Well-Behaved Indian Women

Name: Well-Behaved Indian Women
Brand: Penguin Random House
Availability: InStock
Author: Saumya Dave
ISBN: 9780593214510

Author: Saumya Dave

Narrator: Soneela Nankani

Unabridged: 12 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 07/14/2020

Categories: Fiction, Cultural Fiction, Family Life, Women

Synopsis

A Lilly's Library Book Club Pick!

“A sparkling debut.”—Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

From a compelling new voice in women's fiction comes a mother-daughter story about three generations of women who struggle to define themselves as they pursue their dreams.

Simran Mehta has always felt harshly judged by her mother, Nandini, especially when it comes to her little "writing hobby." But when a charismatic and highly respected journalist careens into Simran's life, she begins to question not only her future as a psychologist, but her engagement to her high school sweetheart.

Nandini Mehta has strived to create an easy life for her children in America. From dealing with her husband's demanding family to the casual racism of her patients, everything Nandini has endured has been for her children's sake. It isn’t until an old colleague makes her a life-changing offer that Nandini realizes she's spent so much time focusing on being the Perfect Indian Woman, she’s let herself slip away.

Mimi Kadakia failed her daughter, Nandini, in ways she'll never be able to fix—or forget. But with her granddaughter, she has the chance to be supportive and offer help when it's needed. As life begins to pull Nandini and Simran apart, Mimi is determined to be the bridge that keeps them connected, even as she carries her own secret burden.

About The Author

Saumya Dave is a psychiatrist and mental health advocate. Her essays, articles, and poetry have been featured in The New York Times, ABC News, Refinery29, and other publications. She is the co-founder of thisisforHER, a nonprofit at the nexus of art and women's mental health, and an adjunct professor at Mount Sinai, where she teaches a Narrative Medicine class. She recently completed her Psychiatry Residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, where she was a chief resident and an inductee into the AΩA Medical Honors Society. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and son. This is her first novel.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on July 14, 2020

Simran is a writer and psychologist, judged by her mother, Nandini, who feels writing isn’t a “job.” When a journalist comes knocking, it makes Simran question her career and her engagement. Nandini, Simran’s mother, has done the best she can to provide a good life for her children. She faces racism......more

Goodreads review by Mai on May 06, 2025

I had to read this one in segments. I found myself nodding along, agreeing with daughter, mother, and grandmother. But then I found myself angry with the same women. At what point do we take what we dislike about our parents and change it for the next generation? Are we perpetually stuck in a cycle......more

Goodreads review by Theresa on March 10, 2020

I loved this novel so much. It’s really well written. After seven years of dating Kunal behind their parents’ backs, Simran and Kunal are engaged, right on schedule. Kunal is in medical school and Simran is almost finished with her master’s degree in psychology. Her parents think it’s cute but not im......more

Goodreads review by Jonetta on February 07, 2021

Simran Mehta is pursuing a master’s in psychology at Columbia but loves writing, enough that she’s recently published a book of essays. When New York Times columnist Neil Desai shows up at her book party, he sparks disorder in Simran’s life by strengthening her confidence in herself as a writer but......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on September 30, 2020

Well Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave is a mother-daughter story, about Indian women, culture, relationships, and life choices. I really enjoyed this one and learned a lot from my book club discussion with the author. Simran is in her 20s, pursuing a degree in psychology and she also has just writ......more

Quotes

"The family dynamics are familiar in the best way, reminding you that you’re not alone with whatever soft-shoe you’re performing beneath your own family tree."—New York Times Book Review

"This is a tender tale that never shies away from the tension at its root."—ELLE

"Well-Behaved Indian Women is a sparkling debut about family, identity, and finding the courage to pursue your own dreams. Saumya Dave is a bright new voice in women’s fiction.”—Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lies That Bind

"Saumya Dave's wonderful debut is about mothers, daughters, and the rewards of following your own path. Told with warmth, humor, and insight, Well-Behaved Indian Women is a joy from start to finish."—Laura Dave, international bestselling author of Eight Hundred Grapes

"Well-Behaved Indian Women is a lesson in dreaming passionately, loving deeply, and living authentically. Dave reminds us that it’s never too late to resurrect an abandoned dream. This stunning debut is a celebration of women— their loves and loyalties, dreams and disappointments, hopes and heartbreaks."—Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author

“Saumya Dave's debut explores the relationships between mothers and daughters and their constant dance between meeting expectations while trying to fulfill self-desires. Nandini and Simran are both conflicted in how to be true to themselves. This debut is a love letter to the complexities of families and personal ambitions.”—Roselle Lim, author of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune