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The Vibrant Years
Living on their own terms means being there for one another.
When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded—and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. On an impulse, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida.
The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for her own dreams.
As Bindu and Aly navigate their new dynamic, Aly’s daughter, Cullie, is faced with losing the business that made her a tech-world star. The only way to save it is to deliver a new idea to her investors—and they want the dating app she pitched them in a panic. Problem is, Cullie has never been on a real date. Naturally, enlisting her single mother and grandmother to help her with the research is the answer.
From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt novel about three generations of hilarious, unconventional, ambitious women who embark on a shared journey of self-discovery. Join the Desai women as they come together to embrace the hijinks and heartbreak of facing their greatest fears to finally live their most vibrant lives.
When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded—and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. On an impulse, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida.
The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for her own dreams.
As Bindu and Aly navigate their new dynamic, Aly’s daughter, Cullie, is faced with losing the business that made her a tech-world star. The only way to save it is to deliver a new idea to her investors—and they want the dating app she pitched them in a panic. Problem is, Cullie has never been on a real date. Naturally, enlisting her single mother and grandmother to help her with the research is the answer.
From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt novel about three generations of hilarious, unconventional, ambitious women who embark on a shared journey of self-discovery. Join the Desai women as they come together to embrace the hijinks and heartbreak of facing their greatest fears to finally live their most vibrant lives.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2022
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45373 people want to read
About the author
Sonali Dev
17 books3,230 followersSonali Dev’s first literary work was a play about mistaken identities performed at her neighborhood Diwali extravaganza in Mumbai. She was eight years old. Despite this early success, Sonali spent the next few decades getting degrees in architecture and written communication, migrating across the globe, and starting a family while writing for magazines and websites. With the advent of her first gray hair her mad love for telling stories returned full force, and she now combines it with her insights into Indian culture to conjure up stories that make a mad tangle with her life as supermom, domestic goddess, and world traveler.
Sonali lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband and two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog.
Sonali lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband and two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,760 reviews
January 3, 2023
I wanted some book candy, and “The Vibrant Years” looked, and is, perfect! I was attracted by the blurb that a 65-year-old woman inherits a million dollars and moves to a “posh” condo community in Florida. Well, I’m in a condo community (I wouldn’t call it “posh” necessarily), and I’m a “mature” woman, so this sounded interesting.
What’s more fun is that once she’s in the community, the HOA (Homeowners Association) has issues with her. She boldly decided to dry her lingerie (in this case a red bra) on her lanai. The HOA women were up in arms. If any have had the fortunate experience of dealing with an overly invested HOA, which is abundant in Florida, this is a fun read. To further complicate her HOA problems, she endures an unfortunate event in her condo on one of her dates. Yes, the HOA women were apoplectic.
But it’s not all HOA hijinks. This is a story of a woman who decides to claim her independence. She’s lived her life conforming to rules and being repressed by society’s expectations of conformity. It’s also a woman story. The 65-year-old woman is a grandmother to a devoted daughter and daughter-in-law. I loved how the women collectively banded together and supported each other. Each woman had their own personal issues, and each were supported by the other two.
This is a novel that women will enjoy. It’s a fun read.
What’s more fun is that once she’s in the community, the HOA (Homeowners Association) has issues with her. She boldly decided to dry her lingerie (in this case a red bra) on her lanai. The HOA women were up in arms. If any have had the fortunate experience of dealing with an overly invested HOA, which is abundant in Florida, this is a fun read. To further complicate her HOA problems, she endures an unfortunate event in her condo on one of her dates. Yes, the HOA women were apoplectic.
But it’s not all HOA hijinks. This is a story of a woman who decides to claim her independence. She’s lived her life conforming to rules and being repressed by society’s expectations of conformity. It’s also a woman story. The 65-year-old woman is a grandmother to a devoted daughter and daughter-in-law. I loved how the women collectively banded together and supported each other. Each woman had their own personal issues, and each were supported by the other two.
This is a novel that women will enjoy. It’s a fun read.
June 24, 2022
Three generations of women come together for a crisis in this delightful, funny, heartwarming book. Bindu, the glamorous grandmother, has just moved into a posh retirement community, thanks to an unexpected inheritance that both delights and horrifies her. Aly, once married to Bindu’s son, is struggling to be seen at the news station where she’s a producer, still a little stunned that her husband left her to go back to India. Her daughter, Cullie, a whiz-kid in Silicon Valley, has her back against the wall as she’s promised a new app to her company…an app she hasn’t invented yet. The three come together after an unexpected twist in Bindu’s complex. This book is all about female relationships, the challenges and thrills of standing out, and the love that binds these women together. Funny, intelligent and filled with emotion, THE VIBRANT YEARS will delight readers.
December 4, 2022
What a beautiful, enchanting story. Three generations of Indian women, living in America, growing in knowledge about love and what it looks like. Parts are laugh out loud funny and parts are sad when thinking about love lost in the past. Wonderful story. Highly recommended.
December 30, 2022
I read this because Mindy told me to, and she was right it was a great book.
Can I just say how refreshing it was to have a MIL and DIL get along?
This book had an almost First Wives Club type of camaraderie and I loved it.
Can I just say how refreshing it was to have a MIL and DIL get along?
This book had an almost First Wives Club type of camaraderie and I loved it.
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November 6, 2022DNF at 47%
November 4, 2022
I think this book was just okay for me. It was a cliché for sure and hit all the rom-com highlights. Some of the characters were interesting but most were just…I don’t know it wasn’t great it wasn’t horrible it was a quick read that I got as an Amazon prime first read, so in that sense I got my money’s worth I guess.
February 21, 2023
The title of this book doesn't begin to convey the sweep of personalities, the character arc, the rich cultural descriptions, and the earthshaking changes undergone by the three main characters. Bindu is the 60-something grandmother, Alisha is the late-40's DIL, and Cullie is her 25 yo daughter. When Bindu was a teen growing up in Goa, India, she worked as the actress/muse for an iconic filmmaker, an ethereal experience that resulted in her mother attempting to choke her to death. Instead, a doctor stepped forward, a cold but honorable man who married Bindu and brought her to America.
Intent on behaving and sublimating her true nature, Bindu did what was expected. This novel centers around the reckoning that can occur later in life when that particular volcano erupts. Meanwhile, Aly and Cullie are going through their own character arcs, both of which could almost sustain a novel on their own. This is a 3-generation saga covering ageism, sexism (as experienced by both women and men), and racism, beautifully wrought by a master author. 100% recommended.
Intent on behaving and sublimating her true nature, Bindu did what was expected. This novel centers around the reckoning that can occur later in life when that particular volcano erupts. Meanwhile, Aly and Cullie are going through their own character arcs, both of which could almost sustain a novel on their own. This is a 3-generation saga covering ageism, sexism (as experienced by both women and men), and racism, beautifully wrought by a master author. 100% recommended.
November 26, 2022
This was a DNF for me at the halfway point. My rule of thumb is that if I start a book and I do not want to pick it back up every chance I get and my eyes start glazing over chunks of paragraphs (that I have to keep rereading) it’s not for me. The characters were nice but it felt plodding, pedantic and more like an anthology show than a book… meaning it seemed more snapshots into random days than a flowing story.
January 7, 2023
I don't even know what to write about this book, I felt very lost all the time and I didn't identify with the story or the characters, I was really looking forward to reading this story but I wasn't able to enjoy it.
I had to skip pages and even re-read a few of the scenes because as I said I didn't know who was who or what was going on.
The narrations by Deepti Gupta , Soneela Nankani , Anita Kalathara were great I really enjoy their way of bringing the story and characters to life
I had to skip pages and even re-read a few of the scenes because as I said I didn't know who was who or what was going on.
The narrations by Deepti Gupta , Soneela Nankani , Anita Kalathara were great I really enjoy their way of bringing the story and characters to life
December 8, 2022
I’ll start by saying that I really loved the discussion of major social issues facing women including ageism and sexism. I also loved hearing the voices of women of color and seeing their multigenerational bond.
The overall concept of the story is nice! It’s a light read and has some humor. The drama kind of falls flat as the discussion of the grandmothers scandals from 30 years ago do not feel that interesting. The male/female relationships in the story aren’t engaging as a reader.
Overall, it was “meh” for me!
The overall concept of the story is nice! It’s a light read and has some humor. The drama kind of falls flat as the discussion of the grandmothers scandals from 30 years ago do not feel that interesting. The male/female relationships in the story aren’t engaging as a reader.
Overall, it was “meh” for me!
December 14, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
The Vibrant Years is a standalone multigenerational story about three very different women. They stand by each other and try to lift one another up in the best ways they know how. Each of them is currently fighting for a dream of sorts and trying to make their way through this time of endless opportunities, if you just learn how to get out of your own way.
I have been watching Never Have I Ever on Netflix and it is really one of my favorite shows. One reason is that there are multiple women living in a home and looking out for each other. This book isn't really like the show, by any means, other than it has the same cultural undertones but it is about a culture I find interesting and would like to read more books about, or after reading this book would like to watch some Bollywood films. Sonali Dev captures some great moments and real feelings in this story.
I loved all three women, but I especially adored Bindu. We get a glimpse into the story of her youth when she was free and wild and was the star of a Bollywood film that was way ahead of its time. In the beginning of every chapter, we get a snippet of information about how she bewitched the director and lead actor of that film to become the love of his life. When he died, he left her a million dollars and it has brought back old feelings and memories of the life she could have had if she had made different choices, or had different choices. She was a devoted wife and the best grandmother and everyone knows her larger than life personality. She lives like she is perfect in her own skin, but some of that is a lie and an act she has put on for the world. She is a very good actress.
Aly and Callie are Bindu's daughter-in-law and granddaughter. They, too, are at important crossroads of their lives. Aly in her job at a news station has a great opportunity but she is going to have to fight to keep it against some cultural and age biases. Callie is a wiz and at twenty-five has invented an app that helps people with anxiety. Her employer now wants to make it subscription based which would make it less accessible to the people who use it. Callie needs a new idea to keep it off subscription, on a whim she volunteers a dating app, but she doesn't have one and has no idea about how dating is supposed to work. Good thing she knows two other single women to help her figure out this whole dating thing.
There are great heartfelt moments in this book; there are funny dating disasters also. I really liked all the characters on their journey of self discovery. Callie trying to figure out why people her age care about dating. Aly working through the expectations that used to be in her marriage and going after her dream full force. And Bindu living out loud and dating again for the first time in twenty years. Each woman brings a unique PoV to the story and I loved them all. I was just sad when the book came to a close, because I could have followed the women around even longer as they took on the world together.
Narration:
Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani and Anita Kalathara bring a different voice to each character. They are wonderful at making each woman feel unique. I love that, depending on the character, the different accent level is brought to the woman really is part of their character. Bindu grew up in India and has been in the United States 25 years, Aly grew up in an Indian home in the United states and Callie has spent her entire life in United States. Each has a unique voice and accent level because of that. The narrators did a great job of bring not only that but the level of life experience to each voice. So well done, I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
The Vibrant Years is a standalone multigenerational story about three very different women. They stand by each other and try to lift one another up in the best ways they know how. Each of them is currently fighting for a dream of sorts and trying to make their way through this time of endless opportunities, if you just learn how to get out of your own way.
I have been watching Never Have I Ever on Netflix and it is really one of my favorite shows. One reason is that there are multiple women living in a home and looking out for each other. This book isn't really like the show, by any means, other than it has the same cultural undertones but it is about a culture I find interesting and would like to read more books about, or after reading this book would like to watch some Bollywood films. Sonali Dev captures some great moments and real feelings in this story.
I loved all three women, but I especially adored Bindu. We get a glimpse into the story of her youth when she was free and wild and was the star of a Bollywood film that was way ahead of its time. In the beginning of every chapter, we get a snippet of information about how she bewitched the director and lead actor of that film to become the love of his life. When he died, he left her a million dollars and it has brought back old feelings and memories of the life she could have had if she had made different choices, or had different choices. She was a devoted wife and the best grandmother and everyone knows her larger than life personality. She lives like she is perfect in her own skin, but some of that is a lie and an act she has put on for the world. She is a very good actress.
“But living life on her own terms meant she had to be intentional about it. She refused to let her choices be mere acts of rebellion”
Aly and Callie are Bindu's daughter-in-law and granddaughter. They, too, are at important crossroads of their lives. Aly in her job at a news station has a great opportunity but she is going to have to fight to keep it against some cultural and age biases. Callie is a wiz and at twenty-five has invented an app that helps people with anxiety. Her employer now wants to make it subscription based which would make it less accessible to the people who use it. Callie needs a new idea to keep it off subscription, on a whim she volunteers a dating app, but she doesn't have one and has no idea about how dating is supposed to work. Good thing she knows two other single women to help her figure out this whole dating thing.
There are great heartfelt moments in this book; there are funny dating disasters also. I really liked all the characters on their journey of self discovery. Callie trying to figure out why people her age care about dating. Aly working through the expectations that used to be in her marriage and going after her dream full force. And Bindu living out loud and dating again for the first time in twenty years. Each woman brings a unique PoV to the story and I loved them all. I was just sad when the book came to a close, because I could have followed the women around even longer as they took on the world together.
“We modeled strength for Cullie. Together. She saw you support me in my goals, in my ambition. Even when my own marriage made that an ugly word. She saw you being comfortable in your skin. Even when it was hard.”
Narration:
Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani and Anita Kalathara bring a different voice to each character. They are wonderful at making each woman feel unique. I love that, depending on the character, the different accent level is brought to the woman really is part of their character. Bindu grew up in India and has been in the United States 25 years, Aly grew up in an Indian home in the United states and Callie has spent her entire life in United States. Each has a unique voice and accent level because of that. The narrators did a great job of bring not only that but the level of life experience to each voice. So well done, I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
December 30, 2022
May have just been me, but I didn’t really get into this / understand what was going on / who was who until about half way through the book. The ending was more gripping, with most ends tied up, although confusing in places.
January 7, 2023
Do you enjoy books with a wise family matriarch?
The Vibrant Years
by Sonali Dev 4/5
Ultimately, The Vibrant Years is about the love between three generations of strong Indian women. Bindu is 65 years old and is the family matriarch. It is a pleasure to be around her, and she is full of spirit. Her goal is to help her loved ones figure out what they want their life to look like, and to figure out how to make it happen. Sexism, racism, and antisemitism are addressed. The characters in this book will have you laughing and cheering them on. This is a book you won't want to put down! It would make a lovely book club selection. It will create some fascinating discussions for the group.
#TheVibrantYears #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #blogtour #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audible #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b
The Vibrant Years
by Sonali Dev 4/5
Ultimately, The Vibrant Years is about the love between three generations of strong Indian women. Bindu is 65 years old and is the family matriarch. It is a pleasure to be around her, and she is full of spirit. Her goal is to help her loved ones figure out what they want their life to look like, and to figure out how to make it happen. Sexism, racism, and antisemitism are addressed. The characters in this book will have you laughing and cheering them on. This is a book you won't want to put down! It would make a lovely book club selection. It will create some fascinating discussions for the group.
#TheVibrantYears #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #blogtour #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audible #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b
December 4, 2022
While I didn't love this one quite as much as Dev's The Rajes series, if you're looking for a multigenerational story with solid character arcs and a healthy serving of romance, you might enjoy this!
December 25, 2022
So many words. Blah blah blah. This book was far too long. There were so many words spent describing minutiae. The characters were weak and unlikeable. The situations they found themselves in were too fantastical and just not believable. I just really didn’t like it.
December 5, 2022
Five whopping ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️‘s❗️
A sparkling intergenerational story of three women of Indian heritage. Bindu Desai (Binji), a Goan widow from Mumbai who has decided to buy a condo in Florida. Alisha, or rather Aly, her daughter-in-law who’s smart, a broadcast journalist who’s been waiting ten years for the big break. She’s lined up a major interview with Meryl Streep, but is being given the runaround by her studio. They’ve decided someone else from the firm will anchor the interview. That is when Aly gives them the pertinent information. It’s not discrimation they assure her! (Loud snorts of indignation from me!) This has happened to Aly constantly over the years. By the way Aly is divorced from Bindu’s son Ashish who’s returned to Mumbai to find himself, follow his dream, whatever! Binji has chosen to stay in America and live with Aly. Unusual, you and I say! And that’s what’s so striking about Binji. She’s unusual! She doesn’t conform! It seems she had had enough of doing that before she was widowed.
Then there’s her granddaughter Cullie Desai. A genius who’s on the spectrum. She’s developed an app, Shloka (which won awards for its ‘elegant’ coding). It helps people with Anxiety. Now the company who she sold it to (with certain requirements) wants to make the app something users have to additionally subscribe to. Cullie is furious. That option was never on the table. Then there’s her relationship with the super cad Steve, who helped her market the app, and made promises about divorcing his wife, whom he went back to a year later. Cullie bluffs about a new app development as a bargaining point against placing a subscription on Shloka. (Oops! One she now has to design!!) Of course the three women are dragged into trialling Cullie’s app which hilariously is a dating app!
Binji is a force of nature, whose behaviour unsettles some of the white community in her Florida condo. I love her! Binji is doing nothing but being herself, but is seen as threatening to the intolerant majority, (mostly women). Binji dances on regardless. Things do get tense when her friend Richard dies though.
One big question for me is, who left Binji the million dollars she used to buy her condo with anyway?
Each chapter begins with a quote from the journal of Oscar Seth. Who is this person and how does he relate to Binji? Very mysterious.
A story of the past rushing to catch up, of mystery, of joy, of finding oneself, of dancing free. Indeed a vibrant and colorful read. I was angry, and hurt on behalf of these women and I cheered as they won through and triumphed! A fearsome, often heart stopping tale!
A Mindy’s Book Studio ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
A sparkling intergenerational story of three women of Indian heritage. Bindu Desai (Binji), a Goan widow from Mumbai who has decided to buy a condo in Florida. Alisha, or rather Aly, her daughter-in-law who’s smart, a broadcast journalist who’s been waiting ten years for the big break. She’s lined up a major interview with Meryl Streep, but is being given the runaround by her studio. They’ve decided someone else from the firm will anchor the interview. That is when Aly gives them the pertinent information. It’s not discrimation they assure her! (Loud snorts of indignation from me!) This has happened to Aly constantly over the years. By the way Aly is divorced from Bindu’s son Ashish who’s returned to Mumbai to find himself, follow his dream, whatever! Binji has chosen to stay in America and live with Aly. Unusual, you and I say! And that’s what’s so striking about Binji. She’s unusual! She doesn’t conform! It seems she had had enough of doing that before she was widowed.
Then there’s her granddaughter Cullie Desai. A genius who’s on the spectrum. She’s developed an app, Shloka (which won awards for its ‘elegant’ coding). It helps people with Anxiety. Now the company who she sold it to (with certain requirements) wants to make the app something users have to additionally subscribe to. Cullie is furious. That option was never on the table. Then there’s her relationship with the super cad Steve, who helped her market the app, and made promises about divorcing his wife, whom he went back to a year later. Cullie bluffs about a new app development as a bargaining point against placing a subscription on Shloka. (Oops! One she now has to design!!) Of course the three women are dragged into trialling Cullie’s app which hilariously is a dating app!
Binji is a force of nature, whose behaviour unsettles some of the white community in her Florida condo. I love her! Binji is doing nothing but being herself, but is seen as threatening to the intolerant majority, (mostly women). Binji dances on regardless. Things do get tense when her friend Richard dies though.
One big question for me is, who left Binji the million dollars she used to buy her condo with anyway?
Each chapter begins with a quote from the journal of Oscar Seth. Who is this person and how does he relate to Binji? Very mysterious.
A story of the past rushing to catch up, of mystery, of joy, of finding oneself, of dancing free. Indeed a vibrant and colorful read. I was angry, and hurt on behalf of these women and I cheered as they won through and triumphed! A fearsome, often heart stopping tale!
A Mindy’s Book Studio ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
November 13, 2022
So fun. And so beautiful.
I cried at the end of this story. And the next thing I wanted to do was read it again. These are characters I didn’t want to leave behind and love stories that break your heart and fill it up again. I sincerely hope Bollywood makes a movie out of this one!
I cried at the end of this story. And the next thing I wanted to do was read it again. These are characters I didn’t want to leave behind and love stories that break your heart and fill it up again. I sincerely hope Bollywood makes a movie out of this one!
December 11, 2022
The last 20% of this book was so beautiful. There was meaning in all the words written. So when I ended the book, I just thought: beautiful. Now.. the book as a whole.. it’s a very slow start and I was worried there were too many scenes that were alike. I loved the story and yet I found myself bored until I got to that 70-80% mark. But it ended beautifully, so it’s a 4 star for that.
November 24, 2022
Starts off around three different intermingled storylines which all gain velocity in a blink of intensity, memories and the power of a lifetime of feelings.
February 22, 2023
A fast read that packs a big punch. It's about three women, three generations - a mother-in-law, a mother and the daughter. All of them are still finding their way in the world, still growing, still trying to discover who they are. They've given up a lot to be wives and mothers. They want their life back, their ability to find love but on their terms.
I loved the three main characters. I loved their struggles with love, their struggles to find their voice and what they wanted. Their voices were so real and I couldn't help but love them all. I thought the twists and turns were a little easy to guess but I didn't mind knowing, I just enjoyed the story and where it took me. I flipped from kindle to the audiobook and the narrator was wonderful!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
I loved the three main characters. I loved their struggles with love, their struggles to find their voice and what they wanted. Their voices were so real and I couldn't help but love them all. I thought the twists and turns were a little easy to guess but I didn't mind knowing, I just enjoyed the story and where it took me. I flipped from kindle to the audiobook and the narrator was wonderful!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
January 16, 2023
This is the first book from Mindy Kaling's new imprint “ featuring romantic comedies, suspenseful dramas, and coming-of-age stories by a diverse range of emerging and established voices"
I fell for Sonali Dev's writing in her Raje series and it continues in this stand alone. What I appreciate about Dev's writing is her ability to blend light & dark into a wholly satisfying story. This novel is an intergenerational story about Bindu, Aly and Cullie- three Indian American women at different stages of life. I love stories about strong women, and you get all three POV in this story of relationships, secrets, second chances and romance. I loved the dynamics between the three main characters as they deal with all those everyday, real-life things: pesky emotions, familial expectations, love, and insecurities.
I fell for Sonali Dev's writing in her Raje series and it continues in this stand alone. What I appreciate about Dev's writing is her ability to blend light & dark into a wholly satisfying story. This novel is an intergenerational story about Bindu, Aly and Cullie- three Indian American women at different stages of life. I love stories about strong women, and you get all three POV in this story of relationships, secrets, second chances and romance. I loved the dynamics between the three main characters as they deal with all those everyday, real-life things: pesky emotions, familial expectations, love, and insecurities.
June 25, 2025
I’m not usually a huge fan of multi-generational books but I fell in looove with this story and each of our leading ladies. I loved their POVs and how they are each a little badass in their own way. This story was funny, sweet, and inspiring; full of familial love to get you in your feels, some cute romance, and plenty of real life moments that you can relate to. 4.5 stars.
December 10, 2022
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mindy's Book Studio for granting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Sonali Dev, the first book selection by Mindy Kaling - 5 stars!
Bindu inherits a million dollars and the 65-year-old decides to move into an expensive retirement community in Florida, leaving the home of Aly, her ex-daughter-in-law, whom she has been living with for decades. Aly is crushed but also dealing with work disappointments, as she is passed over for on-air journalism assignments at the TV station where she works. Aly's daughter, Cullie, living in California, and fighting for the integrity of the wellness app she created. She pitches a new app idea to the company as a negotiation tactic - they love it, but Cullie hasn't even started developing this new dating app. When Cullie is called back to Florida after an incident with Bindu, she enlists her mom and grandmother in helping her.
At its heart, this is just a wonderful story of love between these three generations of strong Indian women. It's figuring out what they want their life to look like, and how to make that happen. It's about the issues of sexism, racism, agism. I loved each of these characters in different ways - this book will have you laughing and cheering them on! This would be a great book club selection.
Bindu inherits a million dollars and the 65-year-old decides to move into an expensive retirement community in Florida, leaving the home of Aly, her ex-daughter-in-law, whom she has been living with for decades. Aly is crushed but also dealing with work disappointments, as she is passed over for on-air journalism assignments at the TV station where she works. Aly's daughter, Cullie, living in California, and fighting for the integrity of the wellness app she created. She pitches a new app idea to the company as a negotiation tactic - they love it, but Cullie hasn't even started developing this new dating app. When Cullie is called back to Florida after an incident with Bindu, she enlists her mom and grandmother in helping her.
At its heart, this is just a wonderful story of love between these three generations of strong Indian women. It's figuring out what they want their life to look like, and how to make that happen. It's about the issues of sexism, racism, agism. I loved each of these characters in different ways - this book will have you laughing and cheering them on! This would be a great book club selection.
December 22, 2022
RATING: 4/5 stars
SHORT SUMMARY:
The Vibrant Years is all about three generations of women overcoming their personal issues, and the conditioning of the society of what and how women should be as they faced it head-on. Bindu, the grandmother, mysteriously inherits millions of dollars where she spent it on buying a condo in a posh retirement community. Prior of her moving in that fancy condo, Bindu was sharing a home together with Aly, her ex-daughter in law and a journalist, even after her divorce with her son. Cullie, the granddaughter, is a genius tech wizard who created apps that help people, but changes in her work forced her to make a huge decision by pitching a dating app to the investors just to save her previous app. Cullie never had a proper and real date, so she seek help from her grandmother and her mother as they navigated their own path to living their own life in their own terms, and love along the way.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK WITH ME:
• Pacing is somewhat inconsistent in some parts, wherein it sometimes feels like it’s dragging, and some chapters are just fillers.
• Sometimes I feel like there’s a lot of going on and I’m getting confused because I feel like I’m reading two different books at the same time, specifically, Bindu’s past and the main storyline.
• Foreshadowing could have done a bit better, because I feel like there’s a much giveaway in the beginning parts of the story. It felt a bit short and underwhelming when Bindu’s past is finally revealed because it’s too predictable.
WHAT I LIKED THE MOST:
• I like the switching of the POV because we really get to know the characters well.
• The three women being there for each other despite of the status, age, and their way of thinking of things is so uplifting and empowering. That’s well-written here.
• I love the mini plot twists in the story, and I can’t remember how many times I giggled and laughed out loud in some parts of the story. Their dates are so iconic!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is the first book I’ve read from Sonali Dev, so I don’t have anything to compare to from her previous works. But I really liked this book. Bindu is now living in her own true colors, and she doesn’t want it to be the way of a world, and I love her for that. She’s my favorite Desai woman out of them. Aly is an ambitious woman who’s now finally fighting for her dreams. Cullie is so kind-hearted and wonderful person, and she’s now getting wiser with love. There are a lot of personal and social issues tackled so beautifully in this book, and how the Desai women overcame it is so inspiring. I believe The Vibrant Years is more about a journey to self-discovery, than finding love from other people. Because just like what Bindu said, “What we find attractive about people says more about us than about them.” And I guess that this pretty sums up what this book wanted to tell the world.
SHORT SUMMARY:
The Vibrant Years is all about three generations of women overcoming their personal issues, and the conditioning of the society of what and how women should be as they faced it head-on. Bindu, the grandmother, mysteriously inherits millions of dollars where she spent it on buying a condo in a posh retirement community. Prior of her moving in that fancy condo, Bindu was sharing a home together with Aly, her ex-daughter in law and a journalist, even after her divorce with her son. Cullie, the granddaughter, is a genius tech wizard who created apps that help people, but changes in her work forced her to make a huge decision by pitching a dating app to the investors just to save her previous app. Cullie never had a proper and real date, so she seek help from her grandmother and her mother as they navigated their own path to living their own life in their own terms, and love along the way.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK WITH ME:
• Pacing is somewhat inconsistent in some parts, wherein it sometimes feels like it’s dragging, and some chapters are just fillers.
• Sometimes I feel like there’s a lot of going on and I’m getting confused because I feel like I’m reading two different books at the same time, specifically, Bindu’s past and the main storyline.
• Foreshadowing could have done a bit better, because I feel like there’s a much giveaway in the beginning parts of the story. It felt a bit short and underwhelming when Bindu’s past is finally revealed because it’s too predictable.
WHAT I LIKED THE MOST:
• I like the switching of the POV because we really get to know the characters well.
• The three women being there for each other despite of the status, age, and their way of thinking of things is so uplifting and empowering. That’s well-written here.
• I love the mini plot twists in the story, and I can’t remember how many times I giggled and laughed out loud in some parts of the story. Their dates are so iconic!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is the first book I’ve read from Sonali Dev, so I don’t have anything to compare to from her previous works. But I really liked this book. Bindu is now living in her own true colors, and she doesn’t want it to be the way of a world, and I love her for that. She’s my favorite Desai woman out of them. Aly is an ambitious woman who’s now finally fighting for her dreams. Cullie is so kind-hearted and wonderful person, and she’s now getting wiser with love. There are a lot of personal and social issues tackled so beautifully in this book, and how the Desai women overcame it is so inspiring. I believe The Vibrant Years is more about a journey to self-discovery, than finding love from other people. Because just like what Bindu said, “What we find attractive about people says more about us than about them.” And I guess that this pretty sums up what this book wanted to tell the world.
November 8, 2022
Easy going story about 3 generations of women on journeys of self discovery.
The vibrant years tells the story of Bindu, Aly and Cullie, three desi women living in Florida.
When Bindu inherits 1 million Dollars she moves into a luxury retirement village. After an unexpected ending to a date, Aly and Cullie visit Bindu and the three generations set about on a journey of self discovery and love.
The story was ok, it's an easy going read that I received as my Amazon First reads. I didn't dislike the story but didn't find myself excited by it.
I did enjoy some of the cultural references and how that impacted their decisions. However, it felt like for me, the comedic aspect didn't come naturally and was a little flat.
The vibrant years tells the story of Bindu, Aly and Cullie, three desi women living in Florida.
When Bindu inherits 1 million Dollars she moves into a luxury retirement village. After an unexpected ending to a date, Aly and Cullie visit Bindu and the three generations set about on a journey of self discovery and love.
The story was ok, it's an easy going read that I received as my Amazon First reads. I didn't dislike the story but didn't find myself excited by it.
I did enjoy some of the cultural references and how that impacted their decisions. However, it felt like for me, the comedic aspect didn't come naturally and was a little flat.
December 1, 2022
The Vibrant Years explores generational differences, family, ambition, and self-discovery. Overall, I liked this one. It was great reading the different perspectives of Bindu, Alisha, and Cullie. I liked that the author made each woman have a distinct voice. It was interesting to read the internal monologue each of the women had along with what selectively shared with others. I felt that this really helped make each main character resonate with the reader more. The main part that didn’t work for me was the pacing. Some of the scenes were fun to read but there were others where it felt slow.
January 4, 2023
The story is character-driven, and all three women have been fleshed out beautifully. They are resilient, with unwavering love, respect, and loyalty toward each other. The best part of the story is the bond between these women, and how they have each other’s back always. Binji is truly the star of this book, adding vibrance to the story.
image:
Each chapter starts with a quote written by Oscar Seth, and since we are unaware of Seth’s identity and role in the story for a long time, it adds an element of mystery to the narration.
The narration is through alternating POVs of the three main characters. In my opinion, it works perfectly well. I could see each character from close quarters and be a part of their story instead of witnessing it from a distance.
Dev has given sufficient space to all three characters. We get to know their backstories, heartbreaks, challenges, and struggles to keep going despite all adversities.
The author has handled many profound themes in this novel, including physical acts of intimacy in senior adults. Family dynamics, dating challenges, divorce, strained marriages, and professional struggles are a few of the major themes.
The pace is a little slow in the beginning, and the story gets a little predictable at times. I couldn’t enjoy the parts revolving around dating. I found it a bit irritating, strange, and predictable, as all of them ended as disasters.
Also, I would have loved to see a better resolution to Aly’s professional issues.
Though the story is set in the US and revolves around an Indian-American family, surprisingly it is not written mainly for a western audience.
The Vibrant Years is a well-written family drama interspersed with humour and emotional moments.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
You can find me here-
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image:
Each chapter starts with a quote written by Oscar Seth, and since we are unaware of Seth’s identity and role in the story for a long time, it adds an element of mystery to the narration.
The narration is through alternating POVs of the three main characters. In my opinion, it works perfectly well. I could see each character from close quarters and be a part of their story instead of witnessing it from a distance.
Dev has given sufficient space to all three characters. We get to know their backstories, heartbreaks, challenges, and struggles to keep going despite all adversities.
The author has handled many profound themes in this novel, including physical acts of intimacy in senior adults. Family dynamics, dating challenges, divorce, strained marriages, and professional struggles are a few of the major themes.
The pace is a little slow in the beginning, and the story gets a little predictable at times. I couldn’t enjoy the parts revolving around dating. I found it a bit irritating, strange, and predictable, as all of them ended as disasters.
Also, I would have loved to see a better resolution to Aly’s professional issues.
Though the story is set in the US and revolves around an Indian-American family, surprisingly it is not written mainly for a western audience.
The Vibrant Years is a well-written family drama interspersed with humour and emotional moments.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
You can find me here-
Blog
January 8, 2023
What does “living on your own terms” mean to you?
‘The Vibrant Years’, by Sonali Dev, initially disguises itself as a cute, light story but gradually becomes one with a gutsy and determined message.
A contemporary fiction story of a daughter’s, mother’s and grandmother’s relationships to: one another, careers, men, and most importantly, themselves.
Each chapter starts with a short excerpt from a journal creating a slight mystery to the plot.
All told with a sense of humor and openness.
“Why did human beings need love from where they wanted it rather than from where they were getting it?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘The Vibrant Years’, by Sonali Dev, initially disguises itself as a cute, light story but gradually becomes one with a gutsy and determined message.
A contemporary fiction story of a daughter’s, mother’s and grandmother’s relationships to: one another, careers, men, and most importantly, themselves.
Each chapter starts with a short excerpt from a journal creating a slight mystery to the plot.
All told with a sense of humor and openness.
“Why did human beings need love from where they wanted it rather than from where they were getting it?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 16, 2025
4⭐️ = Good.
Paperback.
This was my monthly book club read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It was lovely and descriptive, with a warm cocooning feeling about it. Although it wasn’t a book that I was desperate to pick up, once I sat down and read a few pages, I was loathed to put it down. It was a book that I preferred to immerse myself in for at least an hour at a time.
I’m looking forward to reading another by this author.
Paperback.
This was my monthly book club read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It was lovely and descriptive, with a warm cocooning feeling about it. Although it wasn’t a book that I was desperate to pick up, once I sat down and read a few pages, I was loathed to put it down. It was a book that I preferred to immerse myself in for at least an hour at a time.
I’m looking forward to reading another by this author.
November 24, 2022
Kind of mixed feelings on this one. Very 'vibrant' main character with interesting backstory. Some humor also. Current 'love stories' not that interesting to me. I'm going to save this quote from the book, though. I love it.
Life.
You blink and it's gone.
The passion. The boredom. The moment lived. The moment lost.
In the end they are just crumbs stuck in the creases of memory. Remnants of tastes left on your tongue.
Life.
You blink and it's gone.
The passion. The boredom. The moment lived. The moment lost.
In the end they are just crumbs stuck in the creases of memory. Remnants of tastes left on your tongue.
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