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Motherland
Over the course of a single transformative summer, an American teenager travels to southern India to visit her relatives and gains new insight into her past, her family and her heritage.
Born in Kerala, Maya spent the first four years of her life there, cared for mainly by her grandmother, Ammamma, until she was sent to live with her parents in New York. At 15, with her parents' marriage undergoing a rough patch, she is sent back to India to stay with her Aunt Reema and Uncle Sanjay, their 10-year-old daughter, Brindha, and Ammamma at their house in the tea hills above Coimbatore. It's been years since Maya came to visit, and this time she is keenly aware of cultural the different spheres of men and women and the persistence of the caste system. She feels stifled by the attentions of Ammamma and resentful of the time she must spend with the old woman. When Maya suffers an accident while most of the family is away, she and Ammamma grow closer, and Maya learns a hidden family fact. But only when Ammamma falls ill and the entire family gathers, including Maya's parents from New York, does Maya begin to comprehend more deeply the complexities of relationships.
Born in Kerala, Maya spent the first four years of her life there, cared for mainly by her grandmother, Ammamma, until she was sent to live with her parents in New York. At 15, with her parents' marriage undergoing a rough patch, she is sent back to India to stay with her Aunt Reema and Uncle Sanjay, their 10-year-old daughter, Brindha, and Ammamma at their house in the tea hills above Coimbatore. It's been years since Maya came to visit, and this time she is keenly aware of cultural the different spheres of men and women and the persistence of the caste system. She feels stifled by the attentions of Ammamma and resentful of the time she must spend with the old woman. When Maya suffers an accident while most of the family is away, she and Ammamma grow closer, and Maya learns a hidden family fact. But only when Ammamma falls ill and the entire family gathers, including Maya's parents from New York, does Maya begin to comprehend more deeply the complexities of relationships.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 26, 2014
I read this book straight through and cried at the end. What more can I say? Well written, interesting characters who seem true to life for the place and time. Like many books set in India, it does incorporate a bit of politics, but the focus is on family, on the meaning of motherhood and home. I will certainly be looking for other books by this author.
August 11, 2021
The book cover makes it look like a book for grown ups- which it is. However the protagonist is only 15. It is not like your usual YA. It touches on serious topics such as caste, class, politics and gender, although briefly. I thought this aspect was really well done. It talks about those topics enough to make the reader think about them without making the book all about them.
Overall, a well written book. The author seems to be a very observant person which is reflected in the book.
Overall, a well written book. The author seems to be a very observant person which is reflected in the book.
December 3, 2021
i now understand why people love coming of age stories like those by sally rooney… similar to the book of hers that ive read, not a huge amount happened in this and none of the characters were overly likeable however i still adored it. written beautifully, incorporating nuanced culture and family relations & made me teary at the end. need to go call my grandmothers ~ 9/10
March 31, 2021
A heartwarming coming of age story. Loved every minute of it.
April 13, 2010
I read this book b/c it was the local (Skokie) library's "community read" book. I found learning more about Indian culture and those components interesting. However, I didn't find the storyline to be particularly compelling - I never felt like there was a strong enough plot to make me anxious to get back to reading. It seemed like it was more aimed at young-adults and sometimes felt like it was obviously trying to teach me something. I like learning new things (which I did) but it just felt a little forced at times.
January 8, 2008
A good friend of mine grew up with Vineeta (the author) so I went with her to a reading/book signing for this book. I bought the book without really knowing what to expect. As a young author Vineeta did a nice job portraying the book through a teenager's eyes. The heartaches and joys of trying to mix two cultures and different generations together was done well.
June 12, 2011
One of my favorites. I do think its one of those books where you have to be able to connect with the story and the situation to really understand the book, however, because otherwise, the story can seem a bit dry.
September 29, 2025
High school student here. Goodness gracious, this book is BORING! My ELA teacher had us read this and another book for our first semester, and that wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for this awful book.
First of all, Maya is NOT a relatable or a funny protagonist. Hell, there's no humor at all! And, if there is, then it's extremely dry and uninteresting. She is only the protagonist for the sake of being the protagonist, and supposedly because she's the teenager that us teens have to relate to. But, nope! She's a master at complaining. And complaining some more. It puts me to sleep how much she complains about her new life in India. If she wanted to convey the message that she's struggling to adapt to her old culture back in India compared to her old one in America, then she could have actually shown moments of vulnerability, actually try to talking to her family members, or even look and get into some traditions. But nope! She instead passes out from getting soap in her head and because she wasn't used to the climate. Weak.
Oh, and the humor. Not once did I chuckle or giggle, or even smile a little reading this. Just a straight face. If the "-_-" was in real life, then I would be it. Because this book is, good lord, DRYYY. Where are the jokes that are sometimes cracked in tough situations? There are symbols, sure, like the garden or the labyrinth. But that's it. That's only philosophy, and when you're reading a book, you want to be entertained by it, similarly to like a video game. The main difference? Video games can actually provide that, and a good book can actually get you hooked INTO the series, not AWAY from it. So, for the love of God, explain to me how this book is so dry, the humor has just evaporated into NOTHING. The most friendly interaction in this book was maybe with Maya and her stupid cousin that I forgot the name of, and that's because they're the same gender, and naturally, because they're related, they tolerate each other a little more. Please tell me when Maya actually laughed or had fun.
"Wait! She had fun swimming in the waterfall and got leeches with the servant!" Okay. Cool. That's maybe ONE example out of the entire book that was MILDLY entertaining.
My last issue with this book. The filler. All of the important things about the book, like quotes, necessary information, or even themes are all hidden under the boring things that Maya is apparently doing. She goes to a party. She complains. She goes out for a jog. She complains. She goes to India for the first time. She COMPLAINS. You see that pattern? That's not funny or even likeable! Goodness, it's okay to have filler to hype up certain things, but my God, this book overdoes it.
Unless you're doing this book for a school project, DON'T read this. Take it from a high schooler!
First of all, Maya is NOT a relatable or a funny protagonist. Hell, there's no humor at all! And, if there is, then it's extremely dry and uninteresting. She is only the protagonist for the sake of being the protagonist, and supposedly because she's the teenager that us teens have to relate to. But, nope! She's a master at complaining. And complaining some more. It puts me to sleep how much she complains about her new life in India. If she wanted to convey the message that she's struggling to adapt to her old culture back in India compared to her old one in America, then she could have actually shown moments of vulnerability, actually try to talking to her family members, or even look and get into some traditions. But nope! She instead passes out from getting soap in her head and because she wasn't used to the climate. Weak.
Oh, and the humor. Not once did I chuckle or giggle, or even smile a little reading this. Just a straight face. If the "-_-" was in real life, then I would be it. Because this book is, good lord, DRYYY. Where are the jokes that are sometimes cracked in tough situations? There are symbols, sure, like the garden or the labyrinth. But that's it. That's only philosophy, and when you're reading a book, you want to be entertained by it, similarly to like a video game. The main difference? Video games can actually provide that, and a good book can actually get you hooked INTO the series, not AWAY from it. So, for the love of God, explain to me how this book is so dry, the humor has just evaporated into NOTHING. The most friendly interaction in this book was maybe with Maya and her stupid cousin that I forgot the name of, and that's because they're the same gender, and naturally, because they're related, they tolerate each other a little more. Please tell me when Maya actually laughed or had fun.
"Wait! She had fun swimming in the waterfall and got leeches with the servant!" Okay. Cool. That's maybe ONE example out of the entire book that was MILDLY entertaining.
My last issue with this book. The filler. All of the important things about the book, like quotes, necessary information, or even themes are all hidden under the boring things that Maya is apparently doing. She goes to a party. She complains. She goes out for a jog. She complains. She goes to India for the first time. She COMPLAINS. You see that pattern? That's not funny or even likeable! Goodness, it's okay to have filler to hype up certain things, but my God, this book overdoes it.
Unless you're doing this book for a school project, DON'T read this. Take it from a high schooler!
December 22, 2017
hangin' with the homies in South India
For non-Indians, MOTHERLAND might be an interesting window into a certain kind of South Indian life--a very elite life, however, where people speak English, belong to clubs, maintain gardens, drive cars, obsess over clothing, and have parties. Their children attend elite private schools presided over by old English women. It should have been marketed as a "young adult" novel, in which case I would have skipped such a wooden novel entirely. The author questions very little, taking the voice of an Indian-American teenager returning to live with relatives for the summer, dealing with family problems, learning more about her own identity. This sort of theme is ideal for teenagers, but Goodreads folk will have to admit that a large number of novels already exist in the field, even if they don't focus on South Indian tea plantations. She spins a mundane coming of age story into which she inserts a political problem---a hunt for Tamil Tiger suspects connected to the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi---but deals with it neither realistically or excitingly. Somebody should have advised her to drop it. Her comments about British/ American/ Indian relationships struck me as puerile. The author is better at describing the little twists and turns of Indian home life. Even so, a ten year old girl talks too much like an adult, and just as in a high school history book, the author "sums up" in the last two pages.
In short, this novel reminded me a lot of Banana Yoshimoto, who wrote several novels in the kind of genre that might be called "chick-lit for teenagers". But Yoshimoto was at least more thoughtful and original. MOTHERLAND is too didactic, constantly explaining to the reader the differences between America and India. There is a large number of very talented Indian writers in India and abroad, writing in English; on the basis of this book I would say that the author is, alas, not one of them.
For non-Indians, MOTHERLAND might be an interesting window into a certain kind of South Indian life--a very elite life, however, where people speak English, belong to clubs, maintain gardens, drive cars, obsess over clothing, and have parties. Their children attend elite private schools presided over by old English women. It should have been marketed as a "young adult" novel, in which case I would have skipped such a wooden novel entirely. The author questions very little, taking the voice of an Indian-American teenager returning to live with relatives for the summer, dealing with family problems, learning more about her own identity. This sort of theme is ideal for teenagers, but Goodreads folk will have to admit that a large number of novels already exist in the field, even if they don't focus on South Indian tea plantations. She spins a mundane coming of age story into which she inserts a political problem---a hunt for Tamil Tiger suspects connected to the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi---but deals with it neither realistically or excitingly. Somebody should have advised her to drop it. Her comments about British/ American/ Indian relationships struck me as puerile. The author is better at describing the little twists and turns of Indian home life. Even so, a ten year old girl talks too much like an adult, and just as in a high school history book, the author "sums up" in the last two pages.
In short, this novel reminded me a lot of Banana Yoshimoto, who wrote several novels in the kind of genre that might be called "chick-lit for teenagers". But Yoshimoto was at least more thoughtful and original. MOTHERLAND is too didactic, constantly explaining to the reader the differences between America and India. There is a large number of very talented Indian writers in India and abroad, writing in English; on the basis of this book I would say that the author is, alas, not one of them.
July 10, 2025
The author did a great job of introducing the reader to another culture and I felt very immersed in that. I enjoyed the descriptive language and felt like I was there in the room with Maya.
However, I did feel there wasn't really a proper plot to this book, and I had expected more based on the synopsis. There was definitely a missed opportunity to take some of the ideas and expand them into more of a plot.
However, I did feel there wasn't really a proper plot to this book, and I had expected more based on the synopsis. There was definitely a missed opportunity to take some of the ideas and expand them into more of a plot.
June 26, 2017
A good book for the younger audience, about cultural conflict, family conflict, and growing up. Perhaps a little more depth would be good for older readers, but it still packs an emotional punch despite being somewhat predictable.
October 22, 2020
3.5 stars
July 29, 2018
I enjoyed learning about the cultural differences between teenage girls in India and in america. I was surprised that the main character's parents sent her back to India for a minor teenage offense, as they should have known what awaited her there.
June 4, 2008
This book brings the story of the protagonist Maya who has not only one identity but a divided one. In America Maya cherish her American identity, hanging out with her friends, and wanting to spend the summer in New York. When she was forced to go to India for the summer by her parents she relearned her Indian part of her living with her family. It was hard for Maya to get accustomed to two seperate worlds (American and India) and also accepting that she is Indian-American when others view her differently, such as her families and relatives. Maya coming back home to India, otherwise known as Motherland, is her chance to seek and resolve her past and meet the goal of her future.
Many people who had read this book would experience the identities of Maya and how she overcome her obstacles to meet her goal. I would recommend this book to anyone and especially to Indian-Americans who face a similar situation like Maya. I can connect this book to the growing population of immigrants of different backgrounds and race in America and how that is changing American society to become a more diverse nation.
Many people who had read this book would experience the identities of Maya and how she overcome her obstacles to meet her goal. I would recommend this book to anyone and especially to Indian-Americans who face a similar situation like Maya. I can connect this book to the growing population of immigrants of different backgrounds and race in America and how that is changing American society to become a more diverse nation.
February 20, 2015
Motherland was a real treat. For some reason, I started getting interested in fiction that depicts Inida, and this is the first one I have read. It's a coming-of-age novel, a pilgrimmage novel, and a novel which definitely adds some diversity and ethnic voices to any collection.
It's about 15-year-old Maya, an Indian girl growing up in America. She spent the first few years of her life being raised by her maternal grandmother in India, and even now, years later, she feels conflicting loyalties and cultural influences. She is sent back to India for the summer, and this is the story of what happens...it offers a lot of interesting information on Indian culture, society, and quality of life, and for me, brought into question what I consider to be "Third World." I loved all the details about dress and culture, and appreciated the guilt and ambivalence Maya felt about her aging, ailing grandmother, and the conflicts not just between two cultures, but different generations as well. A very versatile read--good for teens and adults.
It's about 15-year-old Maya, an Indian girl growing up in America. She spent the first few years of her life being raised by her maternal grandmother in India, and even now, years later, she feels conflicting loyalties and cultural influences. She is sent back to India for the summer, and this is the story of what happens...it offers a lot of interesting information on Indian culture, society, and quality of life, and for me, brought into question what I consider to be "Third World." I loved all the details about dress and culture, and appreciated the guilt and ambivalence Maya felt about her aging, ailing grandmother, and the conflicts not just between two cultures, but different generations as well. A very versatile read--good for teens and adults.
June 5, 2011
Motherland by Vineeta Vijayaraghavan is a novel that differs from most other books. Maya, the protagonist, is sent off to India for the summer. This is because her she got into trouble back home in New York, therefore her mother thought it would be best for her. Although, Maya believes that her mother does not love her and since she sent her off to India when she was younger, for an entire four years, she has held a grudge towards her. This has caused her to literally bottle up her emotions and be very cautious of her actions around her very old-fashioned, and traditional family. She tries really hard to adjust to their life after becoming so Americanized and this is basically the conflict that she faces throughout the story. Maya continuously being timid and hesitant to say what she really feels is redundant throughout the story and her character is not developed well enough, in my opinion. I believe that what would have made this story better is if her character was more complex and faced more difficult struggles. This definitely made the book very monotonous and boring.
February 19, 2011
Exceptionally lovely story about a 15 year old girl whose Indian immigrant parents send her from the U.S. back to India to spend the summer with her grandmother, aunt and uncle. Filled with grace and tenderness. Very wonderful. I'll highly recommend this to others.
She finds out some truths of the past and must find her way to the future.
Stunning quotes:
"Ammamma", I said, beginning uncertainly, afraid to hear her answer, "Is it true in the Sita story that no one accepts her even though her bad reputation isn't her fault?"
My grandmother nodded slowly. "Yes, in that story even her husband Rama, an incarnation of our beloved God, he is blinded by the gossip and the rumors. But Mother Earth, she is the mother to all creatures, and she gives Sita refuge. That's what mothers do, Maya. They accept, even when no one else does."
Upon her death: "Everyone there would probably never forget my grandmother, but we were the ones who would never forget losing her."
She finds out some truths of the past and must find her way to the future.
Stunning quotes:
"Ammamma", I said, beginning uncertainly, afraid to hear her answer, "Is it true in the Sita story that no one accepts her even though her bad reputation isn't her fault?"
My grandmother nodded slowly. "Yes, in that story even her husband Rama, an incarnation of our beloved God, he is blinded by the gossip and the rumors. But Mother Earth, she is the mother to all creatures, and she gives Sita refuge. That's what mothers do, Maya. They accept, even when no one else does."
Upon her death: "Everyone there would probably never forget my grandmother, but we were the ones who would never forget losing her."
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July 25, 20112003- Maya returns to India, her homeland, after her parents find an excuse to send her there for the summer. It's been three years since 15 year old Maya has been to India, the land where she lived as a child for several years with her grandmother. The book is descriptive, and makes you feel like you are transported there. Details are explained when the reader encounters something that may be hard for a non-Indian to understand. There are two main storylines, one dealing with the government that I didn't really care for, and one dealing with the larger story of Maya's connecting to her Indian self. The book got slightly more boring as it went on.
February 23, 2010
really enjoyed this novel of family and culture. A fairly light read, but with some very thought provoking messages, about family, and the ties which connect people to their families, traditions and homeland. During the summer that 15 year old Maya spends with her extended family in a tea growing mountainous region of India, she comes to learn a lot about her family, and examine what things are important to her. Set against a backdrop of the recent assassination of Rajiv Ghandi and talk of terroism, this is an engaging and charming novel.
June 5, 2011
I like this book, and this is the first English book that makes me cry. The section that makes me cry is the time that Maya notices she supposes to have a twin sister in chapter "The Lying-In". I cried when I read up to the sentence that Ammamma says, "Don't blame your mother for that. Blame me" (Vijayaraghavan 162). I think that most people will feel so touching for that point because in usual, when someone hear or notice what an old person is saying or doing, they always sympathize him/her, because the old person is always doing something for their offsprings.
September 8, 2011
This was a wonderful book. It is the story of Maya, an American-Indian girl who is sent to family in India for the summer to get her away from the boyfriend her mother thinks is a bad influence. Maya's relationships with the relatives in India, her finding her Indian identity, and the descriptions of the places, events, and small customs that make up the day in Indian life are beautifully and touchingly written.
June 4, 2014
This book is a really good introduction to Indian culture as it applies to a 15yo girl who was raised both there and in the United States. She has conflict with her mother and with Indian culture; it was published in 2001, so the impact of phones is touched on but not the internet. I would recommend this book for young adults and for adults. It has a lot of love expressed, and talks about how the characters come to recognize love for what it is.
January 15, 2008
I appreciated the insights into Indian culture in this coming-of-age story of a teen-aged girl who returns to India to spend the summer with family. The descriptions are beautiful and Maya, the protagonist, is immensely likable. However I felt a political subplot (about Tamil Tigers) felt forced and it detracted from the lyrical story.
March 30, 2008
This book is amazing. It's about a girl named Maya who is shipped off to India. While there she deals with trying to find out where her home really is and who she really is. The story of her childhood unravels and it took me completly be suprise. I was completly wrong on my assumptions. This book is so much more than just a good read.
December 12, 2010
i like this book so far. realy not into it, but i like the black tiger commando part. This non fiction book takes place in indea, the charactors and plot are ficional, but the issus like terrerisom, are real. the story is about a girl who gos 2 indea 2 her grand mothers home and gets stoped buy the government commando.
June 28, 2015
I enjoyed the narrator Maya and her 15-year-old voice. I also really liked the intimate depictions of the characters' small daily rituals. And the novel made me cry, for all the predictability of its story lines. My favorite element was the delicate look at the issue of reputation for girls balancing between two cultures.
March 28, 2007
A lovely coming of age story about a young Indian woman who returns to her 'motherland' of South Indian. While retracing the steps of her past she develops an understanding of balancing her Indian culture and her now, American lifestyle.
July 5, 2008
Editing wise, there were specks of typos and repetitive sentence structures, and hints of rough corners. The story itself is brilliant - heartfelt and inspired work with complex characters and gentle focus.
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September 3, 2008A female coming of age story that takes place in India. A delightful main character struggles with her parents' decision to move her back to India (from the US) to prepare her for a marriage that she doesn't want.
January 26, 2009
Loved the book! It made me want to fly home and hug my mother. It made me hungry for good Indian food. It made me think of my Indian friends with new understanding (I hope). I'd like to read more by Vineeta Vijaraghaven.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews