Che-Michelle Tales

Book Review

Book: The Taste of Ginger

Author: Mansi Shah

Published: December 7, 2021

Wine Choice:  Heros Syrah

Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Stand Alone

Type of book: Novel

Genre: Fiction

How long did it take me to read this book:   Approximately Two Weeks

Audible: One Week

I initially brought this book as soon as it became available on Amazon. The cover was beautiful, and the description “a family tragedy beckons a first-generation immigrant to the city of her birth, where she grapples with her family’s past in search of where she truly belongs.” How could I say no! I started the book and realized it was heavy, so  I  told myself to read an easy book and come back later. I am glad I came back, and this book did not become a DNF ( Did Not Finish).

Some of the heavy themes in this book are self-acceptance and dealing with loss, especially grief. The protagonist is torn between living her life on her terms, appeasing her parents, and being a dutiful daughter. Preeti feels vulnerable that she could not be the perfect daughter as her sister-in-law. However, when the major incident does occur, Preeti does her best to be there for her family at the same time, she starts to reconnect with her culture.   

I appreciated the onerous relationship between Preeti and her Mother. However, as the story continues, the author artfully reveals that Preeti’s Mother has a past and truly understands Preeti as her daughter. Towards the end, a touching moment allows Preeti to understand her mother better. Most children go through a period where they do not connect with their parents, whether because of religion, self-identity, or many other reasons. I enjoyed how the author layered Preeti and Mother’s stories, and it felt natural for them to accept each other.  

I also appreciated that the author did not force a Love Story on the reader but focused on Preeti finding herself, connecting to a culture that she locked in a closet to assimilate to American culture. However,  romantic moments do occur; the author uses them to highlight sexuality and the caste system in Indian culture.

There are parts of the story I  did not like when I found out Preeti let her ex call her Monkey. I know that it could be my personal bias, but I literally had a real moment of “Oh Hell NO!” Later in the book, Preeti realizes she accepted far less from her ex than what she would accept from someone who had a similar cultural background. How it took a tragic incident for Preeti to put her family first and stop shunning her culture to be accepted in Western Society.

 I came across a few negative reviews that caused me to pause, specifically that this book might ruffle some feathers. However, I didn’t see the racist overtones in the reviews, nor did I get why people felt like the author was preaching and demonizing Western culture. On the contrary, the author wrote the book from her experience as an Indian woman, balancing Western society while honoring Indian traditions.

If you love books about finding yourself and reconnecting to family and culture, this book is perfect for you. I  sipped on a French Syrah “Heroes” as I read this book at home. Heros is a rich red wine with beautiful notes of blackberries and cherries. If you love Syrah, you will love this wine; it was a bit much for my palate. However, it complimented the heavy  

As always, I hope you enjoyed this review.

Until Next Time,

Che Michelle