What a Happy Family by Saumya Dave
"In truth, a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by the number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit."
This is it. This is my favourite book of 2021.
Set in Atlanta, Georgia, What a Happy Family tells the tale of the Joshi family who seem like your run-of-the-mill average Indian family who immigrated to the US in the name of the American Dream, but have a lot more going on than it seems. Each member hiding something from the others, they soon realise that this pretence of a "happy family" is exhausting. As each member grapples with their own identities, they also learn where they fit into the jigsaw that is the Joshi khandan (family in Hindi). Of course, these characters have names, but part of the fun of reading Dave's work is getting to know Bina, Deepak, Suhani, Natasha and Anuj.
The reason I loved this book so much is that I could see myself and my family in snippets throughout the course of the novel. I was able to relate my life and my feelings with those of fictional characters which is so absolutely wonderful because I felt so seen. For example, I could definitely see my mom in the matriarch of the Joshi family, Bina. I could also see myself in Suhani, the eldest daughter. It also touched on themes such as marriage, race, mental health and the role of women.
To be honest, I can't talk too much about What a Happy Family because the plot isn't riveting. Don't get me wrong, it isn't dull; it's just not filled with suspense. It's about a family. Who has issues. The drama is quite tame in that sense, but the blurb references a scandal that isn't all too serious. I think a lot of Western audiences (or perhaps non-Indian) would see the conflicts as drawn out or unrealistic, but they would fail to recognise that a lot of the issues are interlaced with the Joshi family's identity as Indian immigrants to the US.
This was such a sweet book! I cried a lot when reading, to be honest (but I also cry easily) but it was one of those happy cries where you just fall in love with a book and get emotionally invested in it. In a sentence, What a Happy Family is like a hot cup of adarak chai (ginger tea)– hits the spot, makes you think of home, and has the right amount of kick to it.
