20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great slice of youthful cultural confusion, June 7, 2004
This book is a rare treat, in that it presents the life of a typical American teenager with an atypical life, is honest, but doesn't stoop to cliches and stereotypes to tell its tale. This is the story of Dimple Lala, a young woman, born and raised in New Jersey of Indian immigrant parents, who is turning 17 at the beginning of summer. Dimple rejects her parents old-world culture and wants to be an All-American girl, but everyone else sees her as Indian. For her parents, Dimple getting drunk once while out with friends on her birthday is cause for a silent treatment and punishment of international proportions. In one of my favorite lines from the book, Dimple's mother says, "Giving birth to you was easy. It is now that I am needing the epidural!"
Dimple, in comparison to her childhood friend, Gwyn, is positively a model child: a good student, a virgin who has only dated two boys, she doesn't do drugs or do anything out of the ordinary to cause her parents to worry. It turns out that both Dimple and her parents are failing to realize what they have: a caring, lovely family unit and a strong cultural background in Dimple's case, and a very good daughter, in the case of her parents. Dimple's friend, Gwyn, is beautiful and blonde and slim and the center of attention, but she comes from a home where she was abandoned by her father and ignored by her mother, and she craves the stability of Dimple's family unit, which, of course, Dimple does not understand, since she longs to be beautiful and blonde and free of parental restrictions.
Dimple's parents seek to control their daughter by introducing her to a "suitable boy" meaning, of course, another Indian boy, an NYU computer major, and the son of her mother's best friend. Dimple rejects the boy on principal, but then discovers that he is a slightly unsuitable boy, and begins to fall in love with him, along with her friend, Gwyn. Dimple spends the bulk of the novel discovering herself and her life, and realizing that what she has is really a gift. She is exposed to the temptations of teenaged life, she has her heart broken and she rebels against her parents, but it takes a long summer for her to see that everything she has really is something to be envied.
The book is written in a charming, witty style, and, except for a few sort of "romance novel" plot twists, it is very engrossing. It is perfect for both adults and teens, and really should be read by parents and their teenagers.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
much more than culture barrier issues, September 28, 2002
When I first glanced at the summary of this amazing book, I thought that it was going to be another sappy teen romance with a twist of culture talk. A few short pages into the book, I was both surprised and hooked. The book focuses on the story of Dimple Lala, American born but with deep Indian roots. Her best friend is the "Marilyn Monroe for this generation" and each has something that the other finds irresistable. When Dimple's parents decide to find her a suitable Indian boy, it all goes downhill- not only is the boy suitable for Dimple, but her best friend sets her sights on him also. What is surprising about the book is that it is more about Dimple realizing that it is wonderful for her to be photo-taking self, expressing herself through her insightful photography. The story is as much about cross gender issues, cross-generational issues, how to deal with family and friends that seem both to close and to far away. It also exposes the insatiable american craving for the cultural traditions of other countries. While some parents might find certain elements unattractive, its difficult issues are presented with care and truth. I certainly would encourage both those who have difficulty fitting in, whatever culture they may hail from, as well as those who seem to find their place so easily because it truly is a book for everyone.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommends to every Indian, November 28, 2002
I enjoyed reading this book of drama, confusion, enigma and struggle of a teenage Indian girl growing up in West. This book deals with a lot of issues such as teen romance, family dynamics, cultural clashes, and lesbianism. On one side heroine Dimple, wanted to follow the traditions of his parents and on other side she wants to follow what her peers in schoolcand college do. There are clash of ideas and concepts, which is very common in the life of every Indian child born and raised in the west. Indians born and raised in the west, see everything as mirage. Like Dimple, they wanted to follow parents' beliefs and at the same time, they are bombarded with beliefs totally contrary to what they are taught to home. May be one of the answers to the confusion young Indians face, is books like Am I A Hindu? which describes every minute details of eastern culture or precisely Hindu culture in Question & Answer format. Indian parents have to understand that their children are growing up in a world of thousand thoughts and ideas, different from what they believe. So ignoring the problems will only make matters worse. Born Confused? baffles and intrigues as you read through the pages. I highly recommend this book to every Indian who lives in the west young and old like.
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