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The Golden Son  By  cover art

The Golden Son

By: Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
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Publisher's summary

The New York Times and number-one internationally best-selling author of Secret Daughter returns with an unforgettable story of family, responsibility, love, honor, tradition, and identity, in which two childhood friends - a young doctor and a newly married bride - must balance the expectations of their culture and their families with the desires of their own hearts.

The first of his family to go to college, Anil Patel, the golden son, carries the weight of tradition and his family's expectations when he leaves his tiny Indian village to begin a medical residency in Dallas, Texas, at one of the busiest and most competitive hospitals in America. When his father dies, Anil becomes the de facto head of the Patel household and inherits the mantle of arbiter for all of the village's disputes. But he is uneasy with the custom, uncertain that he has the wisdom and courage demonstrated by his father and grandfather. His doubts are compounded by the difficulties he discovers in adjusting to a new culture and a new job - challenges that will shake his confidence in himself and his abilities.

Back home in India, Anil's closest childhood friend, Leena, struggles to adapt to her demanding new husband and relatives. Arranged by her parents, the marriage shatters Leena's romantic hopes and eventually forces her to make a desperate choice that will hold drastic repercussions for herself and her family. Though Anil and Leena struggle to come to terms with their identities thousands of miles apart, their lives eventually intersect once more - changing them both and the people they love forever.

Tender and bittersweet, The Golden Son illuminates the ambivalence of people caught between past and present, tradition and modernity, duty and choice; the push and pull of living in two cultures; and the painful decisions we must make to find our true selves.

©2016 Shilpi Somaya Gowda (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about The Golden Son

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

4-Stars, But I'm Rounding Up...

I liked this book,liked it enough to listen to it 'cover-to-cover,' hence, the 4-stars. It has great characters, Gowda threw conflict after conflict in every chapter to keep you listening, and there was a neat sorta quirkiness and humor in it that added to its humanity.
Still, there was a certain intensity that was lacking that really only turned up in Leena, and quite honestly, only turned up toward the end. The characters, though given much to strive toward (Gowda is an expert plotter), don't have much passion, neither do they have many flaws. There are a few times when things turn dour for Anil, and he berates himself as he's "f*'d up," but I had to go back and re-listen to what happened only to wonder, "Really? Where? What?" It seems that the author wanted his characters to be likable so much so that he really didn't allow them to be human.
And there's this one other glitch, and I mention it only because it was an obvious turning point, that was an unevenly written bit of racially motivated violence that comes off as a total device of convenience that leaves the reader wondering: Now? But they've been together 14 months, and it's happening now?!?
Okay, I'll shut up. Off to the good things; The characters ARE likable, I love the way their formative experiences and relationships are written as children. The descriptive settings are great. There is no disorienting sense of ping-ponging between Anil and Leena's stories, though you are breathless to get back to each of them (like I said, conflict in each and every chapter). What I really appreciated was that there were no stereotypical, "Duh, fish outta water here," events for Anil in America when such a foreign culture could've provided the author with easy ways out.
There's really not much arbitration, but where there is, is greatly, greatly amusing. And the ending? Not what I hoped for, but what I loved and respect. What more can you ask of a writer?
This is a good book that could've used some editing, with some FANTASTIC narration (started off jarring, but OMG it kicked in!), that I think is well worth it. Maybe not cover-to-cover, I coulda had a nap in there, but worth the time :)

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful except

the poor guy with the Aussie accent! It couldn't have been worse. Other than that, it was a great listen. Love the Indian accents.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Get better medical advice,

Great narrator and carefully thought through interwoven stories. As a doctor I am annoyed with erroneous medical stories. Why include the back pain detail in the AAA, mentioning it more than once and ignore it later when it was the learning moment?

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2 people found this helpful

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Thank you!

Here is a well-written powerful story of love, loss, expectations for oneself and family with the powerful immigration challenges facing the Golden son who is torn between two worlds. I couldn't stop listening, excellent narration enhanced the story. One moment I'm reaching for my tissue, and the next I have to take a walk because I'm so angry. I related with the characters and am hopeful for all Indian immigrants that they can traverse both worlds gracefully and find happiness in their new home here in the USA as well as back in their motherland. I only hope that all of us begin to listen to our neighbors, get to know them with curiosity so as not to make blanket prejudices due to their accents. This story's a gift of family love, appreciation, gratitude, acceptance, and resilience. I felt I learned quite a bit about the rigor of medical school, residency, and its unforgiving competition. Thank you!

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1 person found this helpful

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Narrator brings this wonderful novel to life

I loved this book, and I was so impressed by the full-bodied, lively narration. The characters came alive with the various skillful accents and amusing dialogue, particularly among the main character and his roommates. For some novels, it might have been too much, but it was perfect for this one.

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Great story

thought it was well put together, narration was very good and I enjoyed it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional Storytelling

This was a supple story of layered characters that traverse the cross cultural experience of immigration. Wonderful read with exceptional storytelling performance.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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New favorite author

I read Gowda first because I owed a Pandemic book giveaway review. Halfway through that first novel, I bought the other two. Now I am HOOKED and don’t know what I will do until she writes another book. Y’all, whether it’s your first of her novels or completes your reading, buy this book!!!

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  • Overall
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Excellent...

Throughly enjoyed the India to America story with struggles and successes. Excellent narration and story content.

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Excellent book

Love the storyline and the way it was delivered you could picture of the events very clearly

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