TW: homophobia, death of infant

This was quite an impressive debut novel. The way the author described each scene or setting immediately transported me to that moment or place.

There were several important themes discussed in this emotionally heavy contemporary fiction novel that gave me all the feels:

- differences between Indian and American culture: collective vs individualistic
- challenges immigrants have to face in America
- how children of immigrant parents have to straddle between two cultures and feel like they belong to neither because their parents are traditional, whereas they are more westernized (this theme resonated with me the most).
- how discrimination exists in each culture - the caste system in India is similar to colorism in America
- realistic portrayal of how death of a child can put cracks in a relationship because each parent deals with grief in a different way

I found the main character of Preeti to be quite relatable, whether it was her complicated relationship with her mother or her closeness to her brother.

Though it is a family drama, at its core, this story is about Preeti’s journey to finding her mom’s acceptance and reconnecting with her Indian cultural roots. I found the ending to be quite realistic.

I believe any child of immigrant parents, whether South Asian or not, will find this story relatable. Those who wish to understand the Indian culture will find it to be insightful.

This is a strong debut novel about Preeti’s discovery of what home truly means. As a first generation immigrant she struggles with maintaining her traditional beliefs and assimilating in American culture. Living in Chicago and attending school she begged for a pair of jeans instead of traditional wears. Every day was a tiny battle for her to shed her background and try to become like the other kids.
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When she falls in love with someone who isn’t Indian she falls out with her family, but when they call with news of a terrible accident in India she must return home.
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Shah does a phenomenal job of writing about India. I truly felt as if I were there. This is a story of self identity, family and figuring out truly where you belong. Thank you @amazonpublishing and @letstalkbookspromo for including me on this tour.
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A family tragedy beckons Preeti Desai, a first-generation immigrant in the U.S., back to the city of her birth in India. There, she has to navigate her way through a cultural and generational minefield as she tries to maintain her personal independence and a carefully nurtured Western outlook.

An enjoyable book that covers timely subjects for immigrants in the U.S., especially for those who came to the US at a young age and who have embraced Western culture and norms. The conflict for Preeta with her extended family, parents, and traditions in the old country, in this case, India, is a serious one. She returns to India when her sister in law gets into a serious accident, and deals with questions of her future, being single after age 30, and friendships and even love outside of her caste.

Well worth reading, with important topics, this is also a romance of sorts.

I really enjoyed this book about a woman’s return to the city and country she left as a seven year old. Preeti is the only Indian attorney in an unnamed BigLaw firm that has no Indian partners even in its Indian office (this is unrealistic and the firm’s Indian office is never mentioned again even though it would be very logical to bring it up later in the novel).
I keep going back and forth between a 4 and a 5 for this one. I loved reading it but as I look back on it, Preeti’s obliviousness to the lives of people around her seems more like a young teen than an actual functioning adult. She is a frustrating character even if she eventually changes.
Two great parts of this book were its depictions of complicated family dynamics and its showing of how people can grow over a narrative.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review e-copy.

The Taste of Ginger by Mansi Shah

This debut novel delves into one woman’s experiences grappling with her views and values regarding family, duty, sense of self, love and culture. The book opens with Preeti, a 30 year-old lawyer, Indian American, and self-professed workaholic, attending her sister-in-law’s baby shower at her parents’ house back in her home state. She’s less than thrilled to be there for a number of reasons, and soon enough she finds herself getting on a plane to India to visit family amidst a crisis. From there we follow Preeti on an emotional journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

There’s a lot to love about this story. The author skillfully shows nuances in Preeti’s culture and her family’s beliefs surrounding romantic versus familial love, duty and what happiness can look like. The discourse on Preeti’s immediate family’s varying experiences with immigration and assimilation was eye-opening. The portrayal Preeti’s relationship with her mother was also well done. I loved learning about Ahmedabad, and the kite festival in particular!

Some of the writing came across repetitive and stiff to me. There is a lot of telling as opposed to showing, ie with Preeti’s frequent ruminating that at times felt better suited to a YA reader; her immaturity at times was a bit cloying. The story does move along and is very readable.

I think there are many readers who will enjoy this one. I will be thinking about many of the concepts explored in this thoughtful debut novel for quite some time. Many thanks to @amazonpublishing and @letstalkbookspromo and to Netgalley for a free e-copy of this book. The Taste of Ginger is available now!

3.5⭐️

I guess I was expecting a romance here and what I got was so much more. This story of discovery, of trying to fit in, was wonderful. I loved reading about the differences between India and America and each societies views on live, marriage, caste systems. Great book.

I have to say, this was a beautiful read and I really enjoyed it. I was able to learn so much about Indian culture and appreciated the depth that this book held in terms of cultural differences and what immigrant families have to go through.

This story follows Preeti, a lawyer living in California who returns to India when an incident occurs within her family. She has no desire to return to her birthplace and wants to cling to her American roots that she’s created for herself. But time has a funny way of changing things, and Preeti soon finds herself on a path of self-discovery that she wasn’t anticipating.

I loved the writing style of this book and found myself immersed in the story after just a few pages. I would consider the ending to be more open-ended, but I thought it worked best for this kind of story. I also loved the focus on the relationship between a daughter and her mother. It made me want to go give my mama a big hug!

A coming of age story about a woman torn between two cultures. Focusing on the themes of family, caste, first-generation immigration and many more.

I loved the delicate relationship of the multigeneration and how that was navigated as the older gen tries to hold onto their culture and the new gen tried to get a new sense of where they belonged. Although i did think the author could have better developed the characters of Carrie, Biren etc as they felt sometimes like an afterthought or a prop.

It's a book that certainly makes you stop and think.

Preeti and her family move to the US from India when she was seven years old, and she spent a lot of time trying to assimilate into American culture. Years later, when she is pulled from her life as a law firm layer to India following an accident of a close family member in India, she begins to discover who she may have been had her family stayed in India an learn more about her family's traditions and past

I absolutely loved reading this coming of age story about Preeti Desai, and getting to know her family. This debut novel by Mansi Shah is one you don't want to miss!

This was a quick, easy read, with a lot of interesting information about India's culture. I felt like I could picture the places that were described in this book - I haven't been to India, but now I'd love to visit sometime. At the same time, there were a lot of larger topics covered in this book, racism, immigration, family expectations, castes in India - these topics brought so much heart to the story. I feel like I learned so much while reading.

This is one I will be recommending for a long time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the perfect level of an easy read, but filled with culture and story-telling that I adored. The writing was perfect, and brought me into Indian culture quickly and effortlessly, the story was lovely with a conclusion I wasn’t expecting.

Preeti was my main pet peeve from this book. She was privileged, and as much as she started to learn more and understand this as the story developed, it was frustrating that someone of her age and profession would be so naive. However, her character development was really wonderful and by the end of the book I was a little less frustrated by her!

I can’t stress enough how fabulously immersive the descriptions of India are. I could almost hear and smell what Preety was describing, and it was wonderful!

All in all, The Taste of Ginger is a book I will be recommending, and it’s a fantastic debut novel. I will be sure to look out for Mansi Shah’s next novel.

"Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swaad."

The Taste of Ginger is the coming of age story for Preeti, whose life is clashing between her American upbringing and her Indian heritage. She did what she thought she was suppose to do having been born in America - she assimilated. As a first-generation American in her family, she builds the American dream but along the way she loses her sense for what it means to be from India.

This debut novel is filled with references to the culture, its caste system and the importance of ones family. Shah has enriched the readers sense of experience of what it means to be immigrant and the expectations when you leave your country. It is truly a heart felt exploration of growing-up to find your joy in life.

"We've all made a lot of sacrifices for this family. I did not know that the Great Melting Pot forces immigrants to make that choice. That it would force you to make it."

Thank Amazon / Lake Union Publishing and LetsTalkBookPromo for the complimentary copy of the novel.

This was a lovely easy to read title. It deals with the issues second generation migrant families need to deal with - the conflict between values in different societies and making choices you are happy with. The rat race in following a demanding career verses family needs and wants.

However, if you are looking for a deep insightful read this is not it. The characterisation is shallow and the storytelling very one track. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable enough to pass an afternoon on the beach. I learnt a few things about religious customs on the Indian sub-continent, pub quiz sort of stuff, but was forgettable.

Preetie, a successful lawyer who has just gone through a rough breakup with a man her parents did not approve of, is forced to face many truths about herself, and about her family, when she is called “back home” to India after tragedy occurs. Her family has travelled to India for a family wedding and Preetie refuses to go (because of work, and the tension between her and her mother). But when her brother and sister-in-law are in an accident, she must go to India to be by her brother’s side. Initially, she plans to stay only for the weekend, as her boss is adamant about needing her at work, but the trip surprises her in many life-altering, life affirming ways.

I truly enjoyed this book. I love readings books about different cultures, that explore traditions and places I am unfamiliar with. I feel like I am being educated while also enjoying a good, solid, engaging story. (Like, I had never heard of kite-flying festivals in India before reading this book. And kite cutting? Kite competitions!? All very interesting!). Outside of all the interesting things I was learning, there was also a story with a lot of heart and emotion. Preetie and her family moved to America from India when she was seven. After being bullied and tormented in school, Preetie and her brother decided to actively assimilate into “white American” society. This decision is one that Preetie hasn’t spent much time mulling over until she is thrust back into India, into Indian traditions and customs that force her to reevaluate her past, her relationship with her parents, her relationships with men, and her relationship with both countries: India and America.

Preetie is struggling with what most immigrants struggle with. Belonging. In America, she can never be American enough. So, she works hard at her job, making huge sacrifices to prove to her boss that she can work as hard, if not better than any other white employee. She dates and moves in with Alex, a white man she knows her parents will disapprove of, in hopes that by being with him she will finally fit in. In India, she tries to fit in by wearing the traditional Indian dress, and adhering to their customs, but at times this causes her to lash out, or out-right refuse. She’s too American in India, and too Indian in America. But has she been putting America on a pedestal? And are the customs in India too “old fashioned” or is there something deeper she can learn from them? This novel explores all forms of love: familial, arranged, and romantic. It challenges Preetie, as it challenges the readers perceptions of love, marriage, and the pursuit of happiness. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to #netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE TASTE OF GINGER - MANSI SHAH
4.5⭐
PLOT -
Preeti Desai a 1st generation immigrant Indian has always wanted to live the American life - falling in love with a white Christian man amongst other things against her family's wishes.
But when Preeti receives news of a terrible accident in India She without any second thought leaves everything even her high profile Law job to be with her family and now living the Indian life - she is torn and confused between the two beautifully flawed cultures and now Preeti must untangle what home truly means to her.

MY THOUGHTS -
A lot of heavy topics - immigrant issues, caste imbalances, racism, parental pressures are dealt with quite delicately and well from Preetis POV.
Being an Indian I could understand what Preeti must have felt as they are very relevant and prevalent even today & am glad we hv stories which help create awareness regarding the same.
The analogy regarding taste of Ginger is also explained and depicted well.
The book started really well just felt that somewhere in the middle it seemed to drag and could have been edited better.

As a first generation Indian American, Preeti is doing all she can to make her parents proud of her and make sure they know that she appreciates all the sacrifices they made for her. She keeps her head down and works 80 hours a week as a lawyer, and her brother works as a doctor. Preeti is in love with an American but her parents don’t approve because he is white. When her brother and his wife travel back to India to see family before their baby arrives, something happens that changes them all forever, so Preeti travels back to India to be with their family and she finds returning to her roots to be more rewarding than she anticipated.
While this is probably considered a coming of age (even though she’s in her thirties) or a self discovery journey, there were times when Preeti came across as a petulant teenager, which took me out of the story. And while there was certainly descriptive information about the country, I was really looking forward to the country kind of being its own character in the story because there’s just so much to tap into in another land, but it didn’t really happen.
If you’re looking for a book about forgiveness, family, culture and self discovery, you will enjoy the book as I did. The author tackles some important issues and does so in a way that makes it informative yet entertaining. Especially all the differences in the caste system that we take for granted. But there’s also a lot of stereotypes that left me wondering why. Also, there were lots of supporting characters that needed more development rather than just many pages of Preeti arguing with herself about this and that.
While this started out fairly strong, it started to waiver off track and never really found it’s way back. It’s worth reading for sure, but I guess I had hoped I would like it more than I ended up with.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

The Taste of Ginger is about Preeti whose family moved to the States when she was seven. To assimilate to America, Preeti sheds her culture and traditions, much to her mother’s dismay. Preeti’s American way and white boyfriend are why Preeti rarely speaks to her mother, the main antagonist of this book. However, when tragedy strikes her family, she flies to her home city in India, which prompts Preeti to think about her identity and ask herself where she truly belongs.

While the writing is straightforward and has compelling themes, this book was a downer for me. As someone constantly trying to balance two countries/cultures/languages, I had hoped the theme of grappling with one's identity would resonate with me. However, there’s too little movement of the story itself and way too much self-reflection. 1-2 sentences is a scene that happens, followed by paragraphs of Preeti’s inner thoughts about her past, which bounce back between events with her mother or her white boyfriend. She’s kind of a self-hating Indian-American that constantly explains to her readers why she felt different, why she had to assimilate to whiteness. There’s too much explanation to the point. I can't help but feel like the author doesn’t trust her readers why Preeti feels the way she does, resulting in over-explanations.

I’ve always been into stories that follow the main character's journey to their home country and roo however, so much of it was Preeti's inner thoughts and I found that the author constantly explaining cultural differences to her audience was actually a bit condescending. This book is more for readers that do not read any books by BIPOC authors.

I loved this book for so many reasons, mostly because the main character learns so much about herself independently. Preeti’s family moved to America from India when she was young, and her life and career was about assimilation. Always feeling different, but trying to live up to the American dream, Preeti risks estrangement from her family. When the family returns to India for a wedding, and an accident occurs, Preeti is forced to reevaluate the priorities in her life, and her place in her culture and family. I strongly recommend this well written book, and thank NetGalley for the opportunity.

If you had to choose between your family and love for another, what would you choose? What comes first in your life? That’s the quandary that Preeti finds herself in. Born in India but immigrating to America as a child, she has strived all her life to become American enough, white-enough, to find a sense of belong and not be an outcast. As a lawyer in a white male dominated law firm in California, she works hard to do more than others to prove herself and make her mark in success. Her traditional Indian parents live in the Midwest and do not understand her lifestyle, nor her American ways. When Preeti gets a phone call that there has been an accident from her brother Neel who is in India for a family wedding that she declined to attend, she hops on the next plane to be with him to support him. Being in India makes Preeti confront her family, her beliefs, both her Indian and American cultures as she strives to understand who she really is and what makes her happy.

I felt the author gave great insight into the importance of the family dynamics and Indian culture, showing the difference of the Western way of thinking. One is not more correct than the other, but where truly is home and can you make home a blend of both? The author brings to light the question, why must immigrants need to choose between their culture or losing it in order to assimilate to be American. It was hard not to empathize with Preeti. This is a book that will lend itself well to a book club discussion about how much family and our traditions play into our life decisions. It makes you reflect on your perspectives and attitudes toward others long after the last page. Put this on your TBR because it is a worthy read and one I could not put down.

Many thanks to #netgalley #thetasteofginger #mansishah for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was an enjoyable, if not memorable, book about the experience(s) of being a first generation immigrant and coming to terms with that dual culture.

As a first generation immigrant kid, I found many similarities between me and the main character, Preeti, who struggles to fit in her adoptive American culture all the while questioning the rather stifling traditions of her country of origin, imposed by her parents. There were a lot of insights into that very particular experience that I was pleased to find in this book. However, what could have been a deeper exploration of prejudice, roots, and family ties ended up feeling a bit underdeveloped and flat.

A lot of the book was about relating Preeti’s thoughts, which after a few chapters sounded immature and repetitive. Her character read more like a rebellious teen or young adult than a thirty year old woman with a life and career and loves and friends. The first person POV probably didn’t help that feeling. I understand that sometimes ones family is a cross to bear, but Preeti’s life seemed sadly shallow and empty once you stepped away from the self pitying musings. Perhaps the book would have deserved fewer pages devoted to Preeti’s thoughts and more to her relationship with her parents and brother, or even her friends in India.

I truly enjoyed reading about the traditions, big and small, that played such a huge role in the MC’s life. There were so many details that made the story colorful and added to the sense of cultural divide that Preeti experiences. The descriptions of food made my mouth water and I almost wish the book came with a few pages of recipes! Beside that, though, I didn’t connect with the writing as much as I would have liked. The over-reliance on the same words, phrases and sentence structures and basic vocabulary gave me the feeling I was reading someone’s journal. The dialogue was unrealistically transactional and never gave me a sense of the characters’ personalities.

That said, there was a scene, a few chapters in, that made me tear up - quite a feat so early in a book! - so kudos to that!

Overall, The Taste of Ginger really did read like a debut novel. It could have been truly heart tending in the hands of a more seasoned writer. As it is, it’s a quick, enjoyable, insightful read that broaches a topic I’ve rarely read about from that particular angle. I will definitely be on the lookout for Ms Shah’s next novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing. It was so much more than I expected! It was a beautiful story about family, friendship, self-discovery and race. The characters were wonderful with very distinct personalities. The conflicts encountered are dealt with in a way that matched the characters personalities. I liked how Pretti slowly learned about herself and her motivations throughout the book and how what she learned was based on her new and her past experiences. The writing was magnificent, and really kept me reading. There was just enough description to give the of flavor living in India, but not too much to bog down the story.