A Good Indian Wife: A Novel

Excellent, page turner! I am not qualified to write a raving review that makes you want to read this book. How can I tell you about the intricate plots without giving away important details? I can only write that it was a challenge to put this book down, but I had to because sometimes I didn't want to know what was coming next. I was fearful that it would be different than what I hoped for.
Besides the paradox of culture in the old country and the new homeland, I enjoyed reading the thought processes of the characters. What happens when your dream girl looks very different from your mother, sister, and grandmother? When the ideal girl is tall, slender, blond, and blue eyes, and you are brown, what do you feel about yourself? These questions are answered in this story of culture, class, and family expectations. The fat lady doesn't sing until the very last page.

I absolutely loved and could related to this book. Being married to an Indian myself (I am American) I get it, totally. I am not sure that everyone who has not experienced Indian culture can fully grasp all of the nuances and cultural references. I did and I get it. I know what it is like to be the American in love with an Indian man who calls it off because he had to marry an Indian woman. I also know what it is like now that I am married to an Indian man.

This book captures all of that, and so much more. The lying, the arranged marriages, the family meddling in affairs of the heart, the family obligations, The Indian doctor who has relished in the American dream- soaked it up and become successful. Anne was right on when she wrote this book. I loved her characters and I understand Leela's loneliness. I am buying her next book and hope that it is as good as this one.

P.S. Anne----I got the audible edition-- the narrator needs to brush up his Indian words-- like tumeric, amma, etc.

A Good Indian Wife by Anne Cherian is a fictional book about an "accidental" arranged marriage.

Suneel (Neel, as he's known in America) is an American doctor, who has shunned his Indian roots since coming to the states for school. He's been having a mainly sexual relationship with a blonde, all-American secretary at the hospital where he works.

When his grandfather's sickness propels him to India to visit, Neel is kind of tricked into accepting a wife.

He tries to get out of it, in many ways, but seems to be stuck and has to bring his new wife back with him to America.

Neel's a jerk, cheating on Leila (the new wife) and treating her badly.

Will he change his ways and appreciate his Indian wife? Or is the relationship going to crash and burn?

This isn't a love story. Even though there's an arranged marriage, it's more about relationships, friendships, adapting to new situations, and being true to yourself.

A Good Indian Wife was a quick read for me, because of the interesting storyline and because of the culture exploration. I'm a sucker for books set in other cultures!

Thanks for reading,

Rebecca @ Love at First Book

I admit when I initially started reading this book, I was feeling rather let down. It was full of cliches and stereotypes. However, if you feel compelled to trudge on, it does improve in the second two thirds, Leila gaining some momentum and kudos. There is reality in this novel, and several Indian ladies may have similar stories to share. However, I could not help feeling the book was marred by being a little dated. Technology and the times have moved ahead rapidly over the past two decades, and concepts have rapidly changed in India and Indians. Read the book, but do not expect a masterpiece, nor a full depiction of the times, as they are now.

Although Cherian's debut novel started out promisingly enough, it proved a disappointment. None of the main characters were engaging or likeable. One wanted to like Leila, the doctor's bride, but she was exasperatingly docile and submissive for a woman who was a teacher in India. She needed someone to give her a good shake for about 3/4 of the book. There was also too much dialogue that did nothing to advance the plot. In fact, the dialogue was quite dull, for the most part, and I found myself skimming over it after awhile. I like novels about India and Indians and have been reading them for many years. This one can't compare in quality to most. Although the author has talent, she hasn't yet learned that the reader, in order to be engaged, has to be able to root for at least one of the characters. Jane Austen could have told her "Give yourself a heroine with some spunk or you've got nothing."

We have grown up with many stories that have shaped our ideas about romance, male-female relationships, and happiness, such as Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, and Snow White. Because of these childhood myths we believe for instance, that the "poor but kind" girl will triumph over the one that is "beautiful but evil," that the goal of women is to marry well, that the love of a good woman will change a man. The romance novels that fill the bookshelves are based on these assumptions, and usually end with the wedding, because the heroine has achieved her culturally-acceptable goal.
In A Good Indian Wife we have a romance that is informed by the stories of the sub-continent, which are explained to the reader: for example the story of Sita, the wife of Rama in the Ramayana. She is a virtuous woman who waits for her husband, even raising their two children alone. The message that is presented time and again in the book is that a good and virtuous woman who waits for and forgives her erring husband will eventually emerge triumphant. The other cultural message is that the wedding is not the ultimate goal, but rather creating a stable family--devout and faithful husband and wife raising their children in a happy home. Thus this story does NOT end with the wedding.
One must understand and accept these cultural imperatives to enjoy the story of Suneel, the Indian immigrant to the US who makes good as an anesthesiologist, and Leila, the wife he was tricked into marrying on a visit home. The story provides fascinating insights into Indian customs (arranged marriages, wedding ceremonies, food, etc.) and ideas (the patient, forbearing wife, and the importance of family). It also provides some interesting insights into the dilemma faced by all immigrants as they struggle to become Americans while retaining the values and customs that define them as individuals.
If you enjoy romances, or if you enjoy books about other cultures, you will enjoy this book. I recommend it as a quick and breezy summer read.

I expected more than this rather "Harlequin romance" type story. The characters weren't well developed ( Neel is an outright jerk ) and the plot isn't particularly original. Worst of all, I found the characters more and more irritating as the narrative continued. The Indian culture and customs were the most compelling aspect of the book. I wouldn't recommend this one.

Anesthesiologist Neel Sarath has it made. A successful Indian-American doctor with a home in San Francisco, an expensive car, and a tall blonde girlfriend he wants to marry, he only has to get his traditional family to accept her. His mother calls from India to say his beloved grandfather has taken a turn for the worse. Neel returns to his homeland to pay his last respects and returns with an Indian wife he doesn't want.

Leila Krishnan is an English teacher from Neel's village in Southern India. When the Saraths approach the Krishnans to propose an arranged marriage, the Krishnans are thrilled at the prospect of their old-maid daughter marrying an American doctor. But Leila is soon disappointed with her new life. Her husband's great house is "a barren flat," he works long hours and he refuses to touch her. Being married to Neel proves even more difficult than adjusting to life in the United States.

Can Neel and Leila make an arranged marriage work in modern American society? Can they live peacefully together without knowing if they have anything in common? Will Neel even give Leila a chance?

Anne Cherian's novel A Good Indian Wife explores what it's like to be a new Indian-American. Neel forsakes anything Indian while his fellow Indian doctor Sanjay incorporates Indian culture into his everyday life. Is one's culture something deeper than the practices of those around them? Neel is a bundle of contradictions. He marries Leila to honor his grandfather, yet planned to divorce her as soon as the old man died. He claimed not to care about his family's desires, yet he didn't marry the blonde girlfriend because he knew they would disapprove. Why can't Neel escape his Indian past?

A Good Indian Wife is engaging and thought provoking, a combination of India and America, tradition and modernity, oneness and individuality. I couldn't put this book down.

by Jennifer Melville
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Anne Cherian manages to write successfully in multiple 'tongues' -- from those of her protagonists, Leila and Neel, whose arranged marriage leaves them facing a communication gulf is as wide as the distance between 1980's San Francisco and a village in India. The result is very good, particularly for a first novel.

I loved "being" in India and, though some readers might trip over Cherian's use of foreign language, I found it lovely to deduce the meanings (more than once, I found myself salivating over the detailed descriptions of Indian food). And I loved being in 1980's San Francisco (in fact, having lived there then, I found the rendering mightily evocative.)

The novel is indeed Jane-Austinish, particularly in the slowly-evolving opening and the "who's marrying whom?" mystery, but it takes off in the middle and is a real nail-biter all the way to the last page. If you like Austin but want a break from 19th-century England, this is quite a treat. The novel cries out for a sequel -- I long to see what happens as Leila becomes ever more self-confident and independent in her new country.

I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it. The character of Neel is tricked into going to India with the ruse that his grandfather is dying. Once there his family skillfully manipulates him into marrying beautiful, educated, spinster Leila. Neel is under the belief that he can get a quickie divorce in the United States and continue his relationship with blonde, American,Caroline. I thought this book was highly realistic with how Neel was leading on both Caroline as well as Leila, making decisions simply by refusing to make a decision. I especially thought the author did a good job of showcasing Neel's inner conflict between the customs of India with his newfound beliefs in the United States. Leila's thoughts at being caught in a trap of a false marriage was also well-done. I look forward to more by this author.

I absolutely love the cover page of the book. Its smashing. And the book...hmmm well I am not sure I can say I loved the book. I guess I will compromise and call it interesting. I know it really is a tacky word to describe anything..let alone a book. But I realized as I read through the book that it could have been so much better. I really do love Leila's character though. I pretty much understand her and her feelings and its very easy to relate to most of it. However I really can't say much about Neel's character though. I got through that he was confused, but that's absolutely no excuse to act like a jerk. I mean calling him a kid seemed too much of a disgrace. I agree with some of the interplay in the conversations among the secondary characters about how Leila was too good for Neel. Leila has so much going for... I love the way she handles herself throughout. Unfortunately I guess I could even understand her love for her husband. She really grows throughout the book without making a big ado about it. She creates a niche for herself in the world that is not hers. She is strong without having too be aggressive about it. All in all I think the title " A good Indian Wife" really doesn't do a lot of justice to her.

Among the secondary character, I guess Sanjay comes across a great guy who is comfortable in his skin and so much more easy going in his relationship with his "not-Indian" wife. It is easy to like him. Most characters in the book are present mostly to help the story along.

However my complain about the book was more about understanding the settings and timings of when the story was set. It was very unclear as to whether the story was really set in Mumbai or Chennai (as that's where the Iyengars are originally from). I never really understood what village she was talking about and the worst thing I guess was the timing. I kept wondering as to what period/years she was talking about and not till at least 100-150 pages into the book that I came across a line which suggests that the book was set in the eighties. It would have helped greatly to know that. I couldn't comprehend the India in the book to the one I am mostly familiar with now.

To conclude, its definitely an interesting book to read. Beyond that and more, I guess it's the reader's prerogative.

I just liked the book very much. Indian culture is different and interesting. A good mix of modern day and the past and arranged marriages. Not going to win the Pulitzer but an interesting story about a strong woman who preservers in a marriage that a young doctor from the US is pushed into. I love her character and spunk and really enjoyed reading this one.

Conclusion: Good novel to have an insight into an arranged marriage... read it with an open mind since it is about another culture. If you can't quit your western mindset (like me) then forget about this novel you might not like it.

When I read the summary for the book, I imagined a strong-willed protagonist that was no common Indian bride/wife. From the very beginning you will get caught into the story which seems promising to develop a whole new perspective regarding arranged marriages, but the reader just keeps waiting on this to ever happen.

From my western point of view, there was no reason whatsoever to find Neel and Leila suddenly together (in bed). Leila develops her independence really slow at the beginning, but she doesn't fully understand that she needs to develop self-respect for Neel to see her as an equal human being and from there to love her. Even almost at the end of the novel he's still thinking about divorcing her.

Leila's character has everything what Neel wants, she's educated, pretty but she's not blonde... at this last point Neel actually understands that he rejected an Indian bride and wants a blonde because he rejects himself and has anger due to past experiences. Once he let it go then he starts being kind towards Leila. Basically, I didn't like Leila's response and attitude so submissive towards her husband being like a carpet to him all the time... I wanted her to show her strength, independence and education, a new attitude towards Neel and he to recognize that Leila was as good as anyone else i.e. American, European or so on.

After analyzing the novel and set it in the right context (80's, Indian culture, real experiences) then yes this novel is absolutely right! Even though it was developed in a short time period (just one yr when it takes sometimes yrs) According to Indian culture/education a GOOD wife should be just like Leila, educated but quiet, strong enough to endure the "test" that an arrange marriage has for her..i.e. from in-laws that treat you like a servant to a husband who ignores you, and quit the romance. As simple as that, Leila is a good Indian wife because according to their society she stayed with her husband and endure everything... until he finally recognized his love for her, the love (true love) that come from an arrange marriage. Even though it is a stereotype, there's this western image of some Indian wives (mostly from arranged marriages) that even though they seem submissive they are actually the ones who rule the house and there's no step the husband will take without her (which happens somehow to Neel and Leila).

I enjoyed this book & enjoy reading novels about Indian culture set both in India & expat Indian lives elsewhere . This book seemed very unrealistic which I can't go into without giving away too much of the outcome & I still enjoyed it . I especially like books by Indian women authors and am open to suggestions .

Ms.Cherian successfully brings out two cultures through an immigrant doctor who has embraced American culture and reluctant to identify his owns roots. His relationship with his granddad & family can be believable at the same time his hatred towards some of traditions and practices. However his affinity towards white women seems too obsolete concept as people have moved farther from these ideas.
Leila a 30 year old college lecturer as strong, poignant and cheerful woman who is independent and brings cheerfulness o the whole plot. Her character is adorable highlighting some of very Indian sentiments like feeling sorry for not cooking or picking up the telephone. Few characters are like Sanjay, Oona and Shanti are very practical and appreciable. Most of the immigrants can relate to these characters.
The few of the concepts are old-fashioned like Leila not knowing about condos or the famous cars Neel drives and also looking for soil to get blessings. None of the Indian girls are naïve not knowing these concepts. At the same time who uses pagers now? Could'nt she have replaced pagers with cell phones? Character like Caroline are much predictable and boring, would have been something different.
Coming to Indian scenario, it seems very dramatized like when Neel's mothers plans to hitch with a native girl or Neel and Leila's first meet or Neel's irritability for everything Indian. With many clichés Ms Cherian's book is a feel good read which brings wind of romance and freshness.

My mother recommended this one to me very highly and I finally had time to sit down and read it though. I was in no way disappointed. I read it like a text book, wanting to highlight certain passages because the issues and clashes brought up (Neel's fighting against himself, his culture, wild discomfort in his own brown skin and obsession with white women as perfection, mixed relationships in America, Leila's determination to be herself and proud of it, the surprising and often overwhelming power and influence of family regardless of whether one wants it or not, class vs. race, and so much more) apply to so many ethnic cultures. Anne Cherian's so-true insights, especially through Shanti, have made her one of my new favorite authors. I can't wait for a sequel to this or one of her next books. A lifetime must read along with The Auto-Biography of an Ex-Colored Man.

Wonderful, engaging read. As one who enjoys learning about other cultures, I found A Good Indian Wife fascinating. Anne Cherian's rich sensory imagery and authentic dialog made me feel as though I were actually there; I sensed the smooth softness of the sarees, tasted the curry, smelled the cow dung patties drying on the garden wall. I came away from the book more than ever convinced that, no matter our background, human beings are basically the same the world over.

Cherian's engaging novel melds the diverse cultures of two countries, San Francisco anesthesiologist Suneel Sarath unable to bridge his bifurcated life, successful California physician and dutiful son of Indian parents who expect him to embrace family tradition and choose an Indian wife. Neel, as he prefers to be called in his modern incarnation, returns to the family home in rural India when he learns his grandfather is gravely ill. Soon after his arrival, Neel is enmeshed with his family's machinations, a well-planned effort to match him with an appropriate bride. With no intention of cooperating beyond the most cursory level of social contact, Neel's calculated appeasement backfires; he finds himself wed to thirty-year-old Leila, a teacher of English literature who long ago reconciled herself to spinsterhood. Convinced her dream of marriage and family will never come true, Leila is amazed when the impossible happens, wed to a handsome, if emotionally distant man.

Of course nothing is ever as simple as it appears. While Leila adapts to the idea of the exciting adventures awaiting her in America, Neel has other problems; he has a tangled past, unfinished business only made more complicated by his marriage. There is a long-term girlfriend waiting in San Francisco, Neel's life far removed from the Indian childhood he left behind. Success has allowed unexpected freedoms on the West Coast, including a blonde beauty far from the conventional standards of his family's expectations. Meanwhile, Leila has no idea why her romantic dreams fail to reach fruition, Neel withdrawn and uncommunicative, juggling the real-time problems of married life with a demanding girlfriend who has long harbored her own fantasies of the future. The spirited and independent Leila, confused by her husband's intractability, tries to accommodate Neel's temperament, plagued with self-doubts and vague suspicions.

The author has crafted an elegant, poignant novel that is a joy to read, capturing the characters' intricacies, hopes and disappointments. Both women in Neel's life delude themselves, making excuses for behavior they don't understand. Neel temporizes, caught between two worlds, the familiarity of his Indian heritage at odds with modern Western culture, rebelling at the repression of generations. The very American girlfriend is sadly predictable, tolerating Neel's wife until she becomes an unacceptable threat, Leila full of surprises, discovering her voice in this unfamiliar place where new friends think her beautiful and interesting. The usual problems of early marriage weigh upon this couple, exacerbated by pride and misunderstanding. In a fascinating mating dance that draws the pair together, while at the same time pushing them apart, love planted in foreign soil blooms in the city by the bay. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

This really was a great book. The author writes like it is her own story it is so authentic. Lots of great things about India - makes you feel as though you are there quite often. I LOVE the main charachter. She could have been written entirely different but everything was believable and entertaining. Heart warming, un heavy (though not light) read with a good ending.

I love reading books by Indian authors and when I picked this book up, I was not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. The characters of the books are very real and interesting. The story moved at a great pace and the subject of an arranged marriage was handled beautifully. The 2 central characters were very real people with their own flaws and human emotions. Suneel is a character many Indian NRI men will be able to associate with, the choices and non-choices of life, how to balance their independent thinking along with their family's traditional values and expectations. Leila was a woman I admired right from page one of the book. She is strong and faced up to all the challenges that life threw at her. Absolutely loved this book by Anne Cherian and I would strongly recommend reading it.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was well written and flowed easily. What impressed me most, is that this book made me hungry. Every time I cracked this book open, the author's descriptions of food made my mouth water. Since reading this book, I have learned to cook many new Indian dishes, I was so inspired.

This book was not good literary fiction. It was a great look into the cultural differences of India and America, but other than that, it was a soap opera, full of useless dialog. I would not recommend it.

I caught wind of this book before its official release and was somewhat excited about it. I'm something of an Indophile, and while I knew that the story was likely a [spoilers] "NRI marries abroad and ditches blonde secretary for new bride" tale, I was hoping that the story would be told in such a way that one wanted the two lovers to succeed and prove that sometimes arranged marriages work (just as sometimes love marriages work; call me a pessimist). That is not what happened. Leila is interesting, but Neel is a tool. The whole story is about her winning him over (which I expected), but he never redeems himself, and in the end I wish she ran off with one of the white dudes who kept hitting on her. The only interesting character is the bride; the rest are formulaic and dull.

I was skeptical that this premise could work - a mid-thirties San Francisco doctor gets married off against his will during a two-week trip to India? But Cherian pulls it off, and the very fact that she makes it believable is what lets us feel her characters as complicated and interesting. Both the Bay Area doctor and the naive small-town Indian wife reveal themselves to be much more than the stereotypes would suggest. Though the Indian culture that produced them may be foreign to American readers, the competing forces that compel and ultimately shape them - independence and loyalty, hope and despair, love and self-protection - bring the story home.

This is a very compelling, well crafted, and enjoyable book, which wryly examines the difference between what we think we want, and what we truly desire. The story also contrasts the dynamics of arranged marriages versus "love matches" and in the process finds similar potential pit-falls in both.

As we are drawn into the manifold relationships stretching out in all directions from one marriage, we are given a generous view of universal human strengths and frailties. Anne Cherian's tale provides a reminder that sometimes our most cherished self-images and long-held dreams can be chimerical when compared to that which truly provides a sense of comfort and ease. And, that it sometimes takes an independent nature and a bit of rebelliousness to find the wisdom in the conventional.

Thought this book would be more insightful and deeper in meaning. As I was reading it it kept waiting for something more - but it never happened. It was so predictable and cliché. I love Indian authors and books based in/about India (I am Indian) - but this one definitely wasn't the best.

House of blue mangoes is a good book. Also sea of poppies. And short stories by chitra divakaruni banerjee.And one of my favorite books of all time Of Marriageable Age by Sharon Mass. AMAZING book!!

Unusual, moving story of Indian immigrants who've come to America. Cherian is not afraid to tackle immigrant issues such as fear of not fitting in and most surprisingly, self hatred. I love the strength of the female protagonist.! I'm excited to read her next novel, The Invitation.

The book's main characters are believeable enough and are well-written with a good storyline. BUT, and this is huge, Cherian seems to rely on vacuous stereotypes when writing any other character in the book. Take Rekha, who is an American of Indian descent who attends UC Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay ARea. Portrayed as the typical American Born Confused Desi with no clue about of her cultural heritage, Rekha also seems insensible to the vast social and professional network of South Asians in the Bay Area as well as the numerous shelters/services provided specifically for South Asian women. She goes to UC Berekely with its enormous South Asian population and yet seems clueless as to how many outreach groups there are to help South Asians. As for the white characters, they may as well just have labels- Golddigger, Indian Fetish Guy, or Indian Fetish Girl. Unfortunately, the inadequacies in Ms. Cherians knowledge of "white" Americans and Americans of South Asian descent ruins what is otherwise an interesting novel.

Cherian writes an unlikely modern-day fairy tale about two sympathetic and authentic characters caught up in a series of cultural expectations and compromises. The story is set in the contemporary global context, where the fluid flows of people, knowledge and cultures across borders create seemingly unlikely unions. The premise of the marriage is such that the reader feels like s/he is watching a fatal accident unfold in slow motion. The twists and turns that the novel takes, replete with cultural mis-steps and misunderstandings, make it a fun and compelling read.

It's a page turner, and I'd recommend it highly.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt it gave insight into the Indian family, culture and arranged marriage. I hope if she writes another she is more descriptive of the food as I had no idea what things were that they ordered in restaurants. I was reminded of Amy Tan's books that explored the Chinese Culture. As an American this culture is foreign to me and very interesting - I hope she writes more books, I would definitely read them.

The story sounded cute, I kept reading even when ever other word was virry. Yet, the story became so predictable, I hoped for a twist or suprise, no. The characters were one dimensional and not that likable.

A Good Indian Wife: A Novel

Anne Cherian invites us to root for a "happily ever after" for an unlikely pair of lovers. He's the thoroughly American immigrant from India; she's the too old, too tall, too poor Indian wife he doesn't want.

Like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," Cherian finds the universal in a specific culture.

A lovely read.