The Namesake

De: Jhumpa Lahiri

Narrado por: Sarita Choudhury

The Namesake follows the Ganguli family through its journey from Calcutta to Cambridge to the Boston suburbs. Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli arrive in America at the end of the 1960s, shortly after their arranged marriage in Calcutta, in order for Ashoke to finish his engineering degree at MIT. Ashoke is forward-thinking, ready to enter into American culture if not fully at least with an open mind. His young bride is far less malleable. Isolated, desperately missing her large family back in India, she will never be at peace with this new world.

Soon after they arrive in Cambridge, their first child is born, a boy. According to Indian custom, the child will be given two names: an official name, to be bestowed by the great-grandmother, and a pet name to be used only by family. But the letter from India with the child's official name never arrives, and so the baby's parents decide on a pet name to use for the time being. Ashoke chooses a name that has particular significance for him: on a train trip back in India several years earlier, he had been reading a short story collection by one of his most beloved Russian writers, Nikolai Gogol, when the train derailed in the middle of the night, killing almost all the sleeping passengers onboard. Ashoke had stayed awake to read his Gogol, and he believes the book saved his life. His child will be known, then, as Gogol.

Lahiri brings her enormous powers of description to her first novel, infusing scene after scene with profound emotional depth. Condensed and controlled, The Namesake covers three decades and crosses continents, all the while zooming in at very precise moments on telling detail, sensory richness, and fine nuances of character.©2003 Jhumpa Lahiri; (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a Division of Random House, Inc.

Truthful storytelling

A compelling and truthful look at the complicated relationship inside an immigrant and first generation American family. What each member gains or loses when they done this identity and how they chose to navigate over the decades. Very touching.

Yes and no

This is a Great book really well written but definitely not a feel good story

Like Roots for Indian families

Ok, this book doesn't go as far as Roots did, but it's a beautiful read none the less. I LOVED every word!

A great book in a very good performance

Would you listen to The Namesake again? Why?

yes, because the details of this story are charming

What about Sarita Choudhury’s performance did you like?

She gave the characters personality

Any additional comments?

Loved it

a must-read truly lovely!

a deeply heartfelt moving story narrated beautifully. Kelso I was a part of the lives of those in the story.