Richa Reads

This book's greatest achievement is showing that loneliness isn't just personal—it's woven into family, culture, migration, and love itself. You can have people all around you and still feel utterly alone. It's a long book and not always an easy one, but I was completely immersed in the world Kiran Desai creates. I related deeply to Sonia—her loneliness as an immigrant, her relationship with an older artist born out of that loneliness, the emotional distance with her father, and the parts of herself she could never fully reveal, even to Sunny. By the end, I was left with a simple thought: loneliness isn't a problem to solve. It's a companion to understand.

I didn’t expect this book to hit as hard as it did. This American Woman isn’t just a memoir — it’s a permission slip. A loud, unapologetic, no-holds-barred reminder that you don’t have to fit into the damn mold — not your family’s, not your culture’s, not society’s. Reading it felt like watching someone take off a mask I didn’t even realize I was still wearing. My favorite parts of the book were the stories from her childhood and growing-up years. In many ways, they felt like the greatest love story of her life—a time and place she still seems to long for, even now. PS : I am Zarna super fan, helps that we are from the same city and are of similar age.

It's not a divorce book—it's a love story, from beginning to the end. Almost everything in the book felt relatable, the evolution of a relationship as a couple decides to start a family, the nurturing mother, the hardworking father, and the gradual transition from partners to parents were all portrayed beautifully. What was truly shocking, however, was the complete abandonment of it all by the husband. It was so extreme that at times it felt almost unbelievable. In the end, Belle finds her way and shares her experience for the benefit of other people and her children. What I especially admired was Belle's self-awareness in understanding what had happened to her and how she processed it and shared it. It must have been very cathartic experience. Wishing you all the very best for the future, Belle.