The Konkans: A Novel

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Synopsis
&“The saga of an Indian family steeped in tradition trying to find its niche in the suburbs of Chicago . . . Engrossing&” (Booklist). &“Funny and romantic and heartbreaking&” (St. Petersburg Times), this novel is narrated by Francisco D&’Sai, a firstborn son of a firstborn son—all the way back to the beginning of a long line of proud Konkans, the so-called &“Jews of India,&” who abandoned their Hindu traditions, knelt before Vasco da Gama&’s sword and Saint Francis Xavier&’s cross, and became Catholics. In Chicago in the early 1970s, Francisco&’s Konkan father, Lawrence, wants desperately to assimilate into American culture—pursuing a corporate job and launching an uphill battle to join the local country club. But Francisco&’s American mother, Denise, a Peace Corps veteran who finds the suburbs utterly boring, wants to preserve the family&’s heritage, feeding Francisco&’s imagination with proud visions of India and Konkan history—with enthusiastic help from her recently arrived brother-in-law. Sometimes it seems like she&’s more excited about her husband&’s background and culture than about her marriage. From the author of Whiteman, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist and winner of the Sue Kaufman Prize, this is a witty, wrenching portrait of generational, cultural, marital, and historical conflict, seen through one family&’s experience. &“[A] savvy storyteller with a clear, soulful voice.&” —Entertainment Weekly &“D&’Souza&’s compelling tale of one extended family&’s trials and triumphs in a foreign land is an astute glimpse of the challenges, dangers, and rewards of assimilation.&” —The Boston Globe
Copyright:
2008

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9780547350592
Related ISBNs:
9780156034937
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
status in your country.
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Literature and Fiction, Parenting and Family
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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