You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
5/5 stars
Premise– (4/5) Picked this one up on a bit of a lark, largely because it was ownvoices. The premise sets up three generations of Indian-American women, each with her own story and struggles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, contemporary isn’t my favorite genre, but there’s a lot of great ownvoices breakthroughs happening in that genre, so I went with it.
Plot– (5/5) I loved the way the stories intertwined. We got to see so many perspectives and situations and everything fit together so well. From the new beginning in America to the growing pains of family divides, the plot covered so many different challenges. Racism (and not just black on white), self-identity, and family tradition were all explored in this book. Though there was sometimes time gaps between chapters, it was always easily understandable and explained. Each woman had her own story, but they were all connected as family, and I loved it.
Characters – (5/5) From start to finish, I loved the characters. Sisters Sunny and Starry (Sonia and Tara) had a great relationship and were wonderful contrasting characters. Their children, cousins Anna and Shanti, were also wonderful. And of course, there was the matriarch of the family, Ranee, who was complicated and showed a lot of character growth. At first it was difficult to look beyond her prejudices, but as she grew older and came to be more accepting and her character developed, by the end of the book she was definitely a touching and interesting character. And one of my favorite things was how each woman had her own interests and personality. Sunny’s activism, Starry’s acting, Shanti’s dance, and Anna’s sewing and debate all made them unique, memorable individuals who were really interesting to read about.
World – (5/5) This one is realistic fiction, so it takes place in our world, but what I thought was particularly skillful was the insight into our world. This book was eye-opening in a lot of ways, especially for me as a white reader. Seeing the world from all our main characters’ perspectives was impactful and thought-provoking.
Writing – (5/5) You Bring the Distant Near was super readable, but touched on so many important issues. Identity, both personal and racial, was a huge theme of this book. Interacting with culture and deciding which parts to keep and what to leave was approached throughout the book in a direct, unafraid manner. Frank discussion of racism and prejudice both against and within the Bengali and Bengali-American community was powerful (again, keep in mind I’m white, so far from an authority on that). The writing style was effective and refreshing, and I read it in a day.
Overall – (4.8/5) This is an excellent book! Its take on generational change, cultural identity, tradition, and finding yourself was so fresh. A powerful narrative that covers forty-some years of change, growth, challenges, and joys, You Bring the Distant Near was an excellent contemporary read. A wonderful ownvoices narrative about the Bengali community in America, the importance of family, and the struggles of growing up. I loved it!