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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 · 106,141 ratings · 9,011 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Secret Daughter really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 77,617 ratings — published 2010 — 2 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 — 15,147 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 — 8,541 ratings — published 2024	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 — 4,778 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
	A Great Country: A Novel 3.67 avg rating — 6 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 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
	A Great Country: A Novel 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
	A Great Country: Library Edition by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 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 0.00 avg rating — 0 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

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Shilpi Gowda is currently reading

Among Friends

by Hal Ebbott

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7 hours, 32 min ago

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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

by Kiran Desai

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Dec 21, 2025 03:16PM

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Shilpi’s Recent Updates

Shilpi Gowda wants to read The Wedding People by Alison Espach	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
6 hours, 34 min ago · 2 likes · like
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Crow Lake by Mary Lawson	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
6 hours, 34 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Crow Lake by Mary Lawson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read The Bluest Eye / Sula / Song Of Solomon by Toni Morrison	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
6 hours, 47 min ago · like
Shilpi Gowda wants to read We Do Not Part by Han Kang	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
6 hours, 49 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We Do Not Part by Han Kang. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We Do Not Part by Han Kang <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction, Readers' Favorite Audiobook	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
6 hours, 50 min ago · 1 like · like
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Heart the Lover by Lily King (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Fiction	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
6 hours, 50 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Heart the Lover by Lily King. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Heart the Lover by Lily King <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read Heartwood by Amity Gaige (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller	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
6 hours, 51 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Heartwood by Amity Gaige. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Heartwood by Amity Gaige <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda is currently reading Among Friends by Hal Ebbott	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
7 hours, 32 min ago · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Among Friends by Hal Ebbott. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Among Friends by Hal Ebbott <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda finished reading A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews	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
7 hours, 33 min ago · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Shilpi Gowda wants to read All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren	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
Dec 31, 2025 02:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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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

68 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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