Such a fun book! Reminded me of a Bollywood movie! Fantastic characters and great writing. Loved it!😊

Humorous and entertaining story of the Indian diaspora in the United States more particularly in the town of Edison New Jersey. These are the community of people who migrated before the 1990's, before the immigration laws became more stringent. They built up their whole life there, their kids were born and grew up there and the little town of Edison, New Jersey is now better known as little India. The book also highlights the Indian obsession with Bollywood (the Indian Hindi film industry) and its larger-than-life superstars. Into this setting, lands Prem, the youngest son of a Delhi based industrialist. Prem is obsessed with Bollywood and has zero interest in running his father's conglomerate. He migrates to the USA on the pretext of some fool-hardy plan of producing a movie but rather to escape his current life. There he gets pulled into the Indian Community, fallw in love with Leena and finds his bearings. If you ever lived in Edison, New Jersey or have friends or family living there, you will totally identify with this heartwarming story. At once a vivid portrait of the immigrant life, a delightful romance and an ode to community, friendship and life. Totally feel-good through and through!!

Thank you Netgalley, Third State Books and Pallavi Sharma Dixit for the ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Pallavi Sharma Dixit’s Edison is a delightful and vibrant homage to the Indian American community in Edison, New Jersey. This novel, brimming with the energy and charm of a Bollywood film, is a heartwarming and hilarious exploration of dreams, love, and cultural identity.

The story follows Prem Kumar, the youngest son of a wealthy industrialist in New Delhi, who is more enamored with Bollywood than with his family’s business empire. Rejecting his father’s plans for an arranged marriage and a corporate career, Prem escapes to America with dreams of becoming a filmmaker. However, his aspirations are quickly derailed, and he finds himself working at an Exxon gas station in Edison, New Jersey. Amidst the colorful and bustling Indian immigrant community, Prem’s life takes unexpected turns, especially when he meets Leena Engineer, the ambitious daughter of a local grocery store owner.

Dixit excels in creating a cast of memorable and endearing characters. Prem’s transformation from a dreamer to a determined individual is both humorous and inspiring. Leena’s strength and ambition provide a perfect counterbalance to Prem’s initial aimlessness. The supporting characters, including the quirky roommates, meddling aunties, and even the occasional Bollywood star cameo, add depth and richness to the narrative, making the community of Edison come alive on the page.

The author’s writing is lively and engaging, capturing the essence of Bollywood’s dramatic flair while grounding the story in the everyday experiences of the Indian American community. Dixit’s use of humor and vivid descriptions creates an immersive reading experience that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The narrative flows seamlessly, with each chapter offering new surprises and insights into the characters’ lives.

Edison explores themes of cultural identity, ambition, and the pursuit of dreams. It delves into the challenges and triumphs of the immigrant experience, highlighting the importance of community and the enduring power of love and family. The novel also pays tribute to Bollywood, celebrating its influence and impact on the lives of its characters.

Pallavi Sharma Dixit has crafted a novel that is both a love letter to Bollywood and a heartfelt exploration of the Indian American experience. Edison is a joyous and uplifting read, filled with laughter, romance, and the vibrant spirit of a community that embraces its heritage while forging new paths.

Whether you’re a fan of Bollywood or simply looking for a story that will make you smile, this book is a must-read.

"Edison" by Pallavi Sharma Dixit is a delightful and entertaining read that successfully brings the magic of Bollywood to the pages of a novel. With its engaging storyline, rich cultural backdrop, and lovable characters, it offers a joyous escape into a world of romance, drama, and humor. Fans of Bollywood films and readers looking for a fun, heartwarming story will find much to enjoy in this literary masala.

This is a cute romance that not only shows how the characters grow but also how Edison grew and became the Little India we know it as now. Even though it is a fiction story, there are so many real things in the setting and the way the characters act. It was those bits of reality in a very Bollywood, filmy story that kept me wanting to read more. I think if you are Indian or are familiar with Edison you will appreciate this book more but if not it will make you want to visit and see the place that is in essence a small part of India in the US.

Unfortunately I could not finish this book. After reading up to 60% I realized I found it tedious and a bit ridiculous. I would have preferred to read more about the struggles and triumphs of Indian immigrants as Edison became what it is today, more realistic stories. The main character was self proclaimed loser and I disliked him. All the supporting characters came off as cartoonish and foolish. If the book had been a comedy, I could understand, but I didn't find it particularly funny.
Thank you to Netgalley and Third State Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Pallavi Sharma Dixit, Netgalley, and Third State Books for the Advance Reader's Copy of Edison. I read this book because I am acquainted with the author from school and I also grew up in Edison. I loved the setting and it bought back memories of growing up in New Jersey. It was interesting to read about the history of how Oak Tree Road became Little India and about coming to America from an immigrant perspective. I liked the main characters and their story. I thought it could have been a little shorter as there was a part of the book where Prem's wallowing got a little repetitive. I was sad when the book ended because I wanted more of Prem Kumar and Edison!


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I was so excited to read this when I saw I got approved. The whole concept and story of this book was so much fun. You can see the love for the community and the story in this. It felt like a Bollywood movie, but in a book.

I did in some parts get a tiny bit lost, I thought I was long as fuck. Enjoyed this and can't wait for other people to read it too.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked this book. I loved the tone of it and the asides about "in later years, ..." It was fun.

I loved this book, both as a novel reader and a cultural anthropologist who researches migration and ethnic identity. It is a terrific read but you also learn a tremendous amount about the Indian immigrant experience in the USA, Indian cultural expectations and how communities in the USA have been transformed by immigrants. It is also a tremendoulsy engaging, funny and moving story. If you are a fan of Indian cinema, historic and contemporary, you will also adore this book. The hero is a likeable, awkward young Indian cinephile trying to figure out how to deal with his father's high expectations for him in life when the only thing that inspires him is his love for Indian films.The story moves from India to Edison, New Jersey, home to an ever-growing Indian community and, eventually, to our hero. I'd definitely recommend this for students in both cultural anthropology and sociology classes as well as in literature classes. And, I'd also recommend it as a fun summer read where you learn a lot along the way. All around terrific! Can't wait for his next book!

summary: this book features prem kumar, the son of a rich businessmen. he can't stand to take on his fathers legacy, so he runs away to america, ending up in edison, new jersey. there, he meets leena, the love of his life . . . and her father hemant, that is insistent he won't let prem marry her. coupled with his career, his love life, and his internal problems, prem must find a way to survive in this mini-india.

footnotes: this book is one of the longest i've read, and is almost 500 pages. (i enjoyed every page, but it definitely took longer then expected). the book also shifts pov's. the book is in third person, but the narrator skips around and tells the same event from multiple perspectives, which adds to the richness and overall texture of the book.

thoughts: I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. this is honestly the first five star read i've had in a while, and i loved it. prem is such a fun character to follow and read about, he's sensible, romantic, and still a son all at once. even if i didn't agree with the decision he made, there was still a logical explanation as to why he chose it. i loved his arc, and how he changes and evolves over the course of the book. leena, hemant, and the other characters were also developed throughout the book. as the pov changes, you learn about the event from a different view, which is a really clever way to add some layers to the characters. the plot was really believable and real, yet the book moved super fast. i could never quite guess what was going to happen next. the writing was perfect. there were hidden plot twists, red herrings, and tons of comedic moments sprinkled throughout. you never feel tense when you read, because everything is so well balanced. there's plenty of times when i wanted to yell at prem for being so stupid, and others when i wanted to scream with happiness for him. there are little moments of humor baked in to every part of this book, and there are little gems of scenes that were so emotionally raw, they made me cry. this book also has so much indian culture and love infused into it. from the constant mention of movies to keep you grounded in time, to the comparisons to filmy scenes, this book was culturally sound. the plot even includes famous actors, and movies, all in the correct year.

overall, this book is a perfect comedy, feel good, emotional rollercoaster for anyone that loves india, and wants to escape there for some time.