From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel in the tradition of Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, exploring the ties and fractures of a close-knit Indian-American family in the aftermath of a violent encounter with the police.

Pacific Hills, California: Gated communities, ocean views, well-tended lawns, serene pools, and now the new home of the Shah family. For the Shah parents, who came to America twenty years earlier with little more than an education and their new marriage, this move represents the culmination of years of hard work and dreaming. For their children, born and raised in America, success is not so simple. 

For the most part, these differences among the five members of the Shah family are minor irritants, arguments between parents and children, older and younger siblings. But one Saturday night, the twelve-year-old son is arrested. The fallout from that event will shake each family member's perception of themselves as individuals, as community members, as Americans, and will lead each to consider: how do we define success? At what cost comes ambition? And what is our role and responsibility in the cultural mosaic of modern America?

For readers of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, A Great Country explores themes of immigration, generational conflict, social class and privilege as it reconsiders the myth of the model minority and questions the price of the American dream.

Full Excerpt

Excerpted from A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Copyright © 2024 by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Excerpted by permission of Mariner Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Consider the title and how it works with the story. Why do you think the author, Shilpi Somaya Gowda, chose it?
2. Did you find yourself torn about how to feel about any of the characters' reactions or decisions? What moments were particularly controversial to you, and how did they challenge your perceptions? Were there parts of A Great Country that made you uncomfortable? Why?
3. Did the alternating perspectives of each character highlight any important similarities or differences about their experiences and how they move through the world? Did you come away with a better understanding of any one character in particular?
4. Vikram says: "No one willingly gives up their place of privilege for someone new." How is this statement proven or disproven by different characters throughout the novel? How accurate do you think this sentiment is in reflecting society?
5. How does including the perspectives of police officers, including that of Officer Diaz and Sergeant O'Reilly affect the story? How did this affect your views on the issue of police violence?
6. Priya and Ashok struggle with the decisions that they've made about their children and their ability to protect them. Deepa struggles with reconciling her parents' sacrifices with the society in which she was raised, Maya struggles with fitting in—in more ways than one. How does family influence your decisions? How has your own family influenced your decisions?
7. Deepa covers for Maya when she skips school, and Maya is highly attuned to Ajay's idiosyncrasies. What do you think of the Shah sibling relationship? What are your relationships like with your siblings or sibling-type people around you?
8. Compare Deepa's friendship with Paco to Maya's with Ashley. Where does each friendship stand by the end of the novel? What do you think would happen between them over more time?
9. Food is important to the Shah family, as well as others in their lives. How is food and cuisine used at different points to demonstrate the emotions of the characters or the state of their relationships?
10. Jonathan Stern and Helen Wu briefly provide accounts of their families' different experiences with immigration to the United States. How do they compare to the Shahs' story?
11. When Jonathan Stern tells the Shahs to play into the "model minority" myth because they are "well integrated into American society," what is he really asking of them? If the Shahs agree to this narrative of the assimilated immigrant family, do you think they are giving up a part of their culture or identity? What would you do in their situation?
12. What did you think about the friendships among the adult women? Which relationships feel genuine, and which are transactional? In what ways do these characters express affection or loyalty? How do you support a friend in a crisis? How has a friend supported you?
13. How does Ajay's potential neurodivergence complicate his treatment by the police and his recovery from trauma? How do you think his story's outcomes might have changed if his parents had pursued an earlier diagnosis?
14. In what ways do Ashok and Priya cope differently with their family's crisis? Which response do you think would be closer to your own way of dealing with a similar situation?
15. Early on, Vikram suggests that money and assets are as effective as weapons for protection. Do you agree with this philosophy? In which ways does the Shahs' recently accumulated wealth protect them? In which ways does it fail them?
16. The novel highlights how various differences—in race, socioeconomic class, citizenship, neurodiversity, caste—can be used to divide people and discriminate against them. Which of these kinds of discrimination have you encountered in your own life experience? Did any of the differences depicted in the novel surprise you or challenge your assumptions?
17. Imagine it's a year after the novel's conclusion. What do you think each of the characters might be doing at that time? How might the events of the novel continue to have repercussions for them?

Book Club Kit

 

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of . Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

Here are some of the recent comments posted about A Great Country.
You can read the full discussion here, and please do participate if you wish.
Be aware that this discussion will contain spoilers!

Compare Deepa's friendship with Paco to Maya's with Ashley. Where does each friendship stand by the end of the novel?
Deepa and Paco had a mature teenager relationship, built on trust and acceptance. Maya and Ashley, on the other hand, had an immature, early teen friendship, based on superficial items like looks, status, weath. It is interesting, though, that while ... - A.T.

Did the alternating perspectives of each character highlight any important similarities or differences about their experiences and how they move through the world?
The alternating perspectives were effective in providing a glimpse into each character's unique point of view. I agree with Angela and find alternative perspectives of the same event crucial in reducing polarization in our highly polarized ... - K Bosman

Did you find yourself torn about how to feel about any of the characters' reactions or decisions?
One of the things that struck me in the book is how human the author portrayed her characters to be. In terms of being clueless for example, Deepa clearly didn't understand the danger she put Paco in by insisting he ... - Lyris

Early on, Vikram suggests that money and assets are as effective as weapons for protection. Do you agree with this philosophy?
Rather than write a repetitious post, I too agree with Marcia and Patricia Ann. - rebeccar

How do Jonathan Stern's and Helen Wu's family stories of immigration compare to the Shahs' story?
This section of the story is important as it provides an opportunity to reflect on the broader picture. The notion of a varied immigrant community is significant in the narrative because it reminds (and exposes) readers of the diverse range... - K Bosman

How does Ajay's potential neurodivergence complicate his treatment by the police and his recovery from trauma?
I think that his reactions to the police and the situation led to a lot of misunderstanding and escalated the situation. As far as his recovery, he would not be able to follow a tradition plan. It would make things more difficult - JillL

How does family influence one's decisions?
Family influence can make children grow up feeling entitled. Young men in decades past could avoid the draft if their families had the right connections, and that usually required money and social status. We all could probably go on and on about rude... - rebeccar

How does including the perspectives of police officers affect the story?
I think it made the story more rounded. It showed us both sides of the story and made us see the police officers as actual people, not just the bad guys. - JillL

How is food and cuisine used to demonstrate the emotions of the characters or the state of their relationships?
Sharing food is always a way to bring people together - especially a family. Here, it is one of the few ways they have to keep their heritage and family history alive. I have traveled in this area and a meal in a home was always warm and taught me ... - shannonl

In what ways do Ashok and Priya cope differently with their family's crisis?
I think Priya copes by doing what she has to do to protect her children. Ashok is unwilling to admit he could possibly be wrong about anything. He seems more distanced in dealing with things as for him it brings up memories of things from living in ... - scottishrose

Overall, what do you think of A Great Country? (no spoilers)
I did not really like the book but not because of any particular thing. The narrative was thought provoking and the characters were believable. But, it was cold. I couldn't care about the characters nor did I ever care what happened to them. ... - shannonl

Vikram says: "No one willingly gives up their place of privilege for someone new." How is this statement proven or disproven throughout the novel?
I believe this is mostly true. In the novel, people of privilege were willing to help others if it had some benefit for themselves and did not come at a societal cost to them. Vikram helped Ashok because he believed Ashok could help him ... - mali

What did you think about the friendships among the adult women?
Priya and Archie were two friends that were more like family, siblings. They were able to support each other and take on each other's burdens when needed. It seems to me that such a close friendship is hard to come by and takes years in the ... - A.T.

What do you think each of the characters might be doing a year after the novel's conclusion?
The characters in the book have all been affected in some way by the traumatic event of Ajay's arrest. I think that one year later we would see the members of the Shah family still in the beginning stages of processing what happened that day, ... - millicentg

What do you think of the Shah sibling relationship?
I think the relationship between the Shah children was pretty real. Sometimes they argue and have their own things going on. However there is also a great sense of protection that they have with each other. - wendyf

When Jonathan Stern tells the Shahs to play into the "model minority" myth what is he really asking of them?
I know he was just doing everything he could for his client but he was also pointing out that a lot of Americans distrust immigrants even though they have been Americans for decades. - kathie

Which of the kinds of discrimination shown in the novel have you encountered in your own life, and which surprised you or challenged your assumptions?
I agree with Lyris. Life is filled with nuance. Always. - K Bosman

Why do you think the author chose A Great Country as the title for this novel?
As others have already stated, leaving behind the official caste system must have seemed like “The American Dream” of A Great Country was in sight. Yet, as we all know, it is not always truly available and not every citizen or county or ... - rebeccar