I absolutely loved reading this book! The story and the characters, wanting to see what happens next, what happens to them, and how the family members reconcile their differences, drove me to finish this novel in two days — only because I could not forestall sleep!
Late Bloomers is a novel about an Indian-American family: Mom, Dad, Son, and Daughter. Mom and Dad are immigrants from India, and after 36 years of marriage, they divorced. Son and Daughter are still trying to wrap their heads around that event, and accept that both parents are now exploring the world of Single Dating. Dad, in fact, is exploring the world of online dating, while Mum has gotten a job for the first time and is making new friends who may or may not have more romantic interests in her. Meanwhile, their eldest, Daughter Priya, is unhappily single-ish and caught in a tangled romantic loophole — and (horrors!) remains unmarried. Their son, a super successful lawyer in NYC, is married, partnered to an incredible woman, and the father of a bubbling infant. But, maybe that’s just the surface.
Indeed, surfaces and the depths they disguise is a major theme in this deliciously contemporary family drama. It revolves around traditional Indian motifs and cultural norms, but really, anyone can relate to the sentiments, concerns, emotional upheavals Late Bloomers brings to the fore. I loved that this focused on Indian-Americans, and the trials of living with a foot in two worlds. Indian culture was infused into the book, but in such a way as to tap into the universal experiences of people all over the world. Readers of all ethnic backgrounds will be able to relate to this novel and easily.
Varadarajan’s prose is smooth and natural, the characters live and breathe as if just inches away from us. We can feel their irritation, recognize it as an emotion we often feel – and often about those closest to us. Likewise, Varadarajan makes their love for one another palpable. These are people stumbling, bumbling, grasping at themselves and each other in the most lovable ways, trying to make sense of change in their lives.
For readers who love a bit of family drama, hilarious nonsense, and good endings, Late Bloomers is a fantastic read.
Dr JoAnn LoSavio 