THE SHAPE OF FAMILY
A Novel
From the international bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family’s growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.
The 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,
From the international bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family’s growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.
The 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 family’s 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 they’ve 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.
- William Morrow
- Hardcover
- March 2020
- 352 Pages
- 9780062933225
Buy the Book
$27.99
About Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Shilpi Somaya Gowda was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her previous novels, Secret Daughter and The Golden Son became international bestsellers, selling over one million copies worldwide. She 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 lives in California with her husband and children.
Praise
“With The Shape of Family, Shilpi Somaya Gowda has painted an unforgettable portrait of a family’s loss, longing, and reconstruction. Haunting and beautiful, The Shape of Family takes hold of you from the first page and does not let go as it explores —in the distinct and rich voices of each family member — the forces that separate and the ties that unite a mother, father, daughter and son.” — Lawrence Hill, Bestselling author of The Book of Negroes
“A deeply involving story of a family falling apart, The Shape of Family rings so true.” — Emma Donoghue, Bestselling author of Room
“A moving exploration of how loss can change the contours of a life. Gowda deftly examines the forces that can make and remake a family in this engrossing page turner of a novel.” – Thrity Umrigar, author of The Secrets Between Us
“This beautifully written, poignant novel explores how one loving family deals with an unspeakable tragedy. It’s a novel about race and culture, parents and siblings, marriage and love, but most of all, it’s 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 Translation
“In prose of quiet beauty, Shilpi Somaya Gowda drills down into the American Dream and comes up with pure gold. You will cry, rage, worry, and come to love the members of the Olander family.” – Tatjana Soli, author of The Lotus Eaters
“Gowda traces the fallout lines with compassion and a keen eye for the lies we tell ourselves to avoid facing our own demons…A deft, patient portrait of grief.” – Kirkus Reviews