What a Happy Family
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4.4 • 14 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
"A full, big hearted novel.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & the Six
Nestled in the suburbs of Atlanta, a family learns the funniest punchlines can hide the hardest truths in this evocative women’s fiction novel from the author of Well-Behaved Indian Women
From the outside, the Joshi family is the quintessential Indian-American family. Decades ago, Bina and Deepak immigrated to America, where she became a pillar of their local Indian community and he, a successful psychiatrist. Their eldest daughter, Suhani, is following the footsteps of her father’s career and happily married. Natasha, their middle daughter, is about to become engaged to the son of longtime family friends. And Anuj, their son—well he’s a son and what could be better than that?
But a family scandal shows that nothing is as it seems. Bina’s oldest friendship starts to unravel and she finds herself as an outsider in the community she helped build. Suhani discovers that her perfect marriage isn’t as solid as she thought. Natasha faces a series of rejections that send her into a downward spiral.
As they encounter public humiliation, gossiping aunties, and self-doubt, the Joshi family must rely on each other like never before. But sometimes, family has to fall apart in order to come back stronger than before.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Psychiatrist Dave's revelatory latest (after Well-Behaved Indian Women) focuses on a Desi family affected by cultural pressures in an Atlanta suburb. Shortly after Natasha Joshi, middle child and outspoken black sheep, is fired from her job, she refuses her boyfriend's proposal, causing his traditional mother to snub Natasha's mother, Bina, her longtime friend. Natasha pursues a career in comedy but can't stop freezing up during improv, and, unable to please herself or her family, she spirals into depression, which goes unnoticed by her older sister, Suhani, a successful shrink with impostor syndrome. Suhani, meanwhile, is gunning for a spot as a chief resident and discovers that her cruel ex now works at her hospital and might have a say in her future—but can't bear to tell her husband the whole story, and her unwillingness to share makes him question their marriage. Meanwhile, Bina starts a group to discuss women's issues and is criticized in an influential newspaper. The narrative is thoroughly propulsive, and Dave writes intelligently about the universality of shame, disappointment, and living to please others while simultaneously sharing the unique experiences of a first-generation Desi family. Though an important plot point hinges on coincidence, the stellar character-driven storytelling makes it easy to look past it. This rings true from start to finish.
