Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC. I was really looking forward to reading this one as I enjoy reading about India in its fascinating culture. While I did enjoy that part of the story, I often found myself bored. I’m not sure if it was the writing style or if it was just that the characters were boring. I didn’t really find myself engrossed in the story until the end. There was some excitement and interest in the last couple of chapters.

Received this ARC from William Morrow and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. 

Rachel, an American woman, marries Dhruv, an Indian man. They move to Mumbai and his mother-in-law moves in with them. I was intrigued by this description as I am married to an Indian man and have always wondered how his mother and I would clash if we had to live together. I enjoyed the women learning about themselves and how to be more independent. However, I found the book to be quite boring. It was a lot of internal dialogue and thoughts, which doesn’t fully interest me. It was a great concept, but I think there could have been more with the culture flash that would have made it more interesting.

Rachel Meyer, an independent, thirty-something New Yorker, has moved to India with her new Indian-born husband, Dhruv. Rachel is struggling to find her place in an entirely new culture and to make matters worse, Dhruv doesn't really seem to understand her struggles and leaves Rachel on her own much of the time. When Dhruv's traditional Indian mother Swati suddenly shows up to move in with them, Rachel's life is thrown into further turmoil. Both strong-willed women struggle to assert themselves in the running of the household but ultimately may discover how similar they really are.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book but ended up loving it. It is both hilarious and heartwarming. While I started out most invested in and sympathetic to Rachel, Swati grew on me, and by the end I was extremely invested in her. I loved the development of the women's relationship, and the descriptions of the Indian culture in the novel. Both main characters are complex, and I loved stepping into both women's heads as the point of view switched between them.

I think this would make an excellent book for book club discussions and plan to recommend it to my friends.

This journey of growth for two women who initially believed they had nothing in common was a joy to read! I loved seeing the way they worked to challenge their beliefs and biases to become better and to realize what they wanted out of life. Some parts did seem like a lot to me (Rachel was a bit too whiny, Swati’s love interest seemed unrealistic) but overall I really enjoyed this story!

I loved this book.  The character development kept me interested throughout.  The descriptions of life in Mumbai made me feel like I was right there.

I received an ARC from netgalley.com

Mother land is a story of an American living in India with her new Mother in Law while her husband is away on business. As they both struggle with their new lives and each other, they develop a friendship.

It was a wonderful story about cultural norms, families, and finding oneself. I didn't expect to enjoy it but I really did. The character and ot development is sound and though not overly descriptive it does give you a feel of India. I wanted more description

Mother Land is a rich, exotic story of two women seeking their truest selves. 

Rachel is newly wed to Dhruv and they have recently relocated from America to Mumbai, in Dhruv's home country of India. She is struggling with the language, the heat, the customs that everyone knows and no one talks about while trying to make friends unsuccessfully. 

Swati has just left her husband of 40 years and moved in with her son and daughter in law, Dhruv and Rachel. Initially, she wants to help Rachel become more like the other daughter in laws-the Indian daughter in laws, but in the process realizes that just as she is seeking happiness in finding her own way, so too must she let Rachel do the things that make her happy. 

Along the way, Rachel and Swati forge a friendship that will stand the test of time as they find out who they truly are, who the other is and how to find their own happiness.

I found this book moving and beautiful.

Mother Land tells the story of an American woman who moves to India with her new husband and spends her newlywed time getting to know her mother-in-law who has unexpectedly moved in with them. I really enjoyed the developing friendship with Swati and Rachel and how that developed throughout the novel. It would have been very easy to dislike Swati but there is good character development as the story moves on. Leah Franqui did a great job transporting me to Mumbai and making me feel the city. However, I felt a lot of the novel was repeating the same themes and conversations without really moving the story forward. My biggest problem was with Rachel's husband Dhruv. I didn't like him at all and thought the character could use some development. I couldn't figure out what Rachel saw in him and inspired her to move halfway around the world to be with him.

A story of friendship and self-discovery told from the point of view of alternating characters, Rachel and Swarti. We follow two different personal journeys, a native to the country of India and a foreigner who through different circumstances have been thrown together.

I enjoyed the story and the writing although the character of Rachel seemed a bit immature and whiny and not always likeable. I had fun watching Swarti takes risks to break through her cultural norms to give herself a better life. While I enjoyed having a 'tour' through Mumbai, I didn't get as deep a sense of the city as I would have liked, but I think that might be harder to do with contemporary fiction over historical fiction. Despite this, I still enjoyed 'exploring' the city with Rachel. I appreciate that the author uses her experience to write this story as that always adds another level to my enjoyment as well.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and plan on checking out the author's other book, America for Beginners.

Rachel leaves NY with her husband to move to Mumbai. As if the culture shock isn’t enough, her mother-in-law, Swati, shows up to move in after leaving her husband of over 40 years. This book dives into new beginnings and forced relationships.

This book was interesting, but it was easy to put down. I didn’t connect with the characters as I had hoped. However, I would read more books by Leah Franqui.

Thank you to Book Club Girls, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with the characters and a lot of their decisions in this book, but I really enjoyed the story itself, along with the writing.

Rachel, a white Jewish girl whose only true passion is cooking, has a whirlwind romance with Dhruv and after eloping, moves to Mumbai (from New York) with him for his job. While there, she experiences culture shock to the extreme, and even more so when her mother-in-law Swati arrives unexpectedly to move in with them, and Dhruv doesn't stop her. Furthermore, he disappears a 6-week work trip, and leaves Rachel all alone with his mother in their tiny apartment, and rarely calls to check in. 

There is a real cultural conflict in this book with each character believing that their way is the "right" way and everyone else's way is the "wrong" way. All of the characters would have been a lot happier if they had just accepted other people's customs as "different" instead of bad; they would have at least have been able to approach each other without being so defensive all the time. This is especially difficult in Rachel and Dhruv's marriage, where he seems to expect her to merely conform to life as an Indian wife instead of having any aspirations or desires of her own. 

I really liked the relationship that slowly developed between Rachel and Swati, even as uncomfortable it was most of the time. The fact that they both start out as seemingly weak and then grow from that was fun to read. And that they grow as they start to respect and even like the other one as equals (instead of merely learning to tolerate the other) was something I really liked and isn't usually explored in many books focused on female relationships.

On the other hand, the male characters were so blah. All of them, but especially Dhruv. Because this books begins with Rachel and Dhruv already in Mumbai and her already struggling, the reader starts out not really understanding what she ever saw in him, and that never goes away. I did not root for their relationship from the first page, but rather, the whole time, was hoping she'd figure out an escape plan. 

However, the writing really sucked me in, especially with all the vivid descriptions of Mumbai and the people Rachel meets, and that made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen to Rachel and Swati.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Book Club Girl at William Morrow for providing me with an arc of this book. It has not influenced my opinion.

“You’re going to think I’m insane, but I don’t like avocado.”

I received Mother Land courtesy of William Morrow Books and TBH, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book. I take notes while I read and my early notes questioned why I continued on. I’m glad I did because by the 50% mark I realized that it’s not that I was disliking the book, it was that the author was developing such rich characters that I was forming strong feelings about all of them. This character development transformed the second half of the book into one that I couldn’t put down. In the end, I felt like I was a supportive girlfriend walking this truth alongside these wonderful characters.

Author Leah Franqui has developed a storyline that examines relationships, self-doubt, reconciliation, and enlightenment.

Rachel and her new husband Dhruv have recently moved to Mumbai, India from New York for his work. She thinks that she wants to be there, but quickly finds herself overwhelmed by the challenges of living in a new county and a new culture. On top of this, Dhruv’s mother has decided to move in with the newlyweds. This new living situation makes Rachel’s head spin. She has to learn to deal with all of these life changes without losing herself in the process.

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..