The Konkans (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A long time ago, my uncles bought a pig..." (more)
Key Phrases: kon achi, sweetmeats shop, sandalwood trees, Francis Xavier, Ridge Lawn, Vasco da Gama (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. D'Souza follows up the promise of Whiteman (2006) with this moving portrait of a Indian-American family. Narrator Francisco D'Sai descends partially from a small group of Konkans, former Hindus converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese in the 16th century. His American mother, Denise, met and married his father, Lawrence, while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s. The couple moves to Chicago, where Francisco is born and where Lawrence is obsessed with assimilation and achieving the American dream. In contrast, Francisco's uncle Sam, whom Denise insists they sponsor to America, is a much more soulful man who retains his Indian identity. Sam tells fabulous tales of Konkan culture and is adored by both Francisco and Denise, whose infatuation with India persists even as her love for Lawrence dwindles. The author moves deftly from character to character, detailing Denise's Peace Corps days and subsequent suburban boredom, Lawrence's grim struggle up the corporate ladder (his mission to earn acceptance by a country club is particularly sad) and Sam's search for purpose amid his troubling love for Denise. D'Souza puts a fresh spin on the theme of cultural alienation, and he achieves something even more universal as he shows how the characters are alone together in their family. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

D’Souza’s second novel is the saga of an Indian family steeped in tradition trying to find its niche in the suburbs of Chicago. The Konkans were Hindus living on the west coast of India who, in the sixteenth century, were conquered by the Portuguese and converted to Catholicism. They place all their hopes on the firstborn son of each family to better their lot; the narrator’s father, Lawrence, is the quintessential eldest son, and comes to America with that weight on his back. His first step toward advancement is marrying Denise, a white Peace Corps volunteer in India. Against her wishes, they move to Chicago, where Lawrence strives to be white and have all the trappings that go with that, including a country club membership that somehow never materializes. His brothers follow him to the States, and through the family’s unbiased eyes, D’Souza deftly captures the bigotry they face. With both humor and pathos, D’Souza has written an engrossing story of characters caught in a clash of past and present from which they can’t escape. --Deborah Donovan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151015198
• ISBN-13: 978-0151015191
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,747 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "We remember what we need to...Each of us keeps our memories just as we need them to be.", February 12, 2008

By	Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Francisco D'Sai, the young American narrator of this novel, lives in Chicago, sharing two cultures, the American culture of his mother, Denise, and the Konkan culture of his father, Lawrence. His parents had married in the 1960s when his mother's Peace Corps duties in India were drawing to a close. Denise, in love with India and its culture, was less than enthusiastic about returning to the US, longing for the warmth and lively spirit of India, something she had not known at home. Lawrence, the conscientious and hard-working oldest son of an oldest son of an oldest son, going back hundreds of years, was anxious to come to the US to seek new opportunities and his fortune.

When Francisco is still a child, two of Lawrence's brothers arrive unexpectedly on their doorstep--helped into the country by Denise. Lawrence resents their presence in the basement quarters he has been forced to set up for them in his house, as Sam and Les, make themselves quite loudly at home singing, dancing, and enjoying their freedom. Rowdy and debonair, they adapt quickly to their mixed Hispanic neighborhood, where they are popular additions to the local nightlife.

Soon Sam is telling his nephew Francisco about his Konkan culture, regaling him with stories and family history, along with the story of how the Konkans came to be a Catholic culture among the Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims of larger India. According to Sam, St. Francis Xavier, for whom Francisco has been named, came to the west coast of India with Vasco da Gama in the sixteenth century, converting Indians and building churches to celebrate both Catholic and Portuguese culture. The converts were the Konkans.

Filled with wonderful mini-dramas about several generations of characters, the novel resembles a collection of short stories from the sixties through the present. Sometimes humorous, it also deals with serious questions of cultural adjustment and conflict, which become more pressing as the novel evolves. Genuine feeling is evoked for the characters as they share their stories, draw conclusions about their lives, and "adjust" their memories to reflect what they sometimes wish for, instead of reality. The novel lacks the sort of sharp focus and unity of spirit which would allow the reader to draw important conclusions about a variety of themes, but it is entertaining, enlightening for the depiction it gives of an unusual culture and the challenges of all immigrants who try to blend into a new culture while preserving what is important from their own. n Mary Whipple

Whiteman

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, February 25, 2008

By	Alt Man (Gainesville, Florida) - See all my reviews

I read D'Souza's earlier novel Whiteman and was looking forward to The Konkans as well. The new novel did not disappoint me at all. As previous reviews have described, The Konkans takes place in and out of India, and it's told from the perspective of the biracial son of a Konkan man and his American wife, who focuses on his parents as well as his uncle.

What I enjoyed about this novel was its immense scope, moving back and forth between the worlds of India past, India present, and the various social strata of Chicago. Along the way you learn a lot about the Konkans and their history - first as a series of fantastic tall tales told by the uncle and then as more measured historical assessment. The novel was at times hilarious, at times sad, at times shocking. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Story of a Immigrant Indian brothers, May 22, 2008

By	Pusthaka Vimarsakudu (Rohnert Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Its a story of Immigrant Indian brothers in 70s mostly set in Chicago, IL & South West states of India (Karnataka/Goa). It explores the relationship between a mid-western born American women doing social welfare in rural south Indian on President Kennedy's call & elite Kokan family who lost their glory after British left India. I really liked the story as it gives deep insight into peoples thinking depending on their circumstances. Author D'souza succeeds bringing the characters to life with his description.