Magical realism features heavily in today's book, Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian. Set mostly in the United States, in both Georgia and California, the story follows a young Indian-American boy and his relationship with his neighbor across the cul-de-sac. After being brought into a scheme like no other, the narrator's life will change in a way he never imagined.
The Situation: Neeraj 'Neil' Narayan is a high school student who lives just outside of Atlanta with his family. While his ambitious sister is busy with the Miss Teen India pageant circuit and headed to Duke University, the pressure is on for Neil to be equally if not more focused and motivated. Problem is, he simply isn't. However, much of his focus is on the Dayal family across the cul-de-sac. The mother, Anjali, is often the subject of the gossip Neil is used to hearing from his own mother. And the daughter, Anita, is on the same pageant circuit as Neil's sister, and recently changed schools to attend the expensive and prestigious private school further away from the neighborhood. Neil and Anita may have been childhood friends, but parental pressure and placement tests have come between them, as Anita is doing everything she can to secure her own future, which seems to mean leaving Neil behind.
The Problem: When Neil stumbles upon the secret to the Dayal women's success, he becomes part of a bigger plot he is not ready for. Anjali may promote herself as somewhat of an event planner, but what she really does when she enters people's homes is much more complicated, and goes beyond petty theft. Anjali and Anita have been using the gold jewelry of Anjali's customers to brew an alchemic mixture that takes on the ambition of the original owner. When Neil takes his first swallow, he is hooked, and he wants in. Finally, his ambition has become what his parents have always wanted it to be, and he wants to keep this going. Of course, things go too far, and a tragedy pulls Anita and Neil apart, leading to a future no one wanted. But Anita and Neil may able to fix things, they only need to steal the most gold they have ever attempted.
Genre, Themes, History: This book is fiction and set partly outside of Atlanta, Georgia in the early 2000s, and partly in California in the Berkeley area during the late 2010s. Our narrator is Neil Narayan, a somewhat unmotivated and bumbling young man who is having a hard time with the pressure of fulfilling the dream his parents have for him and his sister. When he becomes entangled with Anjali and Anita Dayal, it is only the beginning of his adventures, and his obsession with gold and its properties. College Neil is still somewhat unambitious, even though he is attempting to write his dissertation for his PhD, but he is also haunted by the past and the events that took Anita out of his life. The author drew from texts on alchemy, as well as the Gold Rush in 1800s California, to bring Neil's adventures to life.
My Verdict: There are some things this book does well. When painting a picture of Neil, his family, his community, and his general feeling that he is not living up to the dreams that his parents have for him, Sathian presents everything with descriptions that are not overly complicated. It is just enough for the reader to see what is going on and how Neil feels. Also, it clear how haunted Neil is, mostly in his college years, but there is a subtle hint at that haunting while he is a high school student in Georgia. My problem with the book mostly comes from Neil as the narrator. Even during his more innocent high school years, he is not a likeable character, and it is not because he is unmotivated. His obsession with Anita is uncomfortable, and it does not help that she is not all that likeable either. In the first part of the book, I was often bored, and as the book approached its conclusion, I found myself caring less and less if everything worked out.
Favorite Moment: At the start of the novel, there is a scene from Anjali's past that helps explain how and when she discovered the process of making the gold mixture. It would have been nice to have more scenes like this from her early life.
Favorite Character: I did not care for any of the characters enough to pick a favorite. There are a few characters who add some humor and insight, but they are not present enough in the story.
Recommended Reading: The magical realism elements reminded me somewhat of Traci Chee's The Reader series, but only slightly. It is a different kind of story, geared towards younger readers, full of danger, adventure, magic, pirates, and a very special book.
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