Mother Land

A Novel

By: Leah Franqui

Narrated by: Amy McFadden

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

“Lively and evocative, Mother Land is a deftly crafted exploration of identity and culture, with memorable and deeply human characters who highlight how that which makes us different can ultimately unite us.” (Amy Myerson, author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays and The Imperfects)

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 30-something 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 expat American’s sense of adventure is sorely tested when her mother-in-law, Swati, suddenly arrives from Kolkata - 1,000 miles away - alone, with an even more shocking announcement: She’s left her husband of more than 40 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.

©2020 Leah Franqui (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Great Narrator

I was happy that this book was not a typical love story. It was nice to listen to and made my long drives shorter. I have been looking for books set in India after a trip there and found this to satisfy my missing the bright colors and energy.

An unlikely friendship

An unlikely women’s friendship. I loved it. I especially loved Swathi. Voice performance is really moving. I definitely recommend.

Nice descriptions of India

Good story but too long and drawn out. It would’ve been better if it were cut in half

Try this author again

I read this author’s first novel that is available on audible, but felt lukewarm about it. This book, on the other hand, is a solid 4 stars. I have listened to it a few times (between other selections) and like it more each time. Insight into Indian way of life, well imagined and constructed characters. Recommended.

Lighthearted and Charming

This story is such a welcome break from the stresses of 2020. The narrator was wonderful and the plot twists kept the story fresh. I would love to see this turned into a movie with Swathi as the breakaway star. It is fun to watch her evolve as she stretches past self-imposed boundaries. I will definitely listen to this again and look forward to reading more books by Leah Franqui.

Accurate portrayal of a cross-culture encounter

This is kinda my story, but in a different culture. My mother-in-law was brought into a household with a dictatorial mother-in-law when she married. They both moved into our home, and it's hard to describe what it's like to feel that your last refuge has been invaded by a culture that you're still getting used to, and maybe will never get used to--but Leah Franqui did a great job of framing it. But my mother-in-law was a very open-minded and tolerant person who'd had her own trials being forced to conform for decades, and we spent a lot of time exploring our views and our life stories and ended up friends. The husband character was also a pretty accurate portrayal of how the guy you think you've married can become a different person when back in his own culture.

But this is more about me than about the book, which does a great job of presenting both the wife's and mother-in-law's journeys in a generous and humorous way, plus the Indian experience as a foreign wife, the ex-pat community, and the contradictions and hypocrisies inherent in every culture. Perhaps this isn't the view you want of Indian culture, but really, the book can be abstracted away to what can happen when you become so fully enmeshed in any foreign culture that you can't escape it. And it's an accurate portrayal of two people's encounter with it--and the realizations it brings. To provide more details would be to add spoilers.

I loved Leah Franqui's other book, America for Beginners, and I eagerly look forward to whatever she publishes next.

Fresh

Motherland by Leah Franqui set against modern day Mumbai gives that fresh perspective only an intuitive writer can master. Unfortunately this delightful book skirts away from race and class conflicts that often are under currents in most cross cultural marriages. Still a great read.

Surprising

I'm more of a blood, gore, apocalypse girl so was very surprised at just how much I loved this 'gentle' book ❤️

This could have been so good...

The author could have interjected some really great stories about living in India, but didn’t. There is barely any description of their marriage or relationship. Also, the main character can be difficult to like because she seems intelligent yet willfully ignorant of the culture in a country she chose to go live in.