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Mother Land
From the critically acclaimed author of America for Beginners, a wonderfully insightful, witty, and heart-piercing novel, set in Mumbai, about an impulsive American woman, her headstrong Indian mother-in-law, and the unexpected twists and turns of life that bond them.
When Rachel Meyer, a thirtysomething foodie from New York, agrees to move to Mumbai with her Indian-born husband, Dhruv, she knows some culture shock is inevitable. Blessed with a curious mind and an independent spirit, Rachel is determined to learn her way around the hot, noisy, seemingly infinite metropolis she now calls home.
But the ex-pat American’s sense of adventure is sorely tested when her mother-in-law, Swati, suddenly arrives from Kolkata—a thousand miles away—alone, with an even more shocking she’s left her husband of more than forty years and moving in with them. Nothing the newlyweds say can budge the steadfast Swati, and as the days pass, it becomes clear she is here to stay—an uneasy situation that becomes more difficult when Dhruv is called away on business.
Suddenly these two strong-willed women from such very different backgrounds, who see life so differently, are alone together in a home that each is determined to run in her own way—a situation that ultimately brings into question the very things in their lives that had seemed perfect and permanent . . . with results neither of them expect.
Heartfelt, charming, deeply insightful and wise, Mother Land introduces us to two very different women from very different cultures . . . who maybe aren’t so different after all.
When Rachel Meyer, a thirtysomething foodie from New York, agrees to move to Mumbai with her Indian-born husband, Dhruv, she knows some culture shock is inevitable. Blessed with a curious mind and an independent spirit, Rachel is determined to learn her way around the hot, noisy, seemingly infinite metropolis she now calls home.
But the ex-pat American’s sense of adventure is sorely tested when her mother-in-law, Swati, suddenly arrives from Kolkata—a thousand miles away—alone, with an even more shocking she’s left her husband of more than forty years and moving in with them. Nothing the newlyweds say can budge the steadfast Swati, and as the days pass, it becomes clear she is here to stay—an uneasy situation that becomes more difficult when Dhruv is called away on business.
Suddenly these two strong-willed women from such very different backgrounds, who see life so differently, are alone together in a home that each is determined to run in her own way—a situation that ultimately brings into question the very things in their lives that had seemed perfect and permanent . . . with results neither of them expect.
Heartfelt, charming, deeply insightful and wise, Mother Land introduces us to two very different women from very different cultures . . . who maybe aren’t so different after all.
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First published July 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
January 20, 2021
Note: I received a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you @goodreads @leahfranqui and @harpercollins #goodreadsgiveaway
This book took me an embarrassingly long time to finish. 😬 It’s not that it’s a bad book, it’s okay. I just didn’t feel that pull or need to find out how it ended. Instead, opting to read more adventurous things. Anyway, it’s a story about an American girl, marrying an Indian man and moving to Mumbai. Soon after, her mother in law comes to live with them and takes over her home. The descriptions of the culture, food, atmosphere were all lovely. 😊 The book is just very slow paced.
This book took me an embarrassingly long time to finish. 😬 It’s not that it’s a bad book, it’s okay. I just didn’t feel that pull or need to find out how it ended. Instead, opting to read more adventurous things. Anyway, it’s a story about an American girl, marrying an Indian man and moving to Mumbai. Soon after, her mother in law comes to live with them and takes over her home. The descriptions of the culture, food, atmosphere were all lovely. 😊 The book is just very slow paced.
October 23, 2020
#𝙊𝙬𝙣𝙑𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
Rude, insensitive, racist!
1 star only for the cover.
Please check the blurb above before continuing this review.
Apart from the narration being repetitive, characters overly descriptive (which somehow still lacked depth) and slow-moving story, 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥 is hurtful towards Indian culture and Mumbai city.
The author was stuck between embracing the new country and repeatedly, applauding the British Raj. We belong to different countries, religion, upbringing and I agree that an outside person would need time to adapt to a new place but few things mentioned were disturbing to read as an Indian and someone who’s been living in Mumbai for the past 9 years.
Throughout the book, Rachel (protagonist) was portrayed as “an independent and loving spirit with a curious mind.”
Yes, she was ready for her new adventure, she loved exploring the city, she loved posting pictures on Instagram but why did she “romanticize” the days of India’s slavery? Attaching the quote below -
”𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘢𝘫, 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦”
Let me also clear that “𝙎𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚” DOES NOT DEFINE INDIA WHICH IS MADE BY A BRITISH DIRECTOR.
Another incident where Rachel attends an expat get together. They too have Indian husbands and ‘happily’ live here and speak ill about the city/country/culture. One of them says the below statement and Rachel just sits and listens, no response, only "her face had drained of blood."
”𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰? 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵; 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵.”
Is the author, publisher, editor and everyone else associated with this disgraceful book unaware that India was RIPPED APART during the British Raj?
Whatever 1% of the book I actually liked was overweighed by awful comments.
I have seen only one other review by an Indian reader here and she too has pointed the same issue.
Conclusion: I would NOT RECOMMEND IT because this is NOT MY COUNTRY!
Rude, insensitive, racist!
1 star only for the cover.
Please check the blurb above before continuing this review.
Apart from the narration being repetitive, characters overly descriptive (which somehow still lacked depth) and slow-moving story, 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥 is hurtful towards Indian culture and Mumbai city.
The author was stuck between embracing the new country and repeatedly, applauding the British Raj. We belong to different countries, religion, upbringing and I agree that an outside person would need time to adapt to a new place but few things mentioned were disturbing to read as an Indian and someone who’s been living in Mumbai for the past 9 years.
Throughout the book, Rachel (protagonist) was portrayed as “an independent and loving spirit with a curious mind.”
Yes, she was ready for her new adventure, she loved exploring the city, she loved posting pictures on Instagram but why did she “romanticize” the days of India’s slavery? Attaching the quote below -
”𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘢𝘫, 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦”
Let me also clear that “𝙎𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚” DOES NOT DEFINE INDIA WHICH IS MADE BY A BRITISH DIRECTOR.
Another incident where Rachel attends an expat get together. They too have Indian husbands and ‘happily’ live here and speak ill about the city/country/culture. One of them says the below statement and Rachel just sits and listens, no response, only "her face had drained of blood."
”𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰? 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵; 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵.”
Is the author, publisher, editor and everyone else associated with this disgraceful book unaware that India was RIPPED APART during the British Raj?
Whatever 1% of the book I actually liked was overweighed by awful comments.
I have seen only one other review by an Indian reader here and she too has pointed the same issue.
Conclusion: I would NOT RECOMMEND IT because this is NOT MY COUNTRY!
June 14, 2020
Won via goodreads giveaways, all my opinions are my own:)
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Nice story but I felt "meh" towards it in the last 1/3 and was more interested in Swati's story than seeing what happened with Rachel.
Loved Swati after we get to know her more but Rachel I went back and forth on. Rachel had interesting periods but aside from a few parts, I struggled to care about her.
The writing is done well but it was just a mostly miss for me :(
----
Nice story but I felt "meh" towards it in the last 1/3 and was more interested in Swati's story than seeing what happened with Rachel.
Loved Swati after we get to know her more but Rachel I went back and forth on. Rachel had interesting periods but aside from a few parts, I struggled to care about her.
The writing is done well but it was just a mostly miss for me :(
February 24, 2020
I was enchanted with this book. I never put it down and I was totally involved with the story of Rachel and Swati. There was nothing predictable or trite about this. It is very well written and I learned so much.
The unusual story of a young Jewish woman moving to India with her husband is turned on its’ head when his mother moves in, unexpectedly and permanently. Their culture clash is inevitable, but Franqui has made both women so complex and sympathetic that the reader cannot make easy decisions about their future and relationship.
I think that book groups will have many wonderful discussions. Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite 2020 novels. This is so different from typical beach reads, but I think taking on vacation will make everyday more enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enrich my recent vacation with this delightful novel.
The unusual story of a young Jewish woman moving to India with her husband is turned on its’ head when his mother moves in, unexpectedly and permanently. Their culture clash is inevitable, but Franqui has made both women so complex and sympathetic that the reader cannot make easy decisions about their future and relationship.
I think that book groups will have many wonderful discussions. Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite 2020 novels. This is so different from typical beach reads, but I think taking on vacation will make everyday more enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enrich my recent vacation with this delightful novel.
December 26, 2021
Rating 3.75
November 28, 2019
(free review copy) deeper than I expected and very introspective and feminist.
February 21, 2022
This is such an underrated novel. I keep searching for that smart Indian novel - one that doesn’t endlessly talk about quaint villages, steepling poverty, and happy slums. And this is one such novel. And funnily enough, it’s not even written by an Indian.
Leah Franqui had me in awe for much of the book - her rendering of India, especially Mumbai, was so nuanced and perceptive. Her voice is unique: we get to see India through the eyes of Rachel, a Jewish American, married to Dhruv, and her mother-in-law, Swati.
It’s a tough act to pull off, but Franqui pulls it off. I loved the way the relationship developed between Rachel and Swati. And that’s what is the heart of the book.
It gets messy toward the end with an entirely avoidable interlude. I am all for women loudly proclaiming their sexuality. Still, it was a bit incongruous to think that a closeted woman like Swati would suddenly lust madly for her best friend’s son - she just touching 60 and the son being in his early 30s, I assume. Not that a woman shouldn’t lust after anyone at any age, but given the way this character developed, it was too much a flight of imagination. It led to the novel meandering a bit, and that’s a pity because there’s so much to delight in otherwise.
Leah Franqui had me in awe for much of the book - her rendering of India, especially Mumbai, was so nuanced and perceptive. Her voice is unique: we get to see India through the eyes of Rachel, a Jewish American, married to Dhruv, and her mother-in-law, Swati.
It’s a tough act to pull off, but Franqui pulls it off. I loved the way the relationship developed between Rachel and Swati. And that’s what is the heart of the book.
It gets messy toward the end with an entirely avoidable interlude. I am all for women loudly proclaiming their sexuality. Still, it was a bit incongruous to think that a closeted woman like Swati would suddenly lust madly for her best friend’s son - she just touching 60 and the son being in his early 30s, I assume. Not that a woman shouldn’t lust after anyone at any age, but given the way this character developed, it was too much a flight of imagination. It led to the novel meandering a bit, and that’s a pity because there’s so much to delight in otherwise.
June 27, 2020
Motherland, Leah Franqui's second novel, had a very interesting premise. It was right in my wheelhouse. I was hoping to love it. I liked it but didn't love it.
Franqui's Mumbai was beautifully descriptive. I really was able to get a feel for the variety of life in that city. Unfortunately, I never really connected with either of the main protagonists. Additionally, I found the novel very repetitious which became tedious.
On the plus side, it was still a quick read. Also, there were many deeper themes that a book club could discuss - cultures clashing, family clashing, marriage clashing.
I want to thank William Morrow for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
Franqui's Mumbai was beautifully descriptive. I really was able to get a feel for the variety of life in that city. Unfortunately, I never really connected with either of the main protagonists. Additionally, I found the novel very repetitious which became tedious.
On the plus side, it was still a quick read. Also, there were many deeper themes that a book club could discuss - cultures clashing, family clashing, marriage clashing.
I want to thank William Morrow for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
May 1, 2020
One of the many things I wish I could change about myself is my inability to stop reading a book I don't like. I did not like this book. It went on for almost 400 pages and it kept repeating the same themes over and over and over. I just wanted to know how it would turn out and it was exactly like I would have predicted. I wasted a week of my reading time on this. BOOOOOOOO!
ps. It gets an extra star for being set in Mumbai, because I normally love all books set there.
ps. It gets an extra star for being set in Mumbai, because I normally love all books set there.
July 14, 2020
Cross cultural and cross generational growing in unexpected ways.
So you uproot yourself from family and friends and follow your love to his home country. We're not talking about an American in Paris here, rather an American in Mumbai. Culture shock? Yes, especially when your mother-in-law lands on your doorstep, and not just for a two week visit. You see, having left her husband, it appears Swati is determined to educate Rachel on how to be a proper Indian wife. Irony anyone?
When Rachel ends up with a cleaner coming more frequently and a cook she definitely doesn't want things start to fall apart, and yet mysteriously they also come together, just not in the way either Rachel or Swati expected. For Rachel cooking is important, for Swati one has servants for that.
Rachel Meyer saw coming to Mumbai as an opportunity to have a more ordered life, to experience a new beginning. She finds something different. Her new understandings in many ways are due to her mother-in-law.
Swati has done something so unusual that it leaves everyone in shock. She has left her husband. Rachael is mostly out of sorts at Swati's sudden intrusion into the life she thinks she's building.
Rachel had been convinced that, 'Dhruv would make her happy, he would make her life something stable, something solid.' In India that strength became tradition and expectation and Rachael's life was not going forward. Dhurv becomes a different person once back on home soil. This realization is subtly creeps up on Rachel.
Swati has been exceedingly brave to go against her generation's customs. It takes some time for Rachael to realize this. As things develop the antipathy between them lessens, although not without major road blocks. Cooking plays a part.
As Swati's later reflects, "They had seen each other." I love that line. 'I see you' is a powerful statement.
In the end the multi faceted aspects of relationships, knowing oneself, personal development, courage and regret all mingle to make a fascinating read.
I cheered, I was saddened, occasionally embarrassed if not shocked especially around Rachel's thoughts and observations about the expat society and their overt racism generally. Talk about tiffin and tea, or maybe it's the gin and tonic hangovers of the previous century! I loved it when Rachel begins to view India through the prism of her acquaintance Richard whose embraced India. This too is a growing moment for her.
A wonderful read!
A HarperCollins ARC via NetGalley
So you uproot yourself from family and friends and follow your love to his home country. We're not talking about an American in Paris here, rather an American in Mumbai. Culture shock? Yes, especially when your mother-in-law lands on your doorstep, and not just for a two week visit. You see, having left her husband, it appears Swati is determined to educate Rachel on how to be a proper Indian wife. Irony anyone?
When Rachel ends up with a cleaner coming more frequently and a cook she definitely doesn't want things start to fall apart, and yet mysteriously they also come together, just not in the way either Rachel or Swati expected. For Rachel cooking is important, for Swati one has servants for that.
Rachel Meyer saw coming to Mumbai as an opportunity to have a more ordered life, to experience a new beginning. She finds something different. Her new understandings in many ways are due to her mother-in-law.
Swati has done something so unusual that it leaves everyone in shock. She has left her husband. Rachael is mostly out of sorts at Swati's sudden intrusion into the life she thinks she's building.
Rachel had been convinced that, 'Dhruv would make her happy, he would make her life something stable, something solid.' In India that strength became tradition and expectation and Rachael's life was not going forward. Dhurv becomes a different person once back on home soil. This realization is subtly creeps up on Rachel.
Swati has been exceedingly brave to go against her generation's customs. It takes some time for Rachael to realize this. As things develop the antipathy between them lessens, although not without major road blocks. Cooking plays a part.
As Swati's later reflects, "They had seen each other." I love that line. 'I see you' is a powerful statement.
In the end the multi faceted aspects of relationships, knowing oneself, personal development, courage and regret all mingle to make a fascinating read.
I cheered, I was saddened, occasionally embarrassed if not shocked especially around Rachel's thoughts and observations about the expat society and their overt racism generally. Talk about tiffin and tea, or maybe it's the gin and tonic hangovers of the previous century! I loved it when Rachel begins to view India through the prism of her acquaintance Richard whose embraced India. This too is a growing moment for her.
A wonderful read!
A HarperCollins ARC via NetGalley
July 29, 2020
A story of friendship and self-discovery told from the point of view of alternating characters, Rachel and Swarti. We follow two different personal journeys, a native to the country of India and a foreigner who through different circumstances have been thrown together.
I enjoyed the story and the writing although the character of Rachel seemed a bit immature and whiny and not always likeable. I had fun watching Swarti takes risks to break through her cultural norms to give herself a better life. While I enjoyed having a 'tour' through Mumbai, I didn't get as deep a sense of the city as I would have liked, but I think that might be harder to do with contemporary fiction over historical fiction. Despite this, I still enjoyed 'exploring' the city with Rachel. I appreciate that the author uses her experience to write this story as that always adds another level to my enjoyment as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and plan on checking out the author's other book, America for Beginners.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollinsPublishers for an advanced ecopy in exchange for an honest, fair review.
I enjoyed the story and the writing although the character of Rachel seemed a bit immature and whiny and not always likeable. I had fun watching Swarti takes risks to break through her cultural norms to give herself a better life. While I enjoyed having a 'tour' through Mumbai, I didn't get as deep a sense of the city as I would have liked, but I think that might be harder to do with contemporary fiction over historical fiction. Despite this, I still enjoyed 'exploring' the city with Rachel. I appreciate that the author uses her experience to write this story as that always adds another level to my enjoyment as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and plan on checking out the author's other book, America for Beginners.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollinsPublishers for an advanced ecopy in exchange for an honest, fair review.
January 28, 2020
How good is this novel? I finished it yesterday, already declared it one of my favorite books of 2020 and have collected two pre-orders. Leah Franqui writes with assured self-awareness of being a white woman in a foreign land, and she does it with a deft touch. Both narrators feel like real, complicated, messy, wonderful women. Few novels have shown both sides of cultural and generational divides as well as "Mother Land." And? It's just a beautifully told story.
September 13, 2020
3.5 stars
review to come
review to come
December 31, 2020
Oh, friends, it’s been such a good week for books!! Vacation will do that to you, I think. I’ve been able to sit still and immerse myself in each book so that they become a part of me, with no distractions. Yesterday, I finished Motherland by Leah Franqui and my heart is so full. I can’t recommend this one enough. Please, do yourself a favor and pick this up!
“The problem with moving was that it made you alien. Everyone was a stranger, and you were the invader, the outsider, the one desperate to achieve closeness with others.”
I have known the confusion and pain of moving. We moved my senior year in high school. I always joke that it took me ten years to recover from the devastation but it’s hardly a joke. My life changed and derailed in mysterious and beautiful ways that I still feel 25 years later. And then, later in life as a newly married woman, I moved again with my husband and our three kiddos. From a city to the country, from the sea to the mountains, away from family and friends. It wasn’t to a foreign land as described in this book, but to me it might as well have been.
"I thought when i moved here that I would find the things I wanted, but I have only become more and more confused. I keep pouring things into my body to fill it up, to make it full of something that will make me feel less...alone. Less unhappy. But it doesn't work. Smoke & rum and work and even people. None of it works."
In this book, we follow the journey of two women starting over in their own way. Rachel, a young Jewish American, has recently moved to Mumbai, India with her new husband. And Swati, Rachel’s new Mother-in-Law, has just left her husband and moved in with her son. The two women could not be more different and clash early on as they both have their own ways of running a home. But as this beautiful dual narrative book so eloquently displays, they are experiencing the same things, just in their own ways.
“It is easy to be afraid. Everyone stays where they are because they do not know what will happen to them when they go to a new place. But they are still the same. They can do more than they think.”
I love how this book did such a wonderful job of showing how connected we truly are. In an age of so much division and finger pointing, this book gently reminds us that we may look different but we are the same. We feel hope and experience loss and need love, even if we may do all those things differently. Franqi poignantly highlights the cultural differences of America/India and unique stresses of the MIL relationship while still honoring both.
It feels like a love letter to a misunderstood city with its lush descriptions of food, people, and culture. She also dives into the complexities of marriage, friendship and family. What it means to be a woman and have courage to speak up and ask for what you want. To look inside yourself for your needs.
“Is that enough? Just to have faith that things might change? Or should we do things, to make them change?”
Franqui handles all this depth with a light touch, making this a quick enjoyable read.
“The problem with moving was that it made you alien. Everyone was a stranger, and you were the invader, the outsider, the one desperate to achieve closeness with others.”
I have known the confusion and pain of moving. We moved my senior year in high school. I always joke that it took me ten years to recover from the devastation but it’s hardly a joke. My life changed and derailed in mysterious and beautiful ways that I still feel 25 years later. And then, later in life as a newly married woman, I moved again with my husband and our three kiddos. From a city to the country, from the sea to the mountains, away from family and friends. It wasn’t to a foreign land as described in this book, but to me it might as well have been.
"I thought when i moved here that I would find the things I wanted, but I have only become more and more confused. I keep pouring things into my body to fill it up, to make it full of something that will make me feel less...alone. Less unhappy. But it doesn't work. Smoke & rum and work and even people. None of it works."
In this book, we follow the journey of two women starting over in their own way. Rachel, a young Jewish American, has recently moved to Mumbai, India with her new husband. And Swati, Rachel’s new Mother-in-Law, has just left her husband and moved in with her son. The two women could not be more different and clash early on as they both have their own ways of running a home. But as this beautiful dual narrative book so eloquently displays, they are experiencing the same things, just in their own ways.
“It is easy to be afraid. Everyone stays where they are because they do not know what will happen to them when they go to a new place. But they are still the same. They can do more than they think.”
I love how this book did such a wonderful job of showing how connected we truly are. In an age of so much division and finger pointing, this book gently reminds us that we may look different but we are the same. We feel hope and experience loss and need love, even if we may do all those things differently. Franqi poignantly highlights the cultural differences of America/India and unique stresses of the MIL relationship while still honoring both.
It feels like a love letter to a misunderstood city with its lush descriptions of food, people, and culture. She also dives into the complexities of marriage, friendship and family. What it means to be a woman and have courage to speak up and ask for what you want. To look inside yourself for your needs.
“Is that enough? Just to have faith that things might change? Or should we do things, to make them change?”
Franqui handles all this depth with a light touch, making this a quick enjoyable read.
June 6, 2020
Mother Land might be one of the best character studies that I've ever read, and is certainly the best I've read in a long time. Maybe part of this is because it's grounded in differences in culture so it provides extra depth and dimension by exposing you to the perspective of someone who has lived with different life expectations, ascribed and imposed. Rachel, an American, marries Dhruv, an Indian expat, because he provides the decisiveness that she's always lacked in her life. She feels like it will make things easier for her, but a move to Mumbai and her mother-in-law moving in to their home makes her begin to realize that she's not happy. Swati, Dhruv's mother, sees a new way of life in the relationship her son has with his wife so she decides to leave her husband and be able to live life the way she wants to. In many ways it makes her much happier; the only problem is that in doing so she's doing exactly to her daughter-in-law what was done to her - imposing her preferences and wants because it's a social and cultural norm in India. In addition to the places where each of these women is struggling to find herself, they are facing a mindset where a woman making her own choices and decisions is regarded as shameful. This is a joint issue with Rachel and Dhruv - she puts herself in the position by seeking decisiveness externally, but he creates a whole problem on his own by trying to have one foot in both worlds but his mind in only one of them. This makes the first part of the book really challenging to read (in a good way!), but definitely makes it even more enjoyable as Sawti and Rachel learn to see each other as complex people that while open to change, also need to be appreciated and respected for who they already are. Will Sawti go back to her husband? Will Rachel find what she's looking for? Can the two women really live amicably together coming from such different backgrounds? Do yourself a favor and read the book to find out!
August 1, 2022
I had hoped to love this story about a young USAmerican woman who married an Indian man and moved with him to Mumbai then had to learn how to navigate her new life in India and her new, unintended relationship with her mother-in-law.
I did not love it at all.
I did not love it at all.
February 21, 2020
Leah Franqui writes deeply empathetic characters who feel immediately real and vibrant from the moment you begin reading. MOTHER LAND takes the unlikely friendship of a white American woman and her Indian mother-in-law and uses the relationship to explore the complexities of marriage, feminism, and loving people from backgrounds that don't at all match your own. As soon as I started the book I sunk into completely--it was deeply moving to read about Rachel and Swati, suddenly unexpected roommates, figuring out how to navigate their fraught relationship. Their completely different lives are actually much closer than they ever imagined. And make sure you read Franqui's debut novel, AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS, too!
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June 11, 2021Oof. Beautifully written - I can see this one being really popular with book clubs, but I have some big concerns with the representation. Many disappointed reviewers have expressed that this isn't their Mumbai. The lunch scene with the expats is particularly cringe-y.
It would be one thing maybe if the author stuck to her own perspective as a cultural outsider, but to take on the voice of an insider through Swati's character?
It would be one thing maybe if the author stuck to her own perspective as a cultural outsider, but to take on the voice of an insider through Swati's character?
April 22, 2021
I’ve been reading a lot of character driven stories this month and I am getting kind of bored of them. So unfortunately I may have read this one at the wrong time. If you have any good plot driven stories, please let me know!
Mother Land by Leah Franqui follows Rachel as she adjusts to living with her new husband in Mumbai. Just as she’s barely getting acclimated to this new country and way of life her mother in law shows up saying she’s just left her husband and she’s here to stay forever. To say these two women butt heads is an understatement. There’s a clash of cultures and personalities.
❤️Review❤️
I’m going to start with the fact that I really loved the setting. I loved hearing about the foods and the environment of Mumbai. You could feel the heat radiating off the pages. I also really liked this “mother daughter relationship” that they eventually develop. I couldn’t stand Swati for a majority of the book it took a lot for her to redeem herself with me. I know a lot of her thoughts and actions were from the way she was raised, but I hated hearing it. I also couldn’t stand Rachel’s husband. His attitude was nasty and I couldn’t understand their relationship. I didn’t see the ending coming and I can’t tell if I like it or not. Overall I liked it, but I wanted more from it.
3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#ContemporaryFiction #Fiction #Bookstagram #Books #BeautifulBooks #BookReview #BookCover #BooksSetInIndia #BookLover #SpringReading
Mother Land by Leah Franqui follows Rachel as she adjusts to living with her new husband in Mumbai. Just as she’s barely getting acclimated to this new country and way of life her mother in law shows up saying she’s just left her husband and she’s here to stay forever. To say these two women butt heads is an understatement. There’s a clash of cultures and personalities.
❤️Review❤️
I’m going to start with the fact that I really loved the setting. I loved hearing about the foods and the environment of Mumbai. You could feel the heat radiating off the pages. I also really liked this “mother daughter relationship” that they eventually develop. I couldn’t stand Swati for a majority of the book it took a lot for her to redeem herself with me. I know a lot of her thoughts and actions were from the way she was raised, but I hated hearing it. I also couldn’t stand Rachel’s husband. His attitude was nasty and I couldn’t understand their relationship. I didn’t see the ending coming and I can’t tell if I like it or not. Overall I liked it, but I wanted more from it.
3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#ContemporaryFiction #Fiction #Bookstagram #Books #BeautifulBooks #BookReview #BookCover #BooksSetInIndia #BookLover #SpringReading
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October 17, 2020Mother Land is about a young American woman (Rachel) who is newly married. She comes to live in Mumbai with her Indian husband. As she is learning her way around the city, her mother-in-law (Swati) comes to live with them. Permanently, much to Rachel's chagrin. (Her husband does not seem too bothered by this.)
At first, the differing cultural perspectives of each woman were fresh and interesting. For example, Swati is unyielding in her view that a proper household needs both a full time cleaner and a cook. She loses no time in hiring help for the household, over Rachel's protests.
However, the book lost steam for me at the halfway mark. It's time to try a new book.
At first, the differing cultural perspectives of each woman were fresh and interesting. For example, Swati is unyielding in her view that a proper household needs both a full time cleaner and a cook. She loses no time in hiring help for the household, over Rachel's protests.
However, the book lost steam for me at the halfway mark. It's time to try a new book.
September 4, 2020
I forgot how I came across this book (so glad I did now) - and thought the premise to be mildly interesting. Little did I know that I was on the threshold of a rabbithole of a really gripping, well written, perfect-for-quarantine novel!!
This is an incredibly multi-textured book that pleasantly interrogates privileged savarna sexism, ableism and classism through the eyes of a white woman in her 30s and a marwari woman in her 50s. Its also a lot of fun to read amidst the tough questions it asks. It was particularly nice for a mumbaikar to read most of all - I really appreciated the distinct perspectives on mumbai, its people, its pleasures, its contradictions, its landscapes, its pace and ruthlessness- from a foreign, yet non exoticed, lived pov.
This is an incredibly multi-textured book that pleasantly interrogates privileged savarna sexism, ableism and classism through the eyes of a white woman in her 30s and a marwari woman in her 50s. Its also a lot of fun to read amidst the tough questions it asks. It was particularly nice for a mumbaikar to read most of all - I really appreciated the distinct perspectives on mumbai, its people, its pleasures, its contradictions, its landscapes, its pace and ruthlessness- from a foreign, yet non exoticed, lived pov.
July 18, 2022
This story grabbed me right away. I read about half in one sitting (at the pool). I incorrectly assumed that I knew how it would end. I have read a lot of multi-cultural novels where the families struggle with the cultures and beliefs...then everything ends peacefully and tied in a neat little bow. Boy, does this one throw in an unexpected loop, especially for a realistic fiction book. It was a nice change of pace for a cultural novel.
May 2, 2023
Enjoyed 7/8ths of the book. Sadly, the ending felt rushed and cheap.
physical_to-read_stack
May 18, 2020I received an ARC free through Goodreads Giveaways.
December 14, 2022
This was a great premise for a book. I thought the alternating chapters between Rachel and her mother in law worked really well and helped me keep turning the pages. However, I did feel it dragged a little in the middle and the whole relationship with the husband didn't ring true for me. Still an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.
January 30, 2024
Too long and really a soap opera story but the cultural information was very interesting!
April 3, 2021
DNF @ 25% completed - had to suspend too much disbelief regarding the characters to go on. Writing was okay I suppose...
September 2, 2024
Even though I correctly predicted the ending (wheee), I felt hooked throughout the whole story! The perspectives of both Swati and Rachel are so nuanced. It was fascinating reading their thoughts and understanding matters through their varied viewpoints. There are no good/bad and right/wrong characters in this book. Everyone has their own story and is their own person, trying to figure it out in life. Some parts were too slow or unrealistic for me, hence the 4.5 rating.
Regarding some of the reviews I’ve seen here, this book is not racist! Instead, it offers the perspective of a foreigner who scoffs at people romanticising and bashing India while subconsciously doing the same too…which she realises later on, to her chagrin.
Regarding some of the reviews I’ve seen here, this book is not racist! Instead, it offers the perspective of a foreigner who scoffs at people romanticising and bashing India while subconsciously doing the same too…which she realises later on, to her chagrin.
May 20, 2020
Leah Franqui's Mother Land is a delightful exploration of cultural expectations and the way they shape identity. The basic set-up is simple. After meeting and marrying in New York, Rachel and Dhruv move to Mumbai. Dhruv grew up in Kolkata, so the move is a return home for him; for Rachel it's sudden immersion in an unfamiliar culture. To complicate matters, shortly after the couple's arrival, Swati, Dhruv's mother, shows up on their doorstep, announcing that she has left Dhruv's father and will be living with them. What follows is a fierce, if well-meant, battle of wills as Rachel and Swati each try to shape the other to meet cultural expectations.
The narration moves between Rachel and Swati's perspectives, giving readers a chance to grasp the cultural expectations of each and to sympathize with both of them. Neither character is "the good guy." Both have difficulty listening to views other than her own, and both are apt to see the other's actions as directed at her. Rachel's fantasy of easing into an exciting new life is challenged. She finds herself looking for other ex-pats, but then becomes uncomfortable with what she finds, realizing many of the biases she sees in them are her own as well. Meanwhile, Swati is obsessed with teaching Racel the "right" way to live in India, despite the fact that the culture she's forcing on Rachel is the very culture she was fleeing when she left her husband.
Franqui handles these conflicts deftly, keeping the mood of the book light, without undermining the seriousness of her topic. Mother Land is a delightful read, which will leave readers knowing more about themselves as well as about Franqui's characters.
I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own.
The narration moves between Rachel and Swati's perspectives, giving readers a chance to grasp the cultural expectations of each and to sympathize with both of them. Neither character is "the good guy." Both have difficulty listening to views other than her own, and both are apt to see the other's actions as directed at her. Rachel's fantasy of easing into an exciting new life is challenged. She finds herself looking for other ex-pats, but then becomes uncomfortable with what she finds, realizing many of the biases she sees in them are her own as well. Meanwhile, Swati is obsessed with teaching Racel the "right" way to live in India, despite the fact that the culture she's forcing on Rachel is the very culture she was fleeing when she left her husband.
Franqui handles these conflicts deftly, keeping the mood of the book light, without undermining the seriousness of her topic. Mother Land is a delightful read, which will leave readers knowing more about themselves as well as about Franqui's characters.
I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own.
July 6, 2020
3.5 stars upped to 4
Mother Land by Leah Franqui tells a story that somewhat mirrors the author’s own life. In the author’s biography we are informed that Leah had met an Indian screenwriter in New York and the two married and moved to Mumbai. In Mother Land Rachel marries and Indian businessman in New York and moves to Mumbai. See the similarities?
I have read many books that take place in different parts of India and somewhat expected to read the traditional new wife under the mother in law’s rules story but this one fell outside of that trope. Told in dual POVs of both Rachel and her mother in law, Swati, we are present when Swati shows up one day to live with Rachel and her husband Dhruv. Initially the pair of women are predictable in their actions and thoughts but it is not long before we see them each being affected by the other.
While Rachel would define herself as a modern, western, woman with the ability to stand up for herself, she comes to find that she can learn from Swati. And Swati makes changes in her own life based in part on how she views her daughter in law and son’s relationship.
This reads like a coming of age story but for the mature woman and in that way is very refreshing. I enjoyed the examination of biases on Indian culture and the descriptions of the country from a Western perspective and how they differ from that of a person born and raised in India. The opposites and clashes of bright and dull, of new next to old and enlightened and abiding were interesting.
While the first third of the book was a bit slow and repetitive I am happy to recommend it based on the last two-thirds of the book alone.
Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for this ARC in exchange for a honest review. This book comes out July 14, 2020.
Mother Land by Leah Franqui tells a story that somewhat mirrors the author’s own life. In the author’s biography we are informed that Leah had met an Indian screenwriter in New York and the two married and moved to Mumbai. In Mother Land Rachel marries and Indian businessman in New York and moves to Mumbai. See the similarities?
I have read many books that take place in different parts of India and somewhat expected to read the traditional new wife under the mother in law’s rules story but this one fell outside of that trope. Told in dual POVs of both Rachel and her mother in law, Swati, we are present when Swati shows up one day to live with Rachel and her husband Dhruv. Initially the pair of women are predictable in their actions and thoughts but it is not long before we see them each being affected by the other.
While Rachel would define herself as a modern, western, woman with the ability to stand up for herself, she comes to find that she can learn from Swati. And Swati makes changes in her own life based in part on how she views her daughter in law and son’s relationship.
This reads like a coming of age story but for the mature woman and in that way is very refreshing. I enjoyed the examination of biases on Indian culture and the descriptions of the country from a Western perspective and how they differ from that of a person born and raised in India. The opposites and clashes of bright and dull, of new next to old and enlightened and abiding were interesting.
While the first third of the book was a bit slow and repetitive I am happy to recommend it based on the last two-thirds of the book alone.
Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for this ARC in exchange for a honest review. This book comes out July 14, 2020.
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