The Namesake
Jhumpa Lahiri · b. 1967 · United States
Why it matters
A Bengali-American son named after a Russian author struggles between his parents' world and his own. Lahiri's first novel extends her precise attention to the immigrant generational divide.
At a glance
bildungsromanfamily saga
Difficulty 3/10medium pace291 pagesClean chronological prose in Lahiri's characteristic restrained style.
Where to go next
Jhumpa Lahiri · 1999Interpreter of MaladiesLvl 3Medium pace
Jeffrey Eugenides · 2002MiddlesexLvl 6Medium pace
Junot Díaz · 2007The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoLvl 7Fast paced
Michael Chabon · 2000The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and ClayLvl 5Fast paced
Jonathan Franzen · 2001The CorrectionsLvl 6Medium pace
Sandra Cisneros · 1984The House on Mango StreetLvl 3Fast paced