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Title details for Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan - Available

Late Bloomers

A Novel

by Deepa Varadarajan
Vikas Adam
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
An Indian American family is turned upside down when the parents split up thirty-six years into their arranged marriage​ in this “heartwarming journey of self-discovery” (Southern Living).
“Touching . . . both funny and moving—a family drama the entire family can enjoy.”—Reader’s Digest

A REAL SIMPLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • LILLY’S LIBRARY PICK
"I have a soft spot for underdogs. And late bloomers. You’ve told me a lot of things about yourself, so let me tell you something about me."
After thirty-six years of a dutiful but unhappy arranged marriage, recently divorced Suresh and Lata Raman find themselves starting new paths in life. Suresh is trying to navigate the world of online dating on a website that caters to Indians and is striking out at every turn—until he meets a mysterious, devastatingly attractive younger woman who seems to be smitten with him. Lata is enjoying her newfound independence, but she's caught off guard when a professor in his early sixties starts to flirt with her.  
Meanwhile, Suresh and Lata's daughter, Priya, thinks her father's online pursuits are distasteful even as she embarks upon a clandestine affair of her own. And their son, Nikesh, pretends at a seemingly perfect marriage with his law-firm colleague and their young son, but hides the truth of what his relationship really entails. Over the course of three weeks in August, the whole family will uncover one another's secrets, confront the limits of love and loyalty, and explore life's second chances. 
Charming, funny, and moving, Late Bloomers introduces a delightful new voice in fiction with the story of four individuals trying to understand how to be happy in their own lives—and as a family.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 2, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593677315
      • File size: 352719 KB
      • Duration: 12:14:49

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 27, 2023
      Varadarajan debuts with an endearing exploration of an Indian American family’s search for new beginnings. After 36 years, the Ramans call it quits on their arranged marriage. Lata moves into a condo and gets a job as a librarian, the allure of these first-time experiences outweighing the challenges of singlehood. Suresh, on the other hand, turns to internet dating. (For his profile, he shaves four years off his age, calling himself 55.)Meanwhile, their adult children navigate their own complicated lives. Nikesh, the star of the family with his perfect lawyer-wife, Denise, and their eight-month-old son, is hiding a secret about his relationship with Denise. His older sister, Priya, a history professor who’s considered a problem child because she’s unmarried and childless at 35, is hiding an affair with a man her parents would never approve of. Suresh meets an attractive woman too young for him, while Lata agrees to her first-ever date, but the accumulating secrets threaten to shake the family’s foundations. Striking narration from each of the family members and believable character development add to Varadarajan’s bold challenge to traditional South Asian conventions for a stringent life plan. These strong voices leave an indelible mark. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This perfectly titled audiobook will immerse listeners in the misadventures of an Indian American family and have them rooting for each member to find happiness. The ensemble of narrators give flawless performances. Vikas Adam sprinkles a dash of humor into his expressive tones to portray the overbearing but oddly sympathetic father, Suresh, whose search for love after divorce takes an unlikely turn. Deepa Samuel captures ex-wife Lata's resentment over her lengthy arranged marriage, while conveying her joy at her new life. Their adult daughter Priya's affair with a married man is depicted with nuance by Mehr Dudeja. Shahjehan Khan's easygoing intonations help listeners invest in son Nikesh's struggle to settle his relationship with the mother of his son. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      After 36 years in an arranged marriage, Lata Raman decides that she has had enough. Defying her traditional Indian upbringing, she divorces her husband, Suresh, and moves out of their family home. Then she finds her first job and wonders what comes next. Meanwhile, Suresh doesn't understand what has gone wrong and looks to online dating apps for direction. The couple's grown children, Priya and Nikesh, chafe against their parents' nontraditional futures while pursuing equally nontraditional lives for themselves. Priya is seeing a married man, and Nikesh is not married to the mother of his child;neither has told their parents. Narrators Vikas Adam, Deepa Samuel, Shahjehan Khan, and Mehr Dudeja give voice to the Raman family, capturing their wit and vivacity and conveying the difficulties of balancing their new lives with the old. With pitch-perfect accents and excellent timing, the narrators' performances are so vibrant and engaging that listeners may feel like they've made new friends. VERDICT Varadarajan's debut about starting over, adopting new codes of conduct, and defying tradition while remaining a family strikes a chord. Highly recommended for fans of Sonya Lalli's Grown-Up Pose or Sonali Dev's The Vibrant Years.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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