Writing about three generations of women in a fictional family in one book isn’t easy to do. But Sonali Dev does it very well in The Vibrant Years. Here is my review of it!
My thoughts on The Vibrant Years
I was immediately drawn to the main character Bindu Desai, the 65-year-old who has a bigger-than-life personality. She’s all about pushing the boundaries for woman her age, and I loved her for that. The other main characters include her daughter-in-law Aly and Aly’s daughter Cullie.
What I really liked about The Vibrant Years was how author Sonali Dev drew similarities between the women, even though they were in different life stages. Each was trying dating and also figuring out themselves. I brought me comfort that not everyone has their lives figured out — I’m not the only one who feels a mess on the inside some days!
There are some great elements in this novel that kept my interest, including the conversations between the women and the advice they offered each other. This book is about a lot more than romance. It’s about family, bonding, and also being true to ourselves.
It’s a fun read too! There are some hilarious moments on dates, for example. And the way Bindu always wants to shock the HOA at that place she lives is comical.
I also appreciate that the book is about Indian-American women, whose voices all too often are not heard. These characters are not ones we often read about on the bestseller lists. Yet here is Sonali Dev doing just that as a USA Today bestselling author. Encouraging diversity in publishing is a big reason why Mindy Kaling started her publishing imprint and released The Vibrant Years.
Related: Find out about books by author Emily Scialom in this Q&A
More about the book
The Vibrant Years is a book from Mindy’s Book Studio, which is the publishing imprint from actress Mindy Kaling. Mindy also wrote the book’s introduction. It’s about womanhood, and the themes transcend age and culture. Author Sonali Dev includes some great surprises in the novel too.
As I took a break from reading books for a while — hey, life happens — this one was left unfinished for a while. When I turned the final page on the softcover book, it marks my happy return to the world of reading.
Next up to review (I’m halfway through the read): Unexpected Bravery: Women and Children of the Civil War by A.J. Schenkman
What are you reading? Are you in a reading slump like I was?
Top photo: My copy of The Vibrant Years. Pic taken by Christy B (When Women Inspire).