About this item
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERNamed a book not to miss by USA Today * Chicago Sun-Times * New York Post"Deeply involving....Rings so true." -- Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of RoomFrom the international bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a familys growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy."The Shape of Family is a novel about race and culture, parents and siblings, marriage and love, but most of all, its about finding hope after darkness. Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a compassionate and wise storyteller who keeps us riveted from beginning to end." -- Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in TranslationThe Olander family embodies the modern American Dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home.But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the familys foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.When Karina heads off to college for a fresh start, her search for identity and belonging leads her down a dark path, forcing her and her family to reckon with the past, the secrets theyve held and the weight of their choices.The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging - in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves.
About the Author
Shilpi Somaya Gowda is the New York Times bestselling author of 3 novels: SECRET DAUGHTER (2010) , THE GOLDEN SON (2015) , and THE SHAPE OF FAMILY (2020) . Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages, been #1 international bestsellers in several countries and sold more than two million copies worldwide. Shilpi was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. In college, she spent a summer as a volunteer in an Indian orphanage, which seeded the idea for her first novel: SECRET DAUGHTER was an IndieNext Great Read, a Target Book Club Pick, a ChaptersIndigo Heather's Pick, and an Amnesty International Book Club Pick. It was a finalist for the South African Boeke Literary Prize and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It is currently in production with Amazon Studios to be a feature film, starring Priyanka Chopra and Sienna Miller. THE GOLDEN SON was also a Target Book Club Pick, a Costco Buyer's Pick, and was awarded the French literary prize, Prix des Lyceens Folio. THE SHAPE OF FAMILY was an international and American bestseller. Her next novel is slated for publication in 2024 in multiple territories. Shilpi holds an MBA from Stanford University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead-Cain scholar. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Children's Defense Fund, and is a Patron of Childhaven International, the organization for which she volunteered in India. She now lives in California.
