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7th out of 91 books
—
131 voters
The Hindi-Bindi Club
For decades they have remained close, sharing treasured recipes, honored customs, and the challenges of women shaped by ancient ways yet living modern lives. They are the Hindi-Bindi Club, a nickname given by their American daughters to the mothers who left India to start anew—daughters now grown and facing struggles of their own.
For Kiran, Preity, and Rani, adulthood bear...more
For Kiran, Preity, and Rani, adulthood bear...more
Paperback, 431 pages
Published
May 1st 2007
by Bantam
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Maybe I'm just too much of an Amy Tan fan because this book was just too much of a copy of Joy Luck Club for me to really enjoy. It seems strange to me that the author chose the exact same format as Amy Tan (alternating chapters of the mothers, who are Indian immigrants, and their American-raised daughters), and even titled the book so similarly! That said, the writing is nowhere as good. The voices of the three daughters sounded exactly the same; I had to keep reminding myself which daughter wa...more
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Nov 28, 2007
Bliss
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Shelves:
favorites,
sepia-sisters-and-brothers,
drama,
humor,
romance,
spirituality,
je-réside-chez-bliss
This is a book about love, marriage, family, food, and relationships.
Monica Pradhan did a great job of explaining the subtle layers of Indian culture for me.
In The Hindi-Bindi Club, three young (I'm 40; they're younger than me) Indian-American women learn through their relationships with their moms that living up to the expectations of their families can allow room for keeping their own individuality as well.
I also learned many things. Like:
If I choose to cook more, I can try the yummy-sounding...more
Monica Pradhan did a great job of explaining the subtle layers of Indian culture for me.
In The Hindi-Bindi Club, three young (I'm 40; they're younger than me) Indian-American women learn through their relationships with their moms that living up to the expectations of their families can allow room for keeping their own individuality as well.
I also learned many things. Like:
If I choose to cook more, I can try the yummy-sounding...more
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kind of an Indian "Friday Night Knitting Club".
"Shuncho?" means Are you listening to me? Perfect for Onno
Bumper sticker: "I pray to God to protect me from His followers"
Possible cure for Anna's athsma:A healer moved her ularasensitive hands over Rani's energy pathways and removed the negative energy, the cause of blockages, and infused positive energy that heals, rinsing her chakras and aura squeaky clean.The throat chakra, which is associated with creativity an...more
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kind of an Indian "Friday Night Knitting Club".
"Shuncho?" means Are you listening to me? Perfect for Onno
Bumper sticker: "I pray to God to protect me from His followers"
Possible cure for Anna's athsma:A healer moved her ularasensitive hands over Rani's energy pathways and removed the negative energy, the cause of blockages, and infused positive energy that heals, rinsing her chakras and aura squeaky clean.The throat chakra, which is associated with creativity an...more
This is a book that jumped out at me at a used book store but for whatever reason, I didn't buy it. A few months later I came back looking for it because I couldn't stop thinking "why didn't I buy that book?" Surprisingly, it was there and I bought it only to leave it on my book shelf for years! I finally read it while I was sick and looking for some relief from academic research for a class and it was great.
The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of three first generation Indian-Amer...more
The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of three first generation Indian-Amer...more
I'm in two minds about this book.
First of all, I had expected something slightly different. More like a witty account on life as a second generation Indian in the USA with all the implied difficulties of combining traditional Indian culture with modern American values.
I got the last bit, the two different worlds coming together.
But apart from my partly unfullfilled expectations (which is totally ok with me) there are quite a few aspects of this book which I did not particularly like or actually...more
First of all, I had expected something slightly different. More like a witty account on life as a second generation Indian in the USA with all the implied difficulties of combining traditional Indian culture with modern American values.
I got the last bit, the two different worlds coming together.
But apart from my partly unfullfilled expectations (which is totally ok with me) there are quite a few aspects of this book which I did not particularly like or actually...more
The Hindi-Bindi club was very disappointing compared to it's Indian-American chick-lit peers. The book jacket compared it to the Joy Luck Club. While the structure is similar and both focus on mothers and daughters, Pradhan lacks the writing and storytelling abilities of Amy Tan. And Hindi-Bindi actually suffers from one of Joy Luck's major flaws, a lack of positive representations of same-ethnicity romantic relationships. All the daughters in the book exclusively date white American men. I foun...more
Okay, I know, I actually gave a book 3 stars. Don't fall down, I know I NEVER give a book 3 stars. I'll explain why in a minute. I loave the stories of this book. It's the stories of 3 Indian immigrant mothers and their 3 first generation daughters. I shows the differences in Indian and American cultures while weaving us through the struggles of life. I actually REALLY LOVED the story. I always love a book that has multiple authors/storylines. It always intrigues me to see how they can be woven...more
I am very fascinated by Bollywood movies, but do not know a whole lot about Indian culture. Consequently I feel a lot of the movies I have watched have not been enjoyed as much as they could have due to my lack of eduction in this part of the world's history. So, one day in Costco, when I saw this book among the other stacks I added it to my cart hoping to learn a little and be entertained. Well, I know there is so much I don't know, but I feel like I got to look through a key hole to a beautifu...more
A generous three stars because the author struck me as intelligent and genuine. She even included a bibliography! :) Even the recipes included at the end of each chapter didnt annoy me. I found them a sweet addition. Although not a new approach, and very risky since if done the wrong way could really become trite. But in this book, it was appropriate since Indian culture is very much about food. And they were Americanized enough for me to think 'hey, we like curry, maybe I will try that!'
But ar...more
But ar...more
I just spent a good chunk of time writing a review as to why I LIKED this book (as in "it was okay") but why I didn't LOVE it.....and some glitch within Goodreads ERASED IT.
I hate you Goodreads. *insert expletives here*
Here's the recreated version:
Monica Pradhan - decent writer. But no Jhumpa Lahiri so _do not_ expect something on that level.
Story - told in the first person by three American-born-Indian daughters and their immigrant mothers.
Problem - trying to tell the narratives of SIX women,...more
I hate you Goodreads. *insert expletives here*
Here's the recreated version:
Monica Pradhan - decent writer. But no Jhumpa Lahiri so _do not_ expect something on that level.
Story - told in the first person by three American-born-Indian daughters and their immigrant mothers.
Problem - trying to tell the narratives of SIX women,...more
It's a real shame for Monica Pradhan that AMy Tan is such a good writer, and spoiled most readers for this type of mother-daughter novel with the wonderful Joy Luck Club. This book has its' own charm, but pales in comparison to JLC. There were elements I liked a great deal in this: some of the characters, particularly the older generation. Their stories fascinated me. The younger women not as much, but there still were some surprises. Loved salavating over the descriptions of food and the recipe...more
Reading this book I had a nagging feeling throughout that I wasn't quite being 'let in'. The characters in the book are barely introduced and I never had the sense of actually getting to know or feel an affinity with any of them. There is a bit towards the end which goes into the history of the Partition but it doesn't seem very relevant - not that the Partition was irrelevant - it just seemed to come out of the blue and does not mesh very well, so I found myself speed reading through it.
Reading...more
Reading...more
The Hindi Bindi Club comprises of Indian women, who migrated from India in early post Independence days to settle down in the United States of America. They are the women who despite being so far away from their motherland have tried to maintained their identity in the foreign country (now their home) by their language(Hindi) and attire(Bindi). They have tried their best to imbibe the traditional values, customs in their children who are born there and are brought up as Americans. But, have they...more
This was kind of a fluffy read - it definitely has kind of a women's book club feel to it: a heartwarming account of how two generations of Indian-American women came to understand and love one another better, and found more happiness in life - that sort of thing. But it was well-written, and handled the immigrant culture and memory issues well. The three first-generation women in the book are from different parts of India (and Pakistan), and learning a bit of that history through their memories...more
It's been a while since I read The Joy Luck Club but I remember the style and substance in The Hindi-Bindi Club not comparing favorably. There was not a whole lot about either the older or younger generations that either tied them together or tore them apart, so that seemed a bit forced. I never really bought into all the Gen-Y lingo that the grandmas were using in their email or even the fact that they emailed so much! I thought the recipes gave the stories character and I never realized how co...more
This is a good beach/plane/waiting for the bus book. It's easy to read, and it's not complicated by any real emotional exploration by any of the characters. The plot is predictable, and the conversations between the characters are superficial. However, I enjoyed it. It's a great break from whatever serious stuff you've been reading.
The book jacket advertises this book as following the tradition of "The Joy Luck Club" and "Like Water for Chocolate." The former is true, except that this is an Indi...more
The book jacket advertises this book as following the tradition of "The Joy Luck Club" and "Like Water for Chocolate." The former is true, except that this is an Indi...more
Wonderful book to understanding mother/daughter relationships and also surprisingly very informative about Indian history and culture. Pleasant, fun, read full of great quotes like this one: Irish Diplomacy is the ability to tell a man to go to hell so that he looks forward to making the trip.
This is a beautiful story from the perspective of 6 women-three young women and their Mothers. Each woman has their own story to tell, but each story is interwoven beautifully like you're at a party and getting the same story from different people at times and instead of detracting it really adds.
The book covers many themes and this is what made it such a good read for me. It's chick lit. No doubt about that. But it's chick lit with a moral. Chick lit with recipes. Chick lit with a strong messag...more
The book covers many themes and this is what made it such a good read for me. It's chick lit. No doubt about that. But it's chick lit with a moral. Chick lit with recipes. Chick lit with a strong messag...more
The only reason this book got two stars instead of one was the presence of recipes. It's about three Indian families who moved to the US, and focuses on the mothers and their (American-born) daughters. Let's start with the title: an awkward stretch, supposedly based on what the three girls called their mothers because they were Hindi and sometimes wore bindis (forehead decorations). Please!!! (Not to mention how derivative it is of "The Joy Luck Club.")
The characters were so undifferentiated th...more
The characters were so undifferentiated th...more
It was very interesting and made me hungry. Tried one of the recipes, not so hot. Will try others see if I like anything.
Characters kinda blah. Most of the 1st gen in America characters are kind of boring. I think it is very hard to write what you live without that first novel autobiography aspect that kills first books. Maybe her second will be better. Texas John was the most well rounded and interesting character in the book to me.
My mom went through partition. Maybe she will appreciate it m...more
Characters kinda blah. Most of the 1st gen in America characters are kind of boring. I think it is very hard to write what you live without that first novel autobiography aspect that kills first books. Maybe her second will be better. Texas John was the most well rounded and interesting character in the book to me.
My mom went through partition. Maybe she will appreciate it m...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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A wonderful book about the dynamic between mothers and daughters who are raised in 2 different cultures (Indian and American).
This book is written from the perspective of 3 mothers and 3 daughters as they explore their relationships with their daughters. Each shares their feelings on events in their lives and/or their daughters/mothers lives. They explore the mistakes they made in their interactions with each other.
This book was great. It was well written, fast moving, and hard to put down. A bo...more
This book is written from the perspective of 3 mothers and 3 daughters as they explore their relationships with their daughters. Each shares their feelings on events in their lives and/or their daughters/mothers lives. They explore the mistakes they made in their interactions with each other.
This book was great. It was well written, fast moving, and hard to put down. A bo...more
An entertaining light read. Nothing special really, but not horrible either. I liked the concept of the divorcee chosing arranged marriage and sort of wish the entire book had focused on that. Too many plots means too many of the plot points were just sort of dropped at the end.
Unfortunately the title probably reminds too many people of the Joy Luck Club, so I'm not really sure what was behind that decision. There's no way this book will compare favorably to such a well known and popular novel b...more
Unfortunately the title probably reminds too many people of the Joy Luck Club, so I'm not really sure what was behind that decision. There's no way this book will compare favorably to such a well known and popular novel b...more
This book had a few strengths and many weaknesses:
Strengths
(1) Primer of Indian Culture
(2) Scattered overview of recent Indian History
(3) Reminds us of the point that everyone has their own sh*t going on, people are not isolated in their problem/ more than one crisis can occur at a time in the same group of friends or family.
Weaknesses
(1) Abuses, instead of uses, multiple narrators. Six in total, and even with 400+ pages this leaves much unresolved. It is very frustrating at both the beginning a...more
Strengths
(1) Primer of Indian Culture
(2) Scattered overview of recent Indian History
(3) Reminds us of the point that everyone has their own sh*t going on, people are not isolated in their problem/ more than one crisis can occur at a time in the same group of friends or family.
Weaknesses
(1) Abuses, instead of uses, multiple narrators. Six in total, and even with 400+ pages this leaves much unresolved. It is very frustrating at both the beginning a...more
Good, quick read. The portrayal of the Indian mothers and the American-born daughters is quite accurate. The recipes included in the book didn't do much for me - in fact, quite a few of them looked complicated. I didn't give this a higher rating for two reasons - (i) since I am familiar with Indian culture, the constant explanation of words and phrases got a bit much for me, but I can totally understand why the author did that, and (ii) this is so similar to The Joy Luck Club (same idea, same st...more
Jul 24, 2011
Becky Stewart
added it
This book tells a story of relationships and cultural interactions from the perspective of three India-born mothers and their America-born adult daughters. At times it was a little stilted, trying to preach through the narrative, but for the most part it was an intriguing look at love; love between parents and children, husbands and wives, new love, old love. There was plenty to learn about Indian cultures, but the book also revealed so much about the common human condition, regardless of birthp...more
This is about the lives of three Indian mothers and their three adult daughters. Quite good and interesting in allowing Indian-born women and their American-born daughters to develop and explain the cultural melting pot in families. Lots of good recipes for traditional Indian dishes and some description of when and how to serve. Not a long book so the characters are developed enough to be interesting and none of them are unfinished to leave the reader hanging. A quick easy read to understand Ind...more
A group of second generation Indian immigrant and their mothers take turns narrating their life. Each chapter is prefaced with a recipe for some of the delicious food that they eat throughout the story. A story about finding your place in the world, accepting you past and embracing the present, family and culture. A little about love between men and women, but mostly about the relationships women have with one another.
Lots of good cultural information, delicious food, a beautiful story and jour...more
Lots of good cultural information, delicious food, a beautiful story and jour...more
A light and pleasurable read. We follow the life of 3 American born Indian girls and their mothers who emigrated to the States in the 60s.
The novel touched on a number of topics that are close to my heart: family bonding, cultural differences, when the East meets the West, Soulmates, follow one's heart to chase the dreams that our dear to us, and to seek and patch an ancient(?) relationship and the ripening of friendships.
How many times have you been asked the question "Where are you from?" and...more
The novel touched on a number of topics that are close to my heart: family bonding, cultural differences, when the East meets the West, Soulmates, follow one's heart to chase the dreams that our dear to us, and to seek and patch an ancient(?) relationship and the ripening of friendships.
How many times have you been asked the question "Where are you from?" and...more
A sextuple of mothers and daughters muse about what it means to be Indian American. The story includes some historical and culture lessons, along with plenty of recipes. Sounds promising enough, but the story runs into some major problems.
First, the narrative voices are completely indistinct. Six characters shouldn't be too many for a reader to keep straight, but I was constantly confused when the story returned to a thread after five chapters elsewhere. Was this the woman who was disowned by he...more
First, the narrative voices are completely indistinct. Six characters shouldn't be too many for a reader to keep straight, but I was constantly confused when the story returned to a thread after five chapters elsewhere. Was this the woman who was disowned by he...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi Bindi? | 2 | 12 | Apr 01, 2011 11:44am | |
| sounds like the Joy Luck Club | 2 | 18 | Dec 28, 2007 06:12pm |
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“Just because people don't love you the way you want, doesn't mean they don't love you the best they can.”
—
5 people liked it
“I don’t want to freeze my eggs. I don’t want to visit a sperm bank. I don’t want to be a single parent, if I have any choice in the matter. I want a nuclear family. I want to put down roots, to let my seeds germinate, to watch them bloom and flourish. Not one day, if and when I ever fall in love again, but now. While I still have my youth, damn it.”
—
3 people liked it
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