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Shilpi’s 2025 Year in Books

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Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Goodreads Author

Born

Toronto, Canada

Website

http://www.shilpigowda.com

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Contemporary

Member Since

November 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/ssgowda

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Shilpi Somaya Gowda is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of four novels: Secret Daughter (2010), The Golden Son (2015), The Shape of Family (2020), and A Great Country (2024). Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages, been #1 international bestsellers in several countries and sold more than two million copies worldwide.

Shilpi was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She spent a college summer as a volunteer in an Indian orphanage, which seeded the idea for her first novel and the transition from a business career to a becoming a writer: Secret Daughter was an IndieNext Great Read, a Target Book Club Pick, an Indigo Heather’s Pick, and an Amnesty International Book Club Pick. It was a finalist for the South A ...more

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Shilpi Somaya Gowda's Blog

Coming soon ... A GREAT COUNTRY

I'm so excited to share this novel with you. A GREAT COUNTRY is different than anything I've written before, and I really had to push myself to delve into some difficult territory. I began wri􀆟ng it in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic and civil strife. There were so many polarized or oversimplified conversations going on around me, and I found myself longing for a more honest and nuanced debate Read more of this blog post »

10 likes · Like • 4 comments • flag

Published on October 31, 2023 13:18

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Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s books

Average rating: 4.0 · 106,296 ratings · 9,022 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Secret Daughter really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 77,668 ratings — published 2010 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Golden Son 4.13 avg rating — 15,170 ratings — published 2015 — 49 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Great Country 3.88 avg rating — 8,618 ratings — published 2024 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shape of Family 3.81 avg rating — 4,788 ratings — published 2019 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Last Carnival of August 3.71 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	secret Daughter 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Shilpi is Currently Reading

Shilpi Gowda is currently reading

Middlemarch

by George Eliot

bookshelves: epics, currently-reading

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Jan 13, 2026 10:10PM

Shilpi Gowda is currently reading

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

by Kiran Desai

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 21, 2025 03:16PM

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Shilpi’s Recent Updates

Shilpi Gowda started reading Middlemarch by George Eliot	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 13, 2026 10:10PM · like
Shilpi Gowda has read The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 13, 2026 10:07PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jan 10, 2026 10:22AM · 1 like · like · view books
Shilpi Gowda has read Beach Read by Emily Henry (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 10, 2026 07:53AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Beach Read by Emily Henry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Beach Read by Emily Henry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Kin by Tayari Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 10, 2026 07:07AM · 1 like · like
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Vigil by George Saunders	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 10, 2026 07:05AM · like
Shilpi Gowda wants to read This Is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Shilpi Gowda wants to read Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun by Chris Broad	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 08, 2026 05:14PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 07, 2026 07:22AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Gentleman's Agreement by Laura Z. Hobson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 07, 2026 07:21AM · like

More of Shilpi's books…

Quotes by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (?)

“At some point, the family you create is more important than the one you were born into.”
― Shilpi Somaya Gowda, Secret Daughter

67 likes

“Notice if you are holding your breath after inhaling, and if so, what are you afraid of letting go. Or are you holding it after exhaling, and what are you afraid of letting in.”
― shilpi somaya gowda, Secret Daughter

36 likes

“Sometimes, as she has well learned in life, one's actions must precede the emotions one hopes to feel.”
― Shilpi Somaya Gowda, Secret Daughter

30 likes

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