Title: The Namesake Author: Jhumpa Lahiri type of book: Multicultural Fiction call number: Fic

This book is strong in character and language.

Summary:
The Namesake chronicles the life of two generations of the Ganguli family. Calcutta-raised engineering student Ashoke Ganguli moves to America in the mid 1960s with his bride Ashima, the marriage arranged by his and her parents. They settle into the American culture, making friends and starting a family. With the birth of son Gogol, the reader learns of the Bengali tradition of pet names, very different from the American tendency to shorten names. Gogol is the novel's center and its primary perspective, the namesake of the title. He is not aware that he's named after the Russian author not because Gogol is his father's favorite writer but because a copy of Gogol's short stories saved Ashoke's life after a train wreck. To Ashoke, the name signifies a beginning after surviving a horrible night in the rubble. This idea is the heart of the novel; as immigrants the Gangulis must look forward to what lies ahead instead of what is past, and their children must find their own paths.

I would recommend this book!

Why?
If you've read any of my other reviews, you know I like my fiction infused with details of other cultures. The Namesake is rich with detail and brings the Ganguli's world to life without making it seem foreign. I also liked the description of food - Indian, French,and American! It gets a little sappy in the end, but most readers will enjoy the story. It might disappoint people who like a fast-paced highly-plotted tale.

Other suggested reading:
The author won a Pulitzer prize for her collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, which I actually preferred.

Employee Initials: SB Review Date: February 2004

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