It took a while to get into this book, but as the story moved, I liked it more and more. Rachel, the main character was unhappy living in India with her new Indian husband and when her mother in law moved in, she was even more unhappy. As Rachel and Swati come to know and like each other, Rachel’s view of herself and of India begins to change. The author does a great job of describing cultural differences in a way that shows one culture is not always right while the other is wrong. I would recommend this book.

An interesting story with good characters. I enjoyed reading it, but felt a little disenchanted with it toward the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Leah Franqui's MOTHER LAND was a hard, squirmy read for me. I requested the ARC knowing that this was likely to be the case. My spouse is Indian, and I am not. I have personally experienced many of the interpersonal dynamics that play out in the novel. Franqui does an admirable job of showcasing the reality of an intercultural marriage. For the most part, she remains fair to both viewpoints. The last quarter of the novel was a little less believable to me, so I've given MOTHER LAND four stars.

Following a whirlwind courtship, Dhruv and Rachel take their "love marriage" on the road. They relocate from New York to Mumbai for a three-year job Dhruv has taken. Rachel is naive and immature in her consideration of the move. She expects an adventure, but isn't ready for the effort and stamina required to make the move successful. She's directionless and lonely. At this point, her mother-in-law Swati shows up unannounced to declare she's left her husband and is moving in with the newlyweds. What follows is an interesting back-and-forth between two women who both have something to prove. I enjoyed this part of the novel. Franqui injects humor and levity into a narrative built around the obstacles Rachel and Swati face. I was rooting for them to find their common ground and take on the world, together.

Unfortunately, the last quarter of the book included a plot point that didn't sit well with me. Maybe it's because I'm biased and could never see my own mother-in-law doing the things Swati does. It felt like Franqui decided that the West had won the battle of the cultures. In my opinion, the victory was a little too one-sided and fantastical, and for that reason, I've deducted a star.

I would absolutely recommend MOTHER LAND to those who love reading about cultural interplay and family dynamics.

I really liked this book. The characters were very engaging and the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship was one to cheer on. Rachel had her head in the clouds when she first moved to Mumbai with her new husband and discovered he was not who she thought he was and an unexpected but tension filled - at first, relationship with her mother-in-law helped her navigate the sudden changes in her life.

I was all set to give this book 4 stars, until I hit the last 20%.
I was really loving the basic story- a Jewish women, recently wed, moves with her husband to India and finds herself at odds with her mother-in-law who suddenly moves in with them. Both women go through a transformation as they learn about each other, their cultures and then ultimately, about themselves. The author did a wonderful job sharing both viewpoints and really let the reader see the good and bad of both characters.
I was uncomfortable with the direction one character went in towards the end and found myself rushing through to get to the end.
Overall, I think this book would be a great selection for a book group to discuss.
#NetGalley #MotherLand

What a beautiful story!!!! I couldn't put the book down!!
I loved the characters & the location. Since I have also visited India, I felt right at home as the author described the city, people & food.

We’ll I’m just going to say it- I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I was going to. I was able to download this book through Net Galley courtesy of Book Club Girls, and I really just grab them if they sound remotely interesting... but in this case I was really just lured in by the colors of the cover.
So anyway.... this story tells of the lives of 2 women, a woman and her mother in-law. It teaches you so much, different up bringing, different cultures, different points of views.
Read it.

I struggled to finish this book. Perhaps the main reason is that I did not warm to either of the main characters. I have read a lot of novels set in India and there was nothing outstanding or different in this one to make it stand out. It was the typical clash of customs and cultures. Rachel a typical young woman looking for adventure and way to change her life and marries a man she barely knows. She struggles with who she is and sees her new husband in a different light when they move back to his place of birth. Her mother in law is trying to find her way after leaving her husband and escape the “norms “ of being a dutiful wife and mother and moves in with her new daughter in law. The center of the story is the relationship between the two women..

Rachel's leaves New York with her new husband Dhruv, to move to Mumbai only to have her mother-in-law, Swati, move into her new apartment in Mumbai after leaving her husband. Diving into the complex relationships of females, ex-pats, colonialism, and feeling alone in a new country Leah Franqui captures empathetic characters and complex human emotions.

Newlyweds Rachel and Dhruv decide to leave their home in New York and begin their marriage in Dhruv's homeland in Mumbai. Rachel, excited about the move to a new country, did not truly consider the cultural differences that she would experience once moving to another country. Rachel had her life with Dhruv all planned out but those plans were swiftly diverted when Swati, Rachel's mother-in-law decided that she would secretly leave her husband. She would move in with her son and daughter-in-law. Disaster was written all over the new marriage. Rachel wanted to make her home a haven for herself and Dhruv. Swati had plans of her own in regards to Rachel should run or not run her own home.
In Mother Land, the two women are wanting to find themselves in a world where they don't feel appreciated or heard.

Mother Land is a book that I found difficult to put down. My plan was to read two chapters a day but I found myself wanting to know what would happen next between Rachel and Swati. I enjoyed reading Swati and Rachel's point of view and could find fault with both women. Reading the growth between the two women is heartwarming and shows that we can learn a lot from differing cultures.

Thank you to Book Girl Club and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy. All views are my own personal views and I have not been compensated to give this review.

When Is The Movie Coming Out!!??
Really enjoyed this story of an American newlywed trying to adjust to life in her husband's native India. Loved the development of the relationship between Rachel and her Indian mother-in-law. Much humor. The author described Mumbai so interestingly, from glitzy tourist locales to squalor and everything in between. Kept picturing this book as a movie. Hope it happens!

This book was very hard to put down! The mother in law arc was much more compelling than the daughter in law

It is easy to be afraid. Everyone stays where they are because they do not know what will happen to them when they go to a new place. But they are still the same. They can do more than they think.” .
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Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed the story of Rachel and Swati, two very different women thrown together due to circumstance. The POV alternates between the two, giving you insight to their inner dialogues as they make their way to an understanding about each other, and about themselves. I loved the sense of place this book gave you - I could see the streets of Mumbai, smell the smells, and almost taste the food. While Rachel was closer to my age, I felt a deep kinship with the older Swati and quiet, but insistent imperitive inside her that tells her that there is more for her, that she has a voice that is her own and that it is ok to seek it out. .
This is due out July 14! .

Mother Land is the story of Rachel and her mother-in-law Swati. Rachel moves to Mumbai from America with her new husband Dhruv. She expects to be in control of her new adventure discovering what life is like in India. Her plans are disrupted by the arrival of Swati who has left her husband Vinood and intends to move in with Rachel and Dhruv. Swati quckly challenges Rachel's life nd her way of doing things. Rachel is deeply resentful of Swati but in time the two women grow through their acquaintance with each other and learn truths about themselvesand each other.
This book has humor and depth and takes the reader on an adventure where the reader learns a bit about India and more about human natiure.

Entertaining story about 2 women; Rachel, a newlywed and newly relocated to India, and Swati, her mother in law. Rachel gives up her life in America willingly to move with her husband Druv to Mumbai. Once there she finds herself alone more than she would like in a city she finds difficult to navigate both mentally and physically. Her mother in law, Swati, arrives at Rachel and Druv’s apartment announcing she is no longer happy in her marriage and is leaving her husband and intends to move in with Rachel and Druv. Both women have strong personalities and beliefs and are immediately at odds with each other. As the story progresses, they learn to see the world through each other’s eyes, and realize they are more alike than they thought. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of life in Mumbai, and Indian culture.

After reading the description of this novel, I thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad I did. The story is told in alternating perspectives -- that of Rachel Meyer and her mother-in-law Swati. Rachel and her husband Dhruv have recently moved from New York to his home country of India for his job. Shortly after their arrival in Mumbai, Swati unexpectedly appears on their doorstep from Kolkata and announces that she has left Dhruv's father and will be moving in with the couple. Dhruv is sent to Kolkata on an extended business trip, leaving the two women who are virtual strangers alone in the apartment. This results in a not unsurprising series of culture clashes between the two strong-willed women. While I found myself frustrated by their lack of communication at times, I did like how they eventually opened up to one another and formed a close bond. It was interesting seeing how each viewed the other, which didn't necessarily coincide with how they viewed themselves. As each woman explores where they are in the lives and the decisions they've made leading to this point, it becomes clear that they are just what the other needed. I felt that the ending was a bit too tidy (especially with how Rachel's portion of the story is resolved), but still pleasing. Sometimes you just need a feel-good, happy ending.

This review was based on an advanced reader ebook I received via NetGalley courtesy of William Morrow and the Book Club Girl's Early Read program. Many thanks for the opportunity to check out this author!

I usually love to immerse myself in other cultures and Mother Land does that. Set in Mumbai, Rachel, an American, is learning to adapt to a new marriage and a new country when her mother in law, Swati,comes to live with her. The dialog between Rachel and Swati is humorous at times, but did drag a bit throughout the book. While I did enjoy the storyline of each woman insisting their way was the correct way (ultra conservative Indian vs modern American) and finally learning to accept and appreciate the other‘s perspective, I hated the ending.

Thank you Book Club Girls, HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book was well-written and started out great! I loved the sights, sounds, and culture of India. I didn't like Rachel, however. I'm actually not sure I liked any of the characters. The story also got bogged sown in the middle, and i see in other reviews people quit reading. I kept reading, though, and even though I was not surprised how things turned out, I thought it was a good story. I would read other books by this author because she is a good writer.

I almost gave up on this one around 40% just because I felt like I was reading complaint after complaint from the two main characters. However, I think this is a novel that completely turns around about halfway through. The character development in this novel is truly beautiful and the story evolves to be one surrounding identity, feminism, and values. It was also culturally eye-opening because the two main perspectives of the novel clashed and struggled with many everyday routines and learned mannerisms.

Many thanks to Book Club Girls Early Read Program, HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley for the early opportunity to escape to life in Mumbai, India, courtesy of Mother Land by Leah Franqui.

Rachel and her new husband, Dhruv, are transferred by his employer to Mumbai, an opportunity for him to work/live in the country where he grew up and an opportunity for Rachel to escape a job/life she’s not totally pleased with, in exchange for an opportunity to explore life and her new marriage in a new country. Rachel finds, however, that the two cities are literally and figuratively worlds apart and not exactly what she expected.

As Rachel is just starting to settle into their new life, two things happen: Dhruv is sent out of town for a 1-2 month project and his mother, Swati, appears on their doorstep, after leaving her husband of many years.

Rachel and Swati are then forced to be roommates and get to know each other in the process, as Swati tries to convert Rachel to the “correct” ways to live in India, and Rachel struggles to create her own version of life in Mumbai. I especially liked the way the author incorporates the concept of outside perception/expectations that drove each of the characters - both from cultural (Swati) and social media (Rachel) points of view.

Mother Land is a book about cultural and generational differences, marriage and feminism and it was a four star book for me. I especially liked Ms. Franqui’s colorful descriptions of life in India — I really felt like I was there.

Ms. Franqui’s first book, America for Beginners, is also wonderfully written and I look forward to her next book. (less)