was delighted find caste irrelevant in American society, whereas in India, the “wrong surname or lineage could doom you to a certain path in life.” Priya recalls how she met her dear friend, Archana (“Archie”), at the elevators of the graduate student housing apartment, and how the Shah’s friendship with Archie and her husband Shrikesh (“Ricky”) had seen them through the “birth of their children, buying homes, worrying over elderly parents, marital tensions, and work troubles.” She remembers the difficulties that Ashok had finding employment, and the years of working assiduously and living frugally because those “American salaries were impressive when translated into rupees and applied against the Indian cost of living. But in America, in American dollars, everything cost more, and those salaries didn’t go far.”

Despite their outward appearance of success, Ashok continues to feel vulnerable, and his fears escalate as he and his family try to make sense of this calamity. They were “good immigrants” as their eldest daughter, Deepa, mockingly refers to them, and she is indignant that her parents did not feel a kinship with other minorities and, instead, helped to perpetuate systemic racism. Deepa missed the mosaic of cultures in her old middle-class neighborhood in Irvine, and refused to leave her former crowded and under-funded high school. Her closest friend is Paco, a young man from a poor Mexican family, whose mother was undocumented. When Ajay was arrested, Deepa and Paco were secretly attending a border protest in Tijuana, and when they were detained, Deepa was late to pick Ajay up from school. Deepa’s younger sister, Maya, is enjoying her tony new school and wealthy classmates, and is readily assimilating (although she has secrets, too).

As Ajay’s jailing sparks a media outcry, Gowda presents each family member’s viewpoint, as well as those of the police officers involved in Ajay’s arrest and detention. With a deft touch, Gowda examines themes such as immigration, assimilation, social class and privilege and the cost of success. “A Great Country” is a propulsive read with sharply crafted characters. Thank you Mariner Books and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this timely novel.

There was a lot to like in this book. It felt very timely and brought up a lot of important points in a slightly refreshing manner. However, looking closer at the parts, it felt like there was a lot of grandstanding throughout the story. Things were either shown as good or bad, no grey. Likewise, characters lacked the nuances I would have hoped for in the book. Everyone was either a minority or a racist. I think this might have been brought to the author's attention because farther in the book some growing and changing took place, but not enough and over too quickly of a page count. The climax of the story was rather abrupt, and despite being probably exactly what would have happened in real life in this situation, it felt rather anticlimactic after all the time leading up to it. And, the ending was all too neat and tidy for me. So, on the surface, this was a good read but I felt like the button pushing was intentional and there could have been more overall.

3.5 stars. I found it hard to get into at first - the beginning kind of dragged for me - but it got more and more interesting as I got further in. Ultimately, I enjoyed it and thought it brought up a lot of important issues... the model minority myth, family dynamics, immigration in America, and so on. I didn't like some of the plot regarding the legal issues the Shah family faced, though. It took up so much time, only to then be rushed through a resolution insanely quickly. Overall though, I did like this and would recommend it.

Priya and Ashok moved from India to the US in search of a better life. Now twenty years later they have three children, their own business, and have just moved to an upscale CA neighborhood with the best schools. Their twelve year old son Ajay is arrested when he is flying his drone near an airport. Because of his large size and communication difficulties, the police assume he is an adult. Now the family must cope with the aftermath of his arrest over the weeks prior to his arraignment. The daughters and their parents are forced to examine what they have given up to get ahead. The author tackles a lot of difficult issues in this book—police violence, racism, and sexual abuse among them. She also sheds light on the caste system still present in India. I found this very thought provoking. To me, most importantly, it illustrates the emotional and financial toll the legal system takes on the unjustly accused. I previously enjoyed The Secret Daughter and this is yet another great read by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. I thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this ARC.

One of the things I enjoy most about receiving advance review copies is being introduced to new authors. While I was initially drawn to A Great Country because of the comparisons to Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Shilpi Somaya Gowda has more than earned a place on my “authors to watch” list with this moving exploration of family, community, and culture.

From the opening line — “While twelve-year-old Ajay sat trembling in a jail cell, his parents were enjoying themselves at a dinner party” — I was hooked. A Great Country propelled me from one chapter to the next, as tension crescendoed to a fever-pitch. The story of the Shah family, the life they had built for themselves in Orange County, and the one event that caused everything to come crumbling down — well, that was a story I found myself engrossed in from cover to cover.

I will admit that I felt the last few chapters were somewhat disappointing. Conflicts were resolved, and the taut line of tension went slack. I won’t go into details (spoilers!), but the resolution of one minor character’s conflict in particular felt unrealistic. However, perhaps that’s due to one of the novel’s strengths becoming a double-edged sword: the characters and their struggles were so realistically and delicately plotted that, on the odd occasion things didn’t resolve to my liking, it felt jarring in comparison.

This is a quiet, character-driven novel. It isn’t flashy or fast-paced, but despite (nay, because of) that, I found myself drawn in and held close until the very last page. The relationship between Deepa and her mother, Priya, was especially poignant. Shilpi Somaya Gowda shows the difficulty of mother-daughter relationships so delicately, and while the conflict between Deepa, Priya, and middle child Maya was only a footnote in the larger conflict, it resonated with me immensely.

Ultimately, this slim, powerful novel will definitely leave a mark on me. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with a focus on families, be sure to check this one out.

(Review will be posted on March 25)

Ashok and Priya Shah emigrated to the USA where the caste system of India would not hinder the
job opportunities available. Having recently moved to a more upsacle community, they seem to be living the
American dream with their three children. All that is shattered when their twelve year old son is
arrested and suspected of being a terrorist. As they wait for their son's arraignment, the unwanted
media attention and neighborhood speculation add to the tension. Is it time to return to India where
they would not be viewed as outsiders?
A timely story reflecting the present day social and political climate.
#AGreatCountry #NetGalley

The Shah family has built a successful life for themselves in America; recently moving to a wealthy gated community. It all is at risk when their twelve year old son is arrested.

A great read that really speaks to current events from several perspectives. I loved how we see the situation from the young, progressive daughter’s eyes and also from the more reserved immigrant parents who value hard work and keeping clean. Their views of course conflict, and that’s part of the story. I felt so sad for the son and what he was going through, but considering real life events.. he was lucky to survive. The story talks about this as well.

“No matter what his papers said, he was a visitor here, at the mercy of whoever guarded his path with a badge and gun.”

A Great Country comes out 3/26.

A Great Country will make you sit down and think about how you currently feel about your own biases. Told from the perspective of a family in crisis, this rich story is marbled with many of the themes that keep us all up at night.

Definitely recommend!

The Shahs moved from India to Irvine in search of a better life. They built their own company, formed a family and moved up in society. Because they are the model “self-made” immigrant family they believe that “other” minorities are the ones that suffer with racism, not them. Until one day their autistic son is arrested for being at the wrong place in the wrong time and then they have to revisit all their previous beliefs about American society.

I love a good immigrant story that talks about family conflict, and how first generation kids deal with being the in-between in a new country, in this case, the kids don’t identify as Indians, but they also don’t identify as Americans.

In docking one star because the book builds up to a resolution that is not satisfying. The end felt a bit rushed. The more I read, the more I saw the pages dwindling, and I knew there were not enough pages to give me a good ending, which was true.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy is exchange for my honest review.

This book about community and belonging is very good, but it's definitely a tough read. Ashok and Priya emigrated from India to the U.S. to pursue education and the American dream. Aggressively upwardly mobile with their three children, the family has just moved in to a "better" neighborhood when everything comes apart at the seams one night. Their youngest child, 12-year-old Ajay, has been arrested for flying a drone at the airport, while their daughters have begun engaging in some unexpected behaviors. The Shah family has to reckon with their perception of themselves and their adopted country, and the novel is well-plotted with a sharp focus on the current political climate and the topic of immigration. I expect this to be a great pick for book clubs, with lots of food for thought and discussion. Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for a digital review copy.

When Priya and Ashok Shah move their family to the affluent Pacific Hills, California, neighborhood, they feel like they have finally made it. After immigrating to the United States from India twenty years ago with only four suitcases and a dreary graduate student apartment waiting for them, the decades of hard work and homesickness seem worth it. One Saturday night, all security and safety the Shah’s thought they had shattered after their twelve-year-old son, Ajay, is arrested, launching the family into a reckoning with what they thought they knew about their family, community, and country.
Split into three parts, the first part of this book chronicles the aftermath of Ajay’s arrest and his family’s initial descent into fear and chaos. Priya and Ashok are thrown into the complicated and convoluted American justice system in what can only be described as a parent’s worst nightmare, as they are unsure of their son’s future. Meanwhile, the eldest Shah child, Deepa, finds trouble at the American-Mexican border protesting with her best friend Paco. Maya, the middle child of the Shah family is—like any high school freshman—trying her best to fit in and make a name for herself at her new Pacific Hills high school. Ajay, the youngest Shah child, an introverted, gangly middle schooler with a passion for robotics appears to be the last person to commit a crime, but the local police force is not so sure. While still adjusting to their new community, where they already feel out of place as one of the only families of color, the Shah’s must now grapple with the effects of Ajay’s arrest. With the support of their new community and old friends, the Shah’s confront injustice and seek the truth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is quick paced and heart-felt, making this story captivating and characters easy to connect to. Throughout the whole book I genuinely cared about the well-being of this family, which made me eager to turn each page. The book is nuanced and thoughtful as it considers socio-economic and political conditions, while examining the humanity of each character. The anxiety and worries of Priya and Ashok are palpable. Gowda’s observations are incredibly sharp and intimate, making it easy to understand each character’s motivations and values. A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda ties together the complexities of family, communities, and society in a moving and powerful novel. This novel will be published by Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, on March 26, 2024 and I recommend that you pick up a copy.

When describing A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, words like powerful, timely, eye-opening, and educational immediately come to mind. The novel follows an Indian-American family living quite comfortably in California until a police encounter with one of their family members goes horribly wrong. It sheds some light on the current political and social issues present in America today by exploring themes like immigration, race, class, privilege, community, and culture. It also explains the caste system in India, which is essentially a social hierarchy passed down through families and generations. I was not aware of such system, so I appreciated the eye-opening insight. This novel is perfect for fans of Little Fires Everywhere, A Place for Us, and Our Best Intentions. Book clubs will really love this one as well. 4/5 stars for this very important read! It’s out on March 26th!

A Great Country was an interesting novel focusing on a Southeast Indian-American family living in Los Angeles at a tumultuous time in their lives. The youngest child, who likely has undiagnosed Asperger's, is arrested and beaten by the police for a minor infraction, and we see how all his family members and their local friends and community either support (or don't) them through this process.
I appreciated all the social issues brought up in "A Great Country." They were all timely and approached from a unique perspective. But, wow, Gowda tried to tackle a lot of issues in just one novel: the different types of immigrant experiences, police brutality and racial profiling, the similarities between racism in America and the caste system in India, etc. It might have been a stronger message if she'd just focused on one or two instead of a whole swath of issues.

This book is only 256 pages long and it took me 4 days to finish it. Previous to this book I read a book 1462 pages long in the same amount of time. I think that in and of itself speaks for my level of engagement in this particular novel. But let's get into why it didn't engage me.
A Great Country is a family drama, primarily about the arrest of 12-year-old Ajay, the youngest of 3 children in the Shah family living in affluent Pacific Hills. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, with the main timeline being from the time of Ajay's arrest to subsequent arraignment 2 weeks later.
I felt like this book was trying to cram too much current events and topics into one book. Each character has a unique point of view and personality, but there was just too much going on and it felt cliched and was just overall not well developed because there was so much going on in such a short novel. The writing felt stilted and somewhat formulaic as well. This is why I ended up rating it 3 stars, I finished it but it just did not hold my interest and by the end I didn't really care all that much what happened. Oddly, even with the short length, I felt the ending went on past the point it should, in order to cram even more that didn't really feel like it fit.
Thank you to Book Club Girl, Mariner Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

In A Great Country, we follow Priya and Ashok and how they navigate the arrest of their 12 year old son Ajay and the effect it has on their entire family. While I appreciated the story itself, the characters fell flat for me. I didn't enjoy how we are told the entire time how each character is thinking and feeling. I prefer a story where I'm shown rather than told.

I did not like where the story went and found the ending rushed. We spent a majority of the book following the legal process of Ajay's arrest for it to only be resolved in a page or two. It felt anticlimactic at best.

I didn't appreciate the author's note at all.

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Ashok and Priya emigrated from India to the United States to build a better life. They worked hard, and Priya gave birth to three children. Their dreams are coming true as they have just moved to the exclusive Palisades Hills area. But when their twelve year old neurodivergent son is arrested, a nightmare begins for the family and the parents learn a lot about their other two children, some cultural realities about America and the American dream.

I loved this book and recommended it to my husband who also really liked it. Well written and plotted, with fully developed characterizations, the author has her pulse on our present day social and political climate. It is an engrossing, fast read that I didn’t want to put down.

The immigrant experience felt by so many is captured and brought to life on the pages of this book. People work hard, pay taxes, support the economy, provide essential services and yet are vilified. There is prejudice, often inhumane treatment, and ever present feelings of vulnerability, especially if their skin is dark and the ever present conflict between trying to assimilate yet holding on to one’s heritage.

I think this would make an excellent selection for a book club…so much “grist” for discussion…not only topics mentioned above but also policing, white privilege, systemic racism, stereotyping, generational differences, the price of upward mobility. As an aside, it was interesting learning about the present day caste system in India.

4.0 stars
DEFINITE recommendation

I received a complimentary Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Shilpi Somay Gowda, Mariner Books, Book Club Girl, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a very thought-provoking book. It is about the arrest of a 12-year-old boy and mistaken appearances and prejudices. It is all about the effect of the arrest on the Shah family - Ashok, Priya (immigrant parents from India), and their American-born children Deepa, Maya, and Ajay. The entire family rethinks what is important to them including family and friends who are family.

This situation could happen anywhere in the United States and that is the problem. We need to do better as parents, communities, and police departments.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

I’ve loved all the books I’ve read by Shilpi Gowda and this one did not disappoint!

A Great Country explores the life of an immigrant family and what it means to succeed and assimilate to life in the US. It also raises questions: What does success mean? Who are our real friends? What makes a great community? How do we parent our children?

There was a lot happening in this novel, so it would be wonderful for a book club. The characters are realistic and their situation is frightening. Gowda shows the reader how life can change in an instant. The traumatic experiences in life, no matter what the nature, will affect the lens with which we view everything. This is a satisfying and enjoyable read.

The Shah family has recently moved to an exclusive California neighborhood, a long way from their humble roots in India. Through sacrifice and determination the parents are proud of the opportunities they have carved out for their children. When their 12-year old son has a violent altercation with law enforcement, they find that their privilege and status as the “model minority” cannot protect them from the consequences of racism and escalating community tensions. A GREAT COUNTRY is a page-turning portrayal of the complexities of assimilation, the nuances of generational conflicts and the shifting identity of what it means to be an American.


READ THIS IF YOU:
-Are drawn to books with hot button issues
-Seek out neurodivergence representation
-Question the reality of the “American Dream”