Definitely not what I expected. While this is usually something I wouldn’t read I did enjoy it. It was well written and told.

Mother Land
by Leah Franqui

Rachel Meyer, a thirtysomething New Yorker, moves to Mumbai with her Indian-born husband, Dhruv, knowing she will have quite the learning curve in this new culture. Unfortunately, her mother-in-law, Swati, appears soon after, unannounced with the intention to stay, just before Dhruv leaves for an extended business trip.

Putting a headstrong, controlling mother-in-law up against any young, independent bride would make for some fraught situations, but adding the additional layer of their diverse cultural differences made it all the more interesting, especially when they begin to understand that they may just want the same things. I became so engrossed in the wonderfully developed characters of Swati and Rachel that I didn’t want to put this book down. This novel is written in a heartfelt, insightful manner, Mother Land would lend itself to an exceptional book club discussion.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the ARC.

I almost did not read this brilliant novel. After reading the description my first reaction was meh, another daughter-in-law/mother-in-law power struggle. But the premise of it taking place in Mumbai between two culturally different women piqued my interest. I was hooked after the first chapter.

Rachel is a native New Yorker of Jewish heritage. Dhruv is Hindu, from India and working in New York.They meet, fall in love and rather hurriedly marry. Rachel is unhappy with her life, her job. Dhruv has the opportunity to return to India for his job, she is eager to make the move, looking at it being an adventure. Once there, she finds herself more dependent on Dhruv for all decisions. And he is only too happy to make them.

Dhruv’s mother Swati shows up unannounced, suitcases in hand.She goes on to inform Rachel she has left her husband and is moving in with them. And so the battle of wills begin.

Swati is determined to impart her traditional ways on to Rachel. She doesn't care that Rachel has no interest. Rachel is passive/aggressive in her opposition. Dhruv abdicates his authority , and Rachel’s needs to Swati.

Dhruv is called away for work, leaving Rachel and Swati alone,reluctant roommates. And during this time they begin to form their bond.

I enjoyed this book. Leah Franqui did a wonderful job juggling cultures. And creating complex characters in Rachel and Swati. Both imperfect but likable in their own way.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This was my first read by Leah Franqui, and I absolutely adored it. It's extremely well-written, and the characters are wonderful - real and flawed in the best and most human of ways. It has laugh out loud funny moments and moments so tender they'll bring tears to your eyes. It's an amazing story of family, relationships, traditions, learning, stepping outside your comfort zone, understanding, and so many other things. As a daughter-in-law, there were so many moments I felt in my soul, even though my mother-in-law and I are both very different from Rachel and Swati. I could go on and on, but suffice to say, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone. I truly feel there's something everyone can get from this book.

I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but it wasn’t what I found, but somehow what I got was better than anything I could have dreamed up. Indian culture is not something I know much about and I found myself having to grow and learn and push myself right along with Rachel. I loved that both perspectives spoke and forced the reader to challenge bias and really try to understand from a new perspective as Rachel and Swati had to do. The writing was beautiful and the story was compelling. Once I got started I stayed up far too late to finish every last word.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to William Morrow Publishing, Leah Franqui, and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Rachel Meyer is a newlywed, recently relocated from New York to Mumbai with her husband Dhruv. She’s in the process of getting herself acclimated to her new life, when there is a knock at her door. She opens it to discover her mother in law, Swati, who announces that she has just left her husband and is moving in. Permanently. Rachel has only met Swati once before, and the two have not got a warm and fuzzy relationship. Needless to say, Rachel is NOT happy, and then her husband is sent on an extended business trip, leaving her home alone with his mother.

This book is not entirely what it seems. On the surface, it is about the strained relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law, but it is so much deeper than that. What appears to be disapproval is really more like unfamiliarity. As the book goes on, the two women come to know each other, and we watch their relationship grow.

I enjoyed the beginning and ending of the book tremendously. The middle got a little bit muddy for me, and I had a little difficulty keeping up with several characters and their roles in the story. Being a daughter in law with a less-than-cozy relationship with my mother-in-law, I found a lot to relate to. As the story unfolds, it moves in a direction that I really did not see coming, although looking back on it, I maybe should have,

Expat Rachel Meyer is living the dream life in Mumbai. Having met her husband in a New York bar, she moves with him to his native India. Not only is the culture different, but having her mother-in-law move in with them on a permanent basis is the real cultural shock. And then to top it off, her husband leaves for a month-long business trip and the two women are left to learn how to live with each other. Its funny, even if your mother-in-law isn’t Indian, and the best part it is the story of how two women who are alone, become champions of each other.

This is a fun book, more so than I thought it would be. I enjoyed the evolution of the women's characters as well as their relationship with each other, and with the culture in which they are presently living. I found the environment to be a character, itself, in addition to a wide range of characters who ran the gamut of personalities. This was an entertaining read in addition to being thought-provoking and insightful. I would definitely read this author in the future.

I thought the story had a good premise but the book felt a little long. A good look at trying to understand another person’s country and customs and trying to build relationships. After a while I did feel like Rachel’s whining got old . I did feel like the ending was nicely wrapped up.

I really enjoyed this book. The descriptions of India were so vivid and I loved the character development. This was a great story about finding what you need when you least expect it. I would definitely recommend it. I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Mother Land by Leah Franqui was not a book that I was initially excited to read. But I decided to pick it up and I was blow away! What an amazing story! Rachel marries Dhruv and together they move back to India with Dhruv's family close by. Rachel thought she was doing something new and getting a much needed change from her New York life. Turns out, culture shock is harder than you think. An American in a different country isn't always as easy as you think. Swati, Dhruv's mother soon comes to live with them and more uncomfortable changes come. As Dhruv leaves for business, Swati and Rachel are forced together and life takes an unexpected turn for both.
I loved learning more about the Indian culture and how the women deal with it. This book was eye opening for me and I can appreciate my American roots where women can have an opinion and make a life for themselves.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Leah Franqui, and William Morrow- HarperCollins Publishing for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
#MotherLand #NetGalley

Rachel is a Jewish American who marries Dhruv and moves with him to his homeland India. She is struggling with adapting to life in Mumbai and then her mother-in-law Swati arrives on their doorstep. Swati, raised and living the traditional lifestyle of an Indian housewife, has decided she is not happy with her situation and does not love, nor ever has loved her husband. Tradition in India would dictate that she moves in permanently with her son and daughter-in-law.

The story revolves around Rachel and Swati and their individual searches for “self”, as well as their relationship with each other, often adversarial but ultimately resulting in a lasting respect and friendship. Their relationships with their respective husbands are also addressed in the story.

I enjoyed the book and character development, especially Swati’s emergence into her independence. I did not find Rachel as likable of a character although her interactions with Swati and the progression of their friendship was developed very nicely. The background setting featuring life in India and Mumbai specifically was very interesting and enlightening as to the Indian culture.

I did not like Rachel’s husband and could not understand her attraction to him, at least, after their move to India. She was quite passive for a woman who seemed to value her independence.

Swati’s encounter with her friend’s son seemed a bit far fetched for someone from her background. It may have been more believable with her friend’s husband or another man more her age. Not that I personally disapprove but it just came across as too much at variance with her deeply embedded moral standards. I applauded her, however, for her courage in finally addressing her own needs.

Overall I truly liked the book and would recommend to others.

I really enjoyed this book and I appreciate learning more of Mumbai and the Indian culture!!! Rachel and Swati are interesting characters and you will fall in love with them. It has surprising twists and entanglements and you are so happy to see both ladies grow closer!! This story will give you opportunities to re-examine some of your preconceived notions! #NetGalley#MotherLand

Rachel had married Dhruv and moved to India where he was from/wanted to be. However, everything about Mumbai felt wrong and how they lived felt wrong and she was lonely. Her mother-in-law left her husband and came to live with them. Rachel hated this at first because Swati took over the house and bull-dozed her way into Rachel's life. When Dhruv had to go away for business for 6 weeks, Swati and Rachel were left to their own devices.

Watching the relationship between Swati and Rachel unfold was very satisfying. They learned how to talk to each other and how to be around each other. They each needed someone to understand them and were able to be that person for each other.

I enjoyed this one. The author did a good job of showing how the main characters, especially Rachel, felt trapped in their current lives. I found myself rooting for their situations to be fixed in whatever way would make them more comfortable in their own skins.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

This book drew me in and kept me interested throughout. A story of conflicting cultures, views, and family. A woman marries and moves to a Mumbai. She thinks this is what she wants, but is it? This novel follows her new life and reflections/comparisons with her old life as well as an unexpected complication - her mother-in-law moves in with the newlyweds.

I read about 3/4 of the book and put it down. Loved the first half that was entertaining, original and informative but it bogged down and became a bit of a soap opera. I intend to finish it at some point but I saw it wasn’t going to be a good choice for a contemporary literature book group.
The mother-in-law/daughter-in-law husband triangle was original and engaging as it was set in India and the newly married wife was an outsider unaware of the family customs.

I enjoyed this cultural and generational novel. It was an interesting look into feminism between an older Indian mother-in-law and a Jewish American daughter-in-law. The story takes place in India. The two women are confronted with figuring out who they are meant to be and who they are to each other. A good read on understanding different cultural lifestyles and finding oneself.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc and Leah Franqui for the ARC.

Mother Land is fiction, but it reads like a real-life scenario of two strong-willed women wanting the best for their families. The story is told from the view point of both Swati, a native of India, and Rachel, an ex-pat. The author helps us understand each woman's view point with inner dialogue and outer confrontations. Mother Land is the kind of book that makes you think "What if?" and "Would I do that?" I enjoyed this. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Motherland for a review copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I finished Mother Land last week, but wanted to think about it for awhile before writing a review. I really liked Leah Franqui’s new book. The main character, Rachel Meyer is a newlywed who lives in New York. She and her husband, Dhruv, move to Mumbai. It is difficult adjusting to marriage, let alone to a new culture. Add to this, Rachel’s mother-in-law, Swati, shows up after leaving her husband and moves into the house. I think Franqui does an excellent job in the character development of both of these women as they figure out how to live with each other. I can see bookclubs really enjoying this book.

Thank you Book Club Girls, William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This beautiful novel captures the complexity of the relationships between a wife and mother-in-law. Rachel moves to India with her husband. When her husband's mother decides to leave her husband of decades and move in with the newlyweds, it definitely creates friction. However, things get worse when the two women are left alone when the husband is away on business. The women each want to run the household their own way. I really enjoyed this one, as it was culturally, character, and relationship driven.