Monica Pradhan, The Hindi-Bindi Club

The Hindi-Bindi Club

Monica Pradhan

Bantam, May 2007, $12.00

ISBN: 055338452X

Thirty-two years old family doctor Kiran Deshpande recently has had doubts about her American dream as a first generation American whose family emigrated from India. She divorced her non-Indian musician and returned to her parents' home in Potomac, Maryland, wondering if her mother's way of meeting a spouse through an arrangement is better as they remain together while she who had choices is single.

In the DC suburb, Kiran sees her childhood friends Preity Chawla Lindstrom and Rani McGuiness Tomashot; they form a friendship similar to that of their mothers, the original members of THE HINDI-BINDI CLUB, who emigrated from India in the 1960s to eventually live in this Maryland town. The younger trio begins sharing confidences while Kiran begins her plan for a traditional Indian arranged marriage. By becoming closer to each other, they actually get closer to their respective mothers as none of the threesome any longer scorns the first generation with their old country ideas.

This interesting storyline uses stereotypes (including the mothers and daughters) to tell the tale of dramatic change that occurs between the immigrant generation and the first American with a dash generation. The storyline focuses on the changes in outlook of the younger trio as they turn from scorn to respect for their elders who struggled with racism. Readers who appreciate a deep spotlight on generational America will enjoy this look at Indian-Americans whose difference can be summed over the dash.

Harriet Klausner