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Hot Water
It has always been Mira, Ma and Ashu. The three of them-as they sing Simon & Garfunkel in Ma's sun-yellow car, watch TV on the sofa and holiday on the mango farm-are bound firmly together. Yet, beneath this tale of proximity, lurks another story-that of a family in hot water.
Nine-year-old Mira, fourteen-year-old Ashu and Ma harbour secrets. All of them confront questions that have no neat answers. Where is Ma's husband, for instance? Who does Ashu pine for? Why is Mira on the alert?
One long, hot summer, the secrets come tumbling out. And the world Ma, Mira and Ashu have cobbled together threatens to give way.
An achingly beautiful novel, Hot Water traces the ways in which the love we feel for one another can both make and wreck us.
Nine-year-old Mira, fourteen-year-old Ashu and Ma harbour secrets. All of them confront questions that have no neat answers. Where is Ma's husband, for instance? Who does Ashu pine for? Why is Mira on the alert?
One long, hot summer, the secrets come tumbling out. And the world Ma, Mira and Ashu have cobbled together threatens to give way.
An achingly beautiful novel, Hot Water traces the ways in which the love we feel for one another can both make and wreck us.
- GenresIndia
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 11, 2025
4 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 20, 2025
The author instantaneously transports us to the lives of the characters: Leela (ma, mother), Ashu and, Mira. The story falls flat in the first half. The settings, the characters and their world gets dragged on for way too long and that failed to sustain my interest; however, the author compensates for it in the second half where she carefully reveals the lives of the characters to each other and us, the readers: innocent mira, the teenager Ashu and their single mother have secrets that startles and shocks us, leaving us aghast and engrossed. Overall, it's a 3⭐/5.
More in my Blog: https://booksfoodmylife.blogspot.com/...
More in my Blog: https://booksfoodmylife.blogspot.com/...
May 8, 2025
An extraordinary, sensitive and tender-hearted debut novel that announces the arrival of a spectacular writer on the Indian literary fiction scene. Highly recommended.
May 30, 2025
@bhavikagovil ‘s debut work, Hot Water delivered everything I expected from a coming of age novel, and more. Books with first person narrative, told especially from a child’s point of view has always caught my attention. This largely influenced my take on the story because as Mira, a nine year old girl goes on to narrate her family dynamics, I couldn’t help but connect with the characters. At the centre of the story is a single mother Leela who tries her best to raise her two kids. Mira is a charming young girl who only talks in questions and her older brother Ashu is often quiet and carries a secret that makes him feel burdened.
There’s a sense of heaviness that quite early on attaches itself to the story. It gets denser and feels like it’s closing in on us as we listen to the conversations that take place inside the walls of their home. The writing is evocative, nostalgic with a tinge of sadness that follows the family. But it is also tender in a manner that I didn’t quite expect to see in a debut work. While I loved Mira’s narrative, a voice that is both humorous and curious it was Ashu’s voice that I truly found moving. The emotional load that a fourteen year old carries by being part of a family that’s different from the quintessential ones wasn’t hard to miss.
It’s truly a sign of a fantastic writer if the reader comes to care about the characters and @bhavikagovil does just that. This raw and compelling story lingers with us for days after finishing it. I highly recommend this one and cannot wait to read more by the author.
Thank you for the copy @harpercollinsin ❤️
There’s a sense of heaviness that quite early on attaches itself to the story. It gets denser and feels like it’s closing in on us as we listen to the conversations that take place inside the walls of their home. The writing is evocative, nostalgic with a tinge of sadness that follows the family. But it is also tender in a manner that I didn’t quite expect to see in a debut work. While I loved Mira’s narrative, a voice that is both humorous and curious it was Ashu’s voice that I truly found moving. The emotional load that a fourteen year old carries by being part of a family that’s different from the quintessential ones wasn’t hard to miss.
It’s truly a sign of a fantastic writer if the reader comes to care about the characters and @bhavikagovil does just that. This raw and compelling story lingers with us for days after finishing it. I highly recommend this one and cannot wait to read more by the author.
Thank you for the copy @harpercollinsin ❤️
April 13, 2025
Such a layered story about grief and longing and how that shapes our relationship with ourselves and people close to us.
Its easy to blame someone for their choices, but even they are dealing with the consequences of these choices in their own way and sometimes it's not pretty
I did feel that the ending wouldn't justify the premise but it certainly did! Crafty and slightly unhinged! But full of love, albeit a different kind!
Its easy to blame someone for their choices, but even they are dealing with the consequences of these choices in their own way and sometimes it's not pretty
I did feel that the ending wouldn't justify the premise but it certainly did! Crafty and slightly unhinged! But full of love, albeit a different kind!
April 10, 2025
Hot Water has an intimacy that reveals itself right from the start. While Mira’s imaginative take on all that happens around her is heartwarming and, sometimes, distressing, Ma’s darknesses are revealed in ways that make one feel a deep sadness that borders on discomfort. My favourite thing about the novel, however, is the process of getting to know fourteen-year-old Ashu. Gentle and quiet but with a rich, conflicted interior world, he’s who I wanted to hug the tightest at the end of the book.
August 19, 2025
3.5 rounded up to 4.
OMG I hated the mother (Leela) so much. I do not remember being so angry and disappointed with a character in a while. Poor kids, they had all my sympathy.
OMG I hated the mother (Leela) so much. I do not remember being so angry and disappointed with a character in a while. Poor kids, they had all my sympathy.
April 10, 2025
HOT WATER
By
Bhavika Govil
Harper Collins 2025
In book stores on April 11.
I have turned the last page of a book I was lucky to get before it arrived everywhere.
It took me some time to set the book down and then slowly remove my newly acquired reading glasses. And it took a little longer to write a review that does justice to this beautiful book.
Actually, after I finished reading Hot Water, I was trying to rise above and shake off the hum vibrating through my mind and yes, my body. It was the hum that sounded through every single page of this book. Not an annoying buzzing or even a melodious humming, just a deep, underlying, all-encompassing hum.
I don’t think I will be able to shake it off for a while because it has gotten inside me.
The book is primarily about three people. Mira, Ashu and their Mother.
The world they inhabit is warm and brightly coloured. It has bright cars, flowers, bees, a blue sky and even a deep blue swimming pool. It has music and parlour games which are peppered with laughter.
Each time a bright colour shone in my face through Bhavika’s beautiful prose, I sensed with even more clarity the black lurking just below the surface. The dark that the colours were concealing. The dark which was the hum.
As I read the book, I lived with the three main people in the book, I was struck at the number of levels a single family can coexist in. How even people bound by love and by blood, grow and breathe in their own little or big circles. Circles which sometimes meet and merge like Venn’s diagram.
These people are souls who have no choice but to be those merging and stretching circles, till they no longer can.
Solitary, yet a tribe. Family. Community. Men. Women. Children. Fathers. Mothers. Teachers. Passerbys.
It is this singular aloneness that stands out the story. Bhavika does not spell it out in plain words. Her writing will get under your skin and make you feel it.
Like everything else, the way our lives unfold, stretch or crumple, is a result of cause and effect.
We are because we were.
We do because of what was done.
So, are we actually unable to correct our lives and undo wrongs and wipe away…wipe away- a lot?
Choice is a dangerous word. To make good ones, oh so important.
Bhavika, the author of Hot Water, speaks to us in various voices in the book. I felt and heard each voice with a definitive clarity. The story has multiple layers and one can write an essay on each one of them. Such nuanced writing from a debut author is rather impressive.
I felt tenderness, love, worry, irritation, vile anger, helplessness and despair. I even managed a laugh – the sort of a laugh that one laughs while hanging on tightly to the sides of the highest and most convoluted roller coaster in the world. When one’s eyes are squeezed tightly shut.
I have a favourite character or two in the book- but revealing their names would be spoiling your experience.
The book is a fabulous debut and I can’t imagine what her next one will be like.
I am recommending it to everyone – it is a book that will make a mark.
5 stars for sure.
By
Bhavika Govil
Harper Collins 2025
In book stores on April 11.
I have turned the last page of a book I was lucky to get before it arrived everywhere.
It took me some time to set the book down and then slowly remove my newly acquired reading glasses. And it took a little longer to write a review that does justice to this beautiful book.
Actually, after I finished reading Hot Water, I was trying to rise above and shake off the hum vibrating through my mind and yes, my body. It was the hum that sounded through every single page of this book. Not an annoying buzzing or even a melodious humming, just a deep, underlying, all-encompassing hum.
I don’t think I will be able to shake it off for a while because it has gotten inside me.
The book is primarily about three people. Mira, Ashu and their Mother.
The world they inhabit is warm and brightly coloured. It has bright cars, flowers, bees, a blue sky and even a deep blue swimming pool. It has music and parlour games which are peppered with laughter.
Each time a bright colour shone in my face through Bhavika’s beautiful prose, I sensed with even more clarity the black lurking just below the surface. The dark that the colours were concealing. The dark which was the hum.
As I read the book, I lived with the three main people in the book, I was struck at the number of levels a single family can coexist in. How even people bound by love and by blood, grow and breathe in their own little or big circles. Circles which sometimes meet and merge like Venn’s diagram.
These people are souls who have no choice but to be those merging and stretching circles, till they no longer can.
Solitary, yet a tribe. Family. Community. Men. Women. Children. Fathers. Mothers. Teachers. Passerbys.
It is this singular aloneness that stands out the story. Bhavika does not spell it out in plain words. Her writing will get under your skin and make you feel it.
Like everything else, the way our lives unfold, stretch or crumple, is a result of cause and effect.
We are because we were.
We do because of what was done.
So, are we actually unable to correct our lives and undo wrongs and wipe away…wipe away- a lot?
Choice is a dangerous word. To make good ones, oh so important.
Bhavika, the author of Hot Water, speaks to us in various voices in the book. I felt and heard each voice with a definitive clarity. The story has multiple layers and one can write an essay on each one of them. Such nuanced writing from a debut author is rather impressive.
I felt tenderness, love, worry, irritation, vile anger, helplessness and despair. I even managed a laugh – the sort of a laugh that one laughs while hanging on tightly to the sides of the highest and most convoluted roller coaster in the world. When one’s eyes are squeezed tightly shut.
I have a favourite character or two in the book- but revealing their names would be spoiling your experience.
The book is a fabulous debut and I can’t imagine what her next one will be like.
I am recommending it to everyone – it is a book that will make a mark.
5 stars for sure.
April 13, 2025
Hot Water by Bhavika Govil is a novel that lingers long after the final page. A rich, multi-layered exploration of family, this debut for me holds particular significance in contemporary fiction—a narrative we desperately need. At the heart of the story are Ma, nine-year-old Mira, and fourteen-year-old Ashu, closely-knit as they sing Simon & Garfunkel in the car and share summers on a mango farm. Yet, each carrying their own hidden truths, and as these secrets slowly unravel, the foundation of the world that is theirs slowly starts to give way.
Narrated from different viewpoints, one remarkable voice is that of nine-year-old Mira. Her perspective not only reminds us of the vast inner world children carry, where even the most mundane can seem fascinating, but also serves as a reminder that we were once just like them. I find myself falling more and more in love with novels featuring child protagonists—because what better way do we have to see ourselves and question our beliefs than through the eyes of children? The innocence and perspectives in these pages are rare with palpable authenticity, breathing life into every lived experience making it intimate, real and deeply wrought.
Hot Water questions and investigates the most fundamental social norms: What makes a good mother? How deeply ingrained is sexism in our world? What does generational memory do to a family? How deeply do gender roles affect children—can boys only always be boisterous but never vulnerable, loud but never soft?
Hot Water is a debut that reads like a memory—deep, delicate and essential. I wholeheartedly recommend it
Narrated from different viewpoints, one remarkable voice is that of nine-year-old Mira. Her perspective not only reminds us of the vast inner world children carry, where even the most mundane can seem fascinating, but also serves as a reminder that we were once just like them. I find myself falling more and more in love with novels featuring child protagonists—because what better way do we have to see ourselves and question our beliefs than through the eyes of children? The innocence and perspectives in these pages are rare with palpable authenticity, breathing life into every lived experience making it intimate, real and deeply wrought.
Hot Water questions and investigates the most fundamental social norms: What makes a good mother? How deeply ingrained is sexism in our world? What does generational memory do to a family? How deeply do gender roles affect children—can boys only always be boisterous but never vulnerable, loud but never soft?
Hot Water is a debut that reads like a memory—deep, delicate and essential. I wholeheartedly recommend it
April 14, 2025
“Some stories don’t shout-they whisper instead and still manage to echo loudest.”
I recently finished Hot Water and I loved every bit of it. Hot Water is one of those rare books that quietly seeps into your skin. The story follows Mira, Ashu, and their mother, Ma, a trio bound not just by blood, but by routines, some unsaid words, hidden secrets, and shared silences. On the surface, their life feels very warm and familiar, that is filled with small joys like old songs and lazy holidays. But as we go deeper into their lives, Bhavika Govil our author paints a story that beautifully blends subtle tension, fragile emotions, and secrets waiting to surface.
The writing is effortlessly intimate, engaging and very easy to understand. It doesn’t scream for attention instead it trusts you to lean in. Every scene in the book feels like a memory you didn’t know you had and every line carries the weight of what’s not being said.
This is not a book that is filled with lots of twists and turns and that’s exactly why it feels magic and makes this book unique. You don’t race to finish it instead you live with it. And when it finally ends, first of all you won’t even know and secondly it leaves behind the kind of ache you can’t quite explain…
So dear readers, if you’re in the mood for a quiet, powerful read that will stay with you for a while then Hot Water is the perfect read for you.
Happy Reading !!
I recently finished Hot Water and I loved every bit of it. Hot Water is one of those rare books that quietly seeps into your skin. The story follows Mira, Ashu, and their mother, Ma, a trio bound not just by blood, but by routines, some unsaid words, hidden secrets, and shared silences. On the surface, their life feels very warm and familiar, that is filled with small joys like old songs and lazy holidays. But as we go deeper into their lives, Bhavika Govil our author paints a story that beautifully blends subtle tension, fragile emotions, and secrets waiting to surface.
The writing is effortlessly intimate, engaging and very easy to understand. It doesn’t scream for attention instead it trusts you to lean in. Every scene in the book feels like a memory you didn’t know you had and every line carries the weight of what’s not being said.
This is not a book that is filled with lots of twists and turns and that’s exactly why it feels magic and makes this book unique. You don’t race to finish it instead you live with it. And when it finally ends, first of all you won’t even know and secondly it leaves behind the kind of ache you can’t quite explain…
So dear readers, if you’re in the mood for a quiet, powerful read that will stay with you for a while then Hot Water is the perfect read for you.
Happy Reading !!
May 21, 2025
-Tender Yet Powerful-
Review of 'Hot Water'
Quote Alert
"𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡. 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭. 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞,𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝."
Hot Water has many failed love stories. Almost all of them are incomplete. It might be a stretch to call them love stories, love experiences maybe. A 'crush' seems too vulgar a word to use for literary fiction. Three of these love stories involve Ma and it is these stories that act as catalyst, giving us the other two main characters, the kids. The story is pretty much a consequence of these love stories. My favourite is of course the one that the author has written with a tender feather-tipped quill- Ashu's. Again, a stretch to call it a love story but it's like a bud of glass sitting in the eye of a tornado. You want to protect it with both hands.
One of my friends, who is an avid reader, was quite unhappy with Room, a global bestseller by Emma Donoghue. The narrative voice of the little kid wasn't convincing, he said. It felt meh. It so doesn't feel meh in Hot Water, a major chunk of which is narrated in first person by nine year old Mira. The other two parts are shared by Ashu, her fourteen year old brother and her mother. Govil has skillfully written in the voice of a child. Have a look- 'It would be worse if Ma lost her friends too. Especially because she has no ring on her left finger and no black-and-gold necklace around her neck which everyone at school says grown-ups should wear, otherwise they're sad.'
The way Govil has written her characters, it feels she has preserved them inside a showcase and put it out on the display. They feel fragile. They are fragile. And you wish to protect them. The bits between Ashu and Ma feel overdramatised, something that Avni Doshi did with Burnt Sugar where she made her incredibly rich MC live as a beggar on the Pune street for months with her daughter right outside a club which was frequented by her family and friends.
Loved these lines- 'But now, Ashu felt that maybe people didn't ever fall out of love. Perhaps love fell out of them. Maybe they gave so much, so soon, so fast, that the love went gushing out like blood from an oozing elbow-and then stopped.'
Definitely my top ten reads of this year.
Review of 'Hot Water'
Quote Alert
"𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡. 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭. 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞,𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝."
Hot Water has many failed love stories. Almost all of them are incomplete. It might be a stretch to call them love stories, love experiences maybe. A 'crush' seems too vulgar a word to use for literary fiction. Three of these love stories involve Ma and it is these stories that act as catalyst, giving us the other two main characters, the kids. The story is pretty much a consequence of these love stories. My favourite is of course the one that the author has written with a tender feather-tipped quill- Ashu's. Again, a stretch to call it a love story but it's like a bud of glass sitting in the eye of a tornado. You want to protect it with both hands.
One of my friends, who is an avid reader, was quite unhappy with Room, a global bestseller by Emma Donoghue. The narrative voice of the little kid wasn't convincing, he said. It felt meh. It so doesn't feel meh in Hot Water, a major chunk of which is narrated in first person by nine year old Mira. The other two parts are shared by Ashu, her fourteen year old brother and her mother. Govil has skillfully written in the voice of a child. Have a look- 'It would be worse if Ma lost her friends too. Especially because she has no ring on her left finger and no black-and-gold necklace around her neck which everyone at school says grown-ups should wear, otherwise they're sad.'
The way Govil has written her characters, it feels she has preserved them inside a showcase and put it out on the display. They feel fragile. They are fragile. And you wish to protect them. The bits between Ashu and Ma feel overdramatised, something that Avni Doshi did with Burnt Sugar where she made her incredibly rich MC live as a beggar on the Pune street for months with her daughter right outside a club which was frequented by her family and friends.
Loved these lines- 'But now, Ashu felt that maybe people didn't ever fall out of love. Perhaps love fell out of them. Maybe they gave so much, so soon, so fast, that the love went gushing out like blood from an oozing elbow-and then stopped.'
Definitely my top ten reads of this year.
May 22, 2025
I have been reading lot of books lately suspense, thriller, romance everything but this book was something I was not expecting it would be...
When I read the back cover it felt that there is something which I need to read or may be my child version needs to read & I was right ✨I can't believe how much this books hold as experience, as pain, anger, depression, anxiety, self doubt & what not. It's a story about 9 years Old Mira & her 14 year old brother Ashu. Before reading it, I was thinking how this is going to be different & these are so young characters, will I able to connect with them ?🥹 but I must say @bhavikagovil has done fabulous job in terms of creating character, the way Mira talk throughout a book, her cute accent but still so mature than her age. While reading this book there were so many instances where I felt broke, hurt & pain but till the ending it healed something inside which I thought never needed.❣️
I don't have words to put together but still I will definitely say this is one of the bestttt book I have come accross & this will always leave mark on my heart ❤️
I want everyone just to give a one chance to this gem & I assure you will not regret it.
When I read the back cover it felt that there is something which I need to read or may be my child version needs to read & I was right ✨I can't believe how much this books hold as experience, as pain, anger, depression, anxiety, self doubt & what not. It's a story about 9 years Old Mira & her 14 year old brother Ashu. Before reading it, I was thinking how this is going to be different & these are so young characters, will I able to connect with them ?🥹 but I must say @bhavikagovil has done fabulous job in terms of creating character, the way Mira talk throughout a book, her cute accent but still so mature than her age. While reading this book there were so many instances where I felt broke, hurt & pain but till the ending it healed something inside which I thought never needed.❣️
I don't have words to put together but still I will definitely say this is one of the bestttt book I have come accross & this will always leave mark on my heart ❤️
I want everyone just to give a one chance to this gem & I assure you will not regret it.
May 11, 2025
First let’s take a moment to appreciate the book jacket. It encapsulates the book perfectly - Lazy sticky summers, the sweet respite of swimming pools, delicious mango juice running down the arm and a life preserver to steady you.
This book is the story of a family of three over a the period of a summer vacation. We listen to the stream of consciousness narration of 10 year old Mira, who talks a mile a minute, and has more questions than answers, who idolizes her older brother following him around.
We watch 14 year old Ashu dealing with his friendship with Rahul, and longing for some attention from his mother.
As they navigate the bumpy road of adolescence, they watch their single mother tripping the hostile terrain of dating and a community which questions her life choices.
Their voices are distinct and hauntingly unfiltered, with a child’s innocent perspective watching the adult world and trying to piece together life. I was completely entranced by the writing, evoking visions in my mind with introspective pauses in between.
I was so invested in the characters, that as I turned the last page, I was angry with the choices we are dealt with. I pitied Mira as if she was my own and I wanted to hug her, I wanted to tell Anshu he needs to do what is best for him and his happiness is paramount.
And I felt the mother Leela deserved a pat on her back, that she has brought up 2 beautiful kids, and no matter what happens she is the best mother.
The surprise for me came when I read Leela’s back story, this was a twist I did not expect.
This is a beautiful book, raw in its telling and unforgettable in its characters. Mira, Ashu, and Leela will linger with you long after the last page — not just as characters, but as people you’ve grown to care for deeply. Hot Water is truly well worth your time.
This book is the story of a family of three over a the period of a summer vacation. We listen to the stream of consciousness narration of 10 year old Mira, who talks a mile a minute, and has more questions than answers, who idolizes her older brother following him around.
We watch 14 year old Ashu dealing with his friendship with Rahul, and longing for some attention from his mother.
As they navigate the bumpy road of adolescence, they watch their single mother tripping the hostile terrain of dating and a community which questions her life choices.
Their voices are distinct and hauntingly unfiltered, with a child’s innocent perspective watching the adult world and trying to piece together life. I was completely entranced by the writing, evoking visions in my mind with introspective pauses in between.
I was so invested in the characters, that as I turned the last page, I was angry with the choices we are dealt with. I pitied Mira as if she was my own and I wanted to hug her, I wanted to tell Anshu he needs to do what is best for him and his happiness is paramount.
And I felt the mother Leela deserved a pat on her back, that she has brought up 2 beautiful kids, and no matter what happens she is the best mother.
The surprise for me came when I read Leela’s back story, this was a twist I did not expect.
This is a beautiful book, raw in its telling and unforgettable in its characters. Mira, Ashu, and Leela will linger with you long after the last page — not just as characters, but as people you’ve grown to care for deeply. Hot Water is truly well worth your time.
May 1, 2025
I'm giving this book four stars because I think it could've been longer. I wanted to read more about Ma, Mira and Ashu. What a cracker of a debut! I ate this book up very, very greedily just like the children in the book devour plump, ripe mangoes.
Bhavika Govil has a strong and confident writers voice and draws you into the dynamics of this tight, little family harbouring their own secrets and sorrows that come undone over the course of one hot summer.
Bittersweet, funny, heartbreaking, and evocative, this book deftly explores themes of grief, sadness, guilt, shame and longing, and how they alter the course of our lives and our relationships with ourselves and others. This gut punch of a novel will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
Bhavika Govil has a strong and confident writers voice and draws you into the dynamics of this tight, little family harbouring their own secrets and sorrows that come undone over the course of one hot summer.
Bittersweet, funny, heartbreaking, and evocative, this book deftly explores themes of grief, sadness, guilt, shame and longing, and how they alter the course of our lives and our relationships with ourselves and others. This gut punch of a novel will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
May 14, 2025
*Hot Water* started off with a comforting Indian touch that felt familiar and engaging. I liked the writing style—it’s simple, thoughtful, and easy to connect with. The beginning held promise, and I was curious to see where the story would lead.
However, as the pages went on, the pace stayed mostly the same, and I kept waiting for something bigger to unfold—some unexpected twists or powerful revelations—but they never really came. It felt like the story just moved along without much impact.
It’s not a bad book, just not a memorable one. A decent, okayish read if you enjoy calm, slice-of-life narratives. I did like the Indian flavor in the writing and the beautiful cover, but overall, it didn’t leave a strong impression.
However, as the pages went on, the pace stayed mostly the same, and I kept waiting for something bigger to unfold—some unexpected twists or powerful revelations—but they never really came. It felt like the story just moved along without much impact.
It’s not a bad book, just not a memorable one. A decent, okayish read if you enjoy calm, slice-of-life narratives. I did like the Indian flavor in the writing and the beautiful cover, but overall, it didn’t leave a strong impression.
September 12, 2025
This was really well written! I am usually not a fan of adults writing from a child's pov, but Mira's voice was very believable. And the queer coming of age, and complex motherhood journey, were very well illustrated. Excited to see what the author writes next!
May 13, 2025
A slow burn of a summer, a family steeped in silences.
🥭🌤️🧴⛱️🍉🕶️
Bhavika Govil’s Hot Water is not merely a coming-of-age story, it is a quiet excavation of tenderness and tension, of memory and misunderstanding, all simmering under the surface of a family tableau that appears, at first glance, sunlit and whole. But just like water on the boil, what seems calm soon begins to hiss, ripple, and overflow.
At the center of this deceptively gentle narrative is nine-year-old Mira, sharp-eyed, emotionally porous, and painfully alert. Her world is a triumvirate: herself, her dreamy older brother Ashu, and their enigmatic mother, Ma. This threesome orbits around shared rituals: singing Simon & Garfunkel in a lemon-hued car, soaking in TV’s glow on long evenings, and escaping to a mango farm where nature seems to hold its breath. But even within this intimacy, Govil sows the seeds of unease. The absence of a father is never quite explained, nor is the ache that shadows Ashu, nor the reasons why Mira flinches at what others overlook.
Govil writes with a rare restraint, her prose glassy and precise, capturing both the beauty and the brittleness of familial bonds. The summer setting becomes both metaphor and pressure cooker. Heat rises. Secrets percolate. A misplaced word, a half-seen glance, a withheld truth: these accumulate until the fabric of Mira’s small, sun-soaked world begins to fray.
The brilliance of Hot Water lies in its refusal to offer easy catharsis. Each character guards a private truth, and Govil neither judges nor sensationalizes them. Ma is loving but fallible; Ashu is sensitive but shrouded in adolescent confusion; and Mira, though young, is the novel’s emotional compass: a girl growing into awareness, learning that love is as much about what is spoken as what is left unsaid.
Above all, Hot Water is a meditation on the fragility of constructed realities. Families, after all, are stories we tell ourselves, and sometimes, those stories begin to unravel.✨💕
🥭🌤️🧴⛱️🍉🕶️
Bhavika Govil’s Hot Water is not merely a coming-of-age story, it is a quiet excavation of tenderness and tension, of memory and misunderstanding, all simmering under the surface of a family tableau that appears, at first glance, sunlit and whole. But just like water on the boil, what seems calm soon begins to hiss, ripple, and overflow.
At the center of this deceptively gentle narrative is nine-year-old Mira, sharp-eyed, emotionally porous, and painfully alert. Her world is a triumvirate: herself, her dreamy older brother Ashu, and their enigmatic mother, Ma. This threesome orbits around shared rituals: singing Simon & Garfunkel in a lemon-hued car, soaking in TV’s glow on long evenings, and escaping to a mango farm where nature seems to hold its breath. But even within this intimacy, Govil sows the seeds of unease. The absence of a father is never quite explained, nor is the ache that shadows Ashu, nor the reasons why Mira flinches at what others overlook.
Govil writes with a rare restraint, her prose glassy and precise, capturing both the beauty and the brittleness of familial bonds. The summer setting becomes both metaphor and pressure cooker. Heat rises. Secrets percolate. A misplaced word, a half-seen glance, a withheld truth: these accumulate until the fabric of Mira’s small, sun-soaked world begins to fray.
The brilliance of Hot Water lies in its refusal to offer easy catharsis. Each character guards a private truth, and Govil neither judges nor sensationalizes them. Ma is loving but fallible; Ashu is sensitive but shrouded in adolescent confusion; and Mira, though young, is the novel’s emotional compass: a girl growing into awareness, learning that love is as much about what is spoken as what is left unsaid.
Above all, Hot Water is a meditation on the fragility of constructed realities. Families, after all, are stories we tell ourselves, and sometimes, those stories begin to unravel.✨💕
June 9, 2025
This story felt like an Indian Thali served in Summer - highlighting all the wonderful flavors yet complimented with those ingredients which may not be everyone's favourite yet are still an integral part of the platter and one can certainly explore through its various courses - the bitter and the sweet, the mellow and the rebellious , the grief punctuated with its pockets of wisdom the journey and the destination all blended into a wholesome read ! Apart from looking at the dynamics of the traditional Indian families it also balances with the contemporary Indian outlook and explores the roots of the identity crises prevalent both individually and in a community and the plight of every generation which has to face this gruesome grilling endeavor to end up as an unrecognized version of themselves which in a way is a necessary coping mechanism.
The plot unfolds from the point of view of different members of a nuclear family and how each deals with their respective situation in life and with each other. The moments of beauty and fun during the summer season springs the familiar nostalgia of spending summer vacation with our extended families and the tender coming of age moments woven in this intriguing tapestry meanders into the permutations and combinations of societal acceptance thereby highlighting its aftermath on relations.
Furthermore - the shadows of the contemporary Indian society portray the various shades of Grey which bleed themselves into the very conscience and which tug deeply at the heartstrings for justice and revelation, but - the aftermath being diabolical and dangerous - burying the crumbling corners seem to be a better solution, in order to walk in the soothing light of acceptance in some ocassions. Brilliantly penned and thoroughly captivating- an addictive read!
The plot unfolds from the point of view of different members of a nuclear family and how each deals with their respective situation in life and with each other. The moments of beauty and fun during the summer season springs the familiar nostalgia of spending summer vacation with our extended families and the tender coming of age moments woven in this intriguing tapestry meanders into the permutations and combinations of societal acceptance thereby highlighting its aftermath on relations.
Furthermore - the shadows of the contemporary Indian society portray the various shades of Grey which bleed themselves into the very conscience and which tug deeply at the heartstrings for justice and revelation, but - the aftermath being diabolical and dangerous - burying the crumbling corners seem to be a better solution, in order to walk in the soothing light of acceptance in some ocassions. Brilliantly penned and thoroughly captivating- an addictive read!
May 15, 2025
📖
Hot Water is a story about an unconventional family of three - a mother, her daughter aged nine and fourteen years old son. Somewhat a dysfunctional family with each member having secrets of their own, they try to lead a "normal life" until one summer when like many other families, they decide to learn swimming and this seemingly minute decision leads to a series of events, exposing the secrets and their little world begins to gasp for air.
📝
The storyline was quite simple and predictable but effective and it grabbed my interest from the first page and managed to hold it till the last. It touched upon heavy topics such as the difficulties faced by a single mother, the confusion in the mind of teenagers stepping into the pre-adult age and the harsh realities of the society towards women, even innocent children. The story was backed by well developed characters who were far from perfect and evolved throughout the book.
Now what set the book apart for me was the narration which smoothly transits between the innocent yet curious eyes of a nine years old child and the perspective of an adolescent who is trying to find his place in the world (or in the family), while also gives flashbacks of the past through the experiences of their mother. Kudos to the debut author for presenting such heavy themes without making the reading experience poignant.
In my opinion, this book had all the ingredients to make it a worthwhile read. I would highly recommend it to the right audience, keeping the triggers in mind.
Hot Water is a story about an unconventional family of three - a mother, her daughter aged nine and fourteen years old son. Somewhat a dysfunctional family with each member having secrets of their own, they try to lead a "normal life" until one summer when like many other families, they decide to learn swimming and this seemingly minute decision leads to a series of events, exposing the secrets and their little world begins to gasp for air.
📝
The storyline was quite simple and predictable but effective and it grabbed my interest from the first page and managed to hold it till the last. It touched upon heavy topics such as the difficulties faced by a single mother, the confusion in the mind of teenagers stepping into the pre-adult age and the harsh realities of the society towards women, even innocent children. The story was backed by well developed characters who were far from perfect and evolved throughout the book.
Now what set the book apart for me was the narration which smoothly transits between the innocent yet curious eyes of a nine years old child and the perspective of an adolescent who is trying to find his place in the world (or in the family), while also gives flashbacks of the past through the experiences of their mother. Kudos to the debut author for presenting such heavy themes without making the reading experience poignant.
In my opinion, this book had all the ingredients to make it a worthwhile read. I would highly recommend it to the right audience, keeping the triggers in mind.
October 20, 2025
TW: depression, child abuse, rape.
First up...what a gorgeous cover this is! It looks beautiful on my bookshelf 😊
Of course it is so much beyond the cover. Bhavika Govil's Hot Water captured my heart right from the first sentence. The story is told entirely through children's point of view and that makes it raw, sensitive, and a little heavy right from the start.
Leela is a single mother who's trying to raise her kids as best as she can while battling her own devils. Mira, 9, and Ashu, 14, are trying their best to be "good kids" and please their mother. All three have dark secrets that are revealed one summer holiday putting their bond and their family at stake.
Leela, slightly self-absorbed, is clearly struggling with depression. Her constant need to find companionship is at times at the cost of her children's well-being. The children are constantly trying to gauge her moods and behave accordingly. Teenager Ashu, often his mother's punching bag, yearns for her attention and love, while struggling with his own problems. Mira on the other hand, looks for support from her mother and Ashu, her only friend.
This is a sensitive account of how children absorb what's happening around them like sponge and how it affects their personalities.
Govil's debut novel is breathtaking, extremely sensitive and tender hearted to say the least.
First up...what a gorgeous cover this is! It looks beautiful on my bookshelf 😊
Of course it is so much beyond the cover. Bhavika Govil's Hot Water captured my heart right from the first sentence. The story is told entirely through children's point of view and that makes it raw, sensitive, and a little heavy right from the start.
Leela is a single mother who's trying to raise her kids as best as she can while battling her own devils. Mira, 9, and Ashu, 14, are trying their best to be "good kids" and please their mother. All three have dark secrets that are revealed one summer holiday putting their bond and their family at stake.
Leela, slightly self-absorbed, is clearly struggling with depression. Her constant need to find companionship is at times at the cost of her children's well-being. The children are constantly trying to gauge her moods and behave accordingly. Teenager Ashu, often his mother's punching bag, yearns for her attention and love, while struggling with his own problems. Mira on the other hand, looks for support from her mother and Ashu, her only friend.
This is a sensitive account of how children absorb what's happening around them like sponge and how it affects their personalities.
Govil's debut novel is breathtaking, extremely sensitive and tender hearted to say the least.
May 22, 2025
Hot Water by Bhavika Govil is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. The story start with the voices of three deeply connected characters: Meera, Ashu, and their Ma. Each one offers a unique perspective that pulls you into their world.
Meera’s story is told in the first person, making her loneliness and emotional battles feel intimate and real. You can feel her isolation, her quiet yearning for connection, as she steer a world that often feels too big to understand. Ashu’s story, in the third person, captures his search for friendship and identity. His chapters reflect the struggle of growing up and figuring out who he is, full of moments of doubt and discovery.
The most captivating part of the book is Ma’s voice, told through her diary entries. These entries reveal a hidden past, one that Meera and Ashu are unaware of. grab the book and read to figure out if they learn "the truth and what is the truth?"
Hot Water so beautiful the way Bhavika intertwines these three voices. Each character’s journey of self-discovery and emotional growth is told with such care and depth. It’s a heartfelt exploration of family, identity, and the complexities of life—one that feels raw, real, and ultimately, redemptive. This is a story that will touch your heart and leave you reflecting long after you’ve finished reading.
Meera’s story is told in the first person, making her loneliness and emotional battles feel intimate and real. You can feel her isolation, her quiet yearning for connection, as she steer a world that often feels too big to understand. Ashu’s story, in the third person, captures his search for friendship and identity. His chapters reflect the struggle of growing up and figuring out who he is, full of moments of doubt and discovery.
The most captivating part of the book is Ma’s voice, told through her diary entries. These entries reveal a hidden past, one that Meera and Ashu are unaware of. grab the book and read to figure out if they learn "the truth and what is the truth?"
Hot Water so beautiful the way Bhavika intertwines these three voices. Each character’s journey of self-discovery and emotional growth is told with such care and depth. It’s a heartfelt exploration of family, identity, and the complexities of life—one that feels raw, real, and ultimately, redemptive. This is a story that will touch your heart and leave you reflecting long after you’ve finished reading.
June 23, 2025
'Hot Water' by Bhavika Govil left me shattered. I don't know what to feel. I wish I could hug Ashu! :)
I completed reading this book and oh my God, it's one of my favourites now. Hot Water is a book which will make you pause and reflect. The book made me teary eyed and question so many things.
Govil did an excellent job by portraying the story from the perspectives of Ma, Mira and Ashu. Narrating a story from the point of view of children must be a tough job. It felt perfect. Mira is a nine-year old kid with lots of questions and one big secret too. Ashu on the other hand is Mira's brother, who has more secrets and more struggles. Ma, being the eldest among them, has the most number of secrets. They play the role of a happy little family, bound by responsibilities and haunted by mistakes and secrets.
The book will definitely keep you hooked till the end. It has it all- heartwarming conversations, complications, suspense, feel good moments and also, moments to make you sob like a baby. Each character has their own uniqueness and which made me fall in love with this book. To be very honest, I wasn't expecting this ending at all. If you're someone who enjoys books about family, complications, decisions and secrets, I'd would definitely suggest you this one.
I completed reading this book and oh my God, it's one of my favourites now. Hot Water is a book which will make you pause and reflect. The book made me teary eyed and question so many things.
Govil did an excellent job by portraying the story from the perspectives of Ma, Mira and Ashu. Narrating a story from the point of view of children must be a tough job. It felt perfect. Mira is a nine-year old kid with lots of questions and one big secret too. Ashu on the other hand is Mira's brother, who has more secrets and more struggles. Ma, being the eldest among them, has the most number of secrets. They play the role of a happy little family, bound by responsibilities and haunted by mistakes and secrets.
The book will definitely keep you hooked till the end. It has it all- heartwarming conversations, complications, suspense, feel good moments and also, moments to make you sob like a baby. Each character has their own uniqueness and which made me fall in love with this book. To be very honest, I wasn't expecting this ending at all. If you're someone who enjoys books about family, complications, decisions and secrets, I'd would definitely suggest you this one.
May 11, 2025
Bhavika Govil stepped into the literature world with a refreshing perspective, honesty and warmth, Hot Water is a refreshing, brilliant approach I haven't read such books for a long time.
How often do we get a chance to see this world through kid's eyes? Hot water magnificently portrayed a dysfunctional family through the eyes of two kids. We didn't realise that kids can see more than us, kids can observe more than us, kids know people more than us through their unfiltered eyes.
Also we got a parallel narrative of their mother which has been equally important and has a deep and mystic psychological aspects. I loved how deeply it narrates human psychology with profound yet gripping style.
This book will create a deep gash in your heart when you finish it. Read it when you feel quiet because it has a voice that needs to be heard honestly.
How often do we get a chance to see this world through kid's eyes? Hot water magnificently portrayed a dysfunctional family through the eyes of two kids. We didn't realise that kids can see more than us, kids can observe more than us, kids know people more than us through their unfiltered eyes.
Also we got a parallel narrative of their mother which has been equally important and has a deep and mystic psychological aspects. I loved how deeply it narrates human psychology with profound yet gripping style.
This book will create a deep gash in your heart when you finish it. Read it when you feel quiet because it has a voice that needs to be heard honestly.
July 16, 2025
Hot Water by Bhavika Govil 🥭🌊☀️🛟
I absolutely loved every bit of this book. Hot Water is one of those books that stays with you for a very long time. It delicately captures the fractured dynamics of an Indian family - their joys, their tension and their quiet griefs. It's tender, introspective and achingly beautiful.
The novel follows three characters, a nine-year-old Mira, fourteen-year-old Ashu and their Ma. It has always been just the three of them, living a seemingly perfect life singing Simon & Garfunkel in a sun-yellow car, watching TV on the sofa and holidaying on a mango farm. But beneath all of this, lurks another story - they all have secrets that they are hiding from each other. Until one hot summer, their secrets are exposed threatening to ruin the world they've built together.
The book explores complex and sensitive themes like grief, childhood, identity, loss and love. The way Bhavika Govil handles sensitive and taboo topics with such delicacy and depth is truly remarkable. The writing is flowy almost poetic and grabs you in from the first page and stays with you long after you turn the last page. The narrative shifts through different perspectives with first person narration for Mira and Ma, and third person for Ashu. Reading this book made me want to pick up more books featuring children as narrators, viewing the world through a child's perspective, their innocence adding to the richness of the narrative.
I am not going to write anything more because this is the kind of book that you need to go into knowing nothing, a kind of book that must be savoured slowly and a kind of book that will leave a lasting impression on your heart. Trust me and pick this up. Definitely a 5 star read for me. ( Read The TW's )
I absolutely loved every bit of this book. Hot Water is one of those books that stays with you for a very long time. It delicately captures the fractured dynamics of an Indian family - their joys, their tension and their quiet griefs. It's tender, introspective and achingly beautiful.
The novel follows three characters, a nine-year-old Mira, fourteen-year-old Ashu and their Ma. It has always been just the three of them, living a seemingly perfect life singing Simon & Garfunkel in a sun-yellow car, watching TV on the sofa and holidaying on a mango farm. But beneath all of this, lurks another story - they all have secrets that they are hiding from each other. Until one hot summer, their secrets are exposed threatening to ruin the world they've built together.
The book explores complex and sensitive themes like grief, childhood, identity, loss and love. The way Bhavika Govil handles sensitive and taboo topics with such delicacy and depth is truly remarkable. The writing is flowy almost poetic and grabs you in from the first page and stays with you long after you turn the last page. The narrative shifts through different perspectives with first person narration for Mira and Ma, and third person for Ashu. Reading this book made me want to pick up more books featuring children as narrators, viewing the world through a child's perspective, their innocence adding to the richness of the narrative.
I am not going to write anything more because this is the kind of book that you need to go into knowing nothing, a kind of book that must be savoured slowly and a kind of book that will leave a lasting impression on your heart. Trust me and pick this up. Definitely a 5 star read for me. ( Read The TW's )
August 28, 2025
Bhavika Govil’s writing is such a delight—simple, unpretentious, and yet so skilled that you don’t even notice when it pulls you under. She doesn’t try to dazzle you with fancy words, and that’s exactly what makes the prose work—it feels completely natural.
When I started Hot Water, I thought I was in for a light, easy read, something breezy and chill. And it is that, at first. But then, almost out of nowhere, it shifts gears into something deeper—a soul-stirring exploration of human psychology, of how identities take shape in ways we don’t always notice. The subtlety of that shift is what makes Hot Water so powerful.
If I could change one thing, I’d have loved some foreshadowing to prepare me for the emotional weight waiting around the corner. But honestly, that’s a very small wish in what turned out to be a moving, unforgettable read.
When I started Hot Water, I thought I was in for a light, easy read, something breezy and chill. And it is that, at first. But then, almost out of nowhere, it shifts gears into something deeper—a soul-stirring exploration of human psychology, of how identities take shape in ways we don’t always notice. The subtlety of that shift is what makes Hot Water so powerful.
If I could change one thing, I’d have loved some foreshadowing to prepare me for the emotional weight waiting around the corner. But honestly, that’s a very small wish in what turned out to be a moving, unforgettable read.
August 13, 2025
This debut novel by the author has a bittersweet flavor. The plot revolves around three central characters, a mother and her two children. Set in an Indian household, the story explores the mother's struggles to hold everything together. Ashu, a teenager, navigates his complicated relationship with his mother and grapples with his identity. Meanwhile, eight-year-old Mira's curious and observant nature brings a unique perspective to the narrative, as she narrates most of the story. As secrets hidden in the family's closet begin to unravel, the plot thickens. Although the story starts at a slow pace, it remains engaging and thought-provoking.
P.S. The book has mentioned an instance of sexual abuse.
P.S. The book has mentioned an instance of sexual abuse.
October 23, 2025
This book may be short, but it goes straight for the heart. It’s the first novel I’ve read written from a child’s perspective, and I was completely absorbed. I found myself connecting with every character; their fears, their secrets, their quiet acts of courage.
It’s hard to believe this is Bhavika’s debut. Her writing is so nuanced; tender yet piercing, nostalgic yet raw. The way she captures the fragility of childhood and the weight of adulthood lingered long after I had turned the last page.
Hot Water is a beautiful meditation on growing up, family, and all the unspoken things that shape us. What an extraordinary debut; I can’t wait to see what she writes next. 🤍
It’s hard to believe this is Bhavika’s debut. Her writing is so nuanced; tender yet piercing, nostalgic yet raw. The way she captures the fragility of childhood and the weight of adulthood lingered long after I had turned the last page.
Hot Water is a beautiful meditation on growing up, family, and all the unspoken things that shape us. What an extraordinary debut; I can’t wait to see what she writes next. 🤍
April 11, 2025
I loved this novel. The writing is beautiful and the characters are both complex and lovable— Mira, Ma, and Ashu each have such distinct and memorable voices. One of the highlights of reading this book is experiencing each of their stories weaving together. Also, thinking about the ending still makes me cry! It’s a perfect and devastating ending.
This book is the perfect balance of funny and sad, light and dark, romantic and realistic. Highly recommend!!
This book is the perfect balance of funny and sad, light and dark, romantic and realistic. Highly recommend!!
October 5, 2025
It is a book that is both easy to read and immensely interesting. The writing style is unique and not the average Bildungsroman.
Themes are profound yet presented with a gentle and natural approach. A must-read!
Bhavika Govil Bhavika Govil, is an author to be reckoned with. Had the pleasure of interacting with her online. Articulate, clear, and wonderfully creative!
Themes are profound yet presented with a gentle and natural approach. A must-read!
Bhavika Govil Bhavika Govil, is an author to be reckoned with. Had the pleasure of interacting with her online. Articulate, clear, and wonderfully creative!
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