Book Review - The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

This book is a YA-adult novel, reccommended for ages 14-15+

Gogol Ganguli is the son of two Indian Immigrants, living in Massachussetts and yearning for a different name than the one he was given. He despises the name Gogol, a title not even common in his homeland, something that haunts him throughout the book, throughout his life.

Gogol's parents, Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli, are lonely, complicated, loving individuals, struggling to be Indian parents to their American children. They feel at home only in their trips to Calcutta, with their own families surrounding them. Gogol and his sister, Sonia, brush off this fact, wanting to go to their own home in America, packed with fluffernutter sandwiches and colored pencils, instead of sleeping with mosquito nets and eating chicken curry and rice with their hands as the primary utensil. Ashima and Ashoke clash with their children in this sense - culture - and although they want to show their children what they are truly made of, their roots are hidden under Ivy Leagues and frigid Boston winters - lost but not really forgotten.

Gogol grows up through The Namesake, transforming from an innocent boy into a New York City architect, distanced from his family and stained by the relationships he has had with others. But throughout his life, Gogol has one large regret, that looms over him like nothing else ever will - his name. To combat this Gogol changes his outer appearance to match what he feels inside - but it doesn't do what he hopes it will, complicating his life even more.

A brilliantly written familial narrative, The Namesake transcends borders and has reached millions of readers worldwide, zeroing in on the true reality of the immigrant experience.

📚📚📚📚📚 - A terrific read - I couldn't put it down!

Happy Reading!

Nidhi