Mansi Shah Blows Us Away With New Novel, A Good Indian Girl

It feels like everyone’s vacationing in Europe this summer except us at THP! And by everyone, we mean the book characters we’ve been reading about. Mansi Shah’s new novel, A Good Indian Girl, transports us to Tuscany, Italy.

A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah is a story about Jyoti Shah, an Indian American divorcée spending her summer in Italy after her husband of more than 15 years left her for being unable to conceive. There, Jyoti rekindles her passion for cooking and tries to figure out how best to live her life.

It felt like A Good Indian Girl had been written with us in mind, and we’re taking it to heart! Here are three of our favorite things about Mansi Shah’s A Good Indian Girl.

Book Overview: A Good Indian Girl

Content Warnings: mention of pregnancy and miscarriages, infertility, racism, medical procedures, needles, depression

Summary: Jyoti is the “perfect” Indian American daughter: She stayed out of trouble, looked after her younger sisters, and married a man her parents approved of. So when her husband, Ashok, pushes her to quit her dream job as head chef to focus on conceiving, she obliges, knowing this will please her parents—only for Ashok to leave her when she cannot carry to term. Now unemployed, childless, and divorced, a disgrace to her Gujarati family, Jyoti books a ticket to Tuscany for the summer to visit her best friend (and fellow social outcast), Karishma.

Carbs, chianti, and la bella vita slowly restore Jyoti’s confidence, inspiring her to experiment with Indian-Italian fusion recipes. But when she unexpectedly goes viral for her impromptu cooking vlogs—and candid vent sessions—her gossiping aunties have a field day. And when a shocking reveal comes to light, Jyoti must choose between family acceptance, a fulfilling career, and even motherhood, all before the summer ends…

The Italy Itinerary

In the past two weeks, we’ve reviewed books about London and Paris, and now we’re in Italy for A Good Indian Girl. This book only adds to our ever-growing European bucket list, specifically the kind of food we’d love to try. Jyoti’s best friend Karishma is the ultimate tour guide, showing her the best pasta spots that Jyoti could appreciate to the fullest. Karishma also takes Jyoti to the Amalfi Coast, going on boat tours and swimming in caves. We can only read and dream of these experiences (for now)!

So Many Recipes

The scenes where Jyoti cooks and eats in A Good Indian Girl are some of our favorites! She cooks hangover cures, Gujarati comfort foods, and eventually Indian-Italian fusion dishes. And the way readers experience these dishes is just out of this world. We’re salivating imagining the rich and savory goodness of this novel. Plus, that’s not even the best part. Everything that Jyoti cooks has a recipe listed at the back of the book! So if you can try your hand at making samosas, saag paneer ravioli, or even Gujarati Shaak-inspired risotto.

The Topic Of Living Childfree

Another one of our favorite things about A Good Indian Girl is how it addresses being child-free. After years of trying to conceive and suffering several miscarriages, Jyoti now grapples with her decision to destroy the embryos she had with her ex-husband Ashok. She knows that she may not have any kids at all once that happens. But she starts to realize that she never really wanted children. She only went with what her parents and former husband wanted, never stopping to ask herself. Meeting other people in Italy who live fulfilling, childfree lives like Karishma, Ben, and Mae helps her start living for herself. And the possibilities are limitless.

A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah comes out September 3rd, and you can preorder a copy of it here!

What’s your favorite thing about A Good Indian Girl so far? Are you adding it to your TBR? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

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