Golden Son

The Golden Son (2015) by Canadian-Indian author Shilpi Somaya Gowda follows two childhood friends in India whose early decision chart them for very different fates. This is Gowda’s second novel; her first novel, Secret Daughter, was a major international bestseller. The author said she was inspired to write the story after learning about “trial by community” that is part of many Indian cultures.

Its themes include culture clashes, social expectations of women, and romantic love.

Set in Gujarat (Western India) Anil Patel decides that he will work as a doctor when he grows up. This is due to the thankfulness he feels after doctor visits the region to fix a young girl’s cleft lip. The son of farmers, his family happily agrees that he should become a doctor.



Anil ends up excelling in school and wins a scholarship to an American university. The first in his family to ever attend a college, all of the family’s aspirations are placed on the shoulders of Anil. He is their “golden son.”

Anil’s best friend is a courageous girl named Leena. They have a good time running along uncharted paths and spending time with their families. He has a major crush on her but their stars never seem destined to cross. For starters, Leena is of a lower class; Anil belongs to one of the most respected families in the region.

Where Anil is afforded the privilege of travel and the opportunity of becoming a doctor, Leena is forced by her family to marry a relatively wealthy man in a faraway village. Her family turns a blind eye to the fact that he’s probably a violent man. Leena is arranged to be married to the man because her own family wants to boost their social prominence. They agree to an expensive dowry (currently illegal in India) in order to buy their way to this “better” family. They figure this will benefit Leena too. However, living so far away from the “good” family, Leena’s family is unaware that the husband to be is actually a scoundrel.



Anil studies medicine in Dallas, Texas. The culture clash is revved up in the context of a perpetually busy ER hospital. He lives with two other Indian immigrants, including an IT consultant and another guy who works at an electronics store. One of his roommates encounters a racist man and is beaten within an inch of his life while being called “Osama.”

Anil visits India several times a year, and during each return trip, the discrepancies between American and Indian cultures become much clearer to him.

Back in Dallas, Anil dates an American girl. Anil learns more and more about death as a doctor. He’s especially moved by one woman who gradually dies from cancer after her chemotherapy stops working effectively.



As Anil becomes more involved with American culture, he feels increasingly at odds with his home village. At the same time, there are issues in assimilating to U.S. culture. Not only does he look different than most white Americans, but he also develops a stuttering problem when speaking.

He wonders about the traditions he grew up with. He believes that some of them are primitive and contribute to India’s fiscal and intellectual poverty. Seeing the differing ways that women are regarded in India and America, Anil starts to believe that the role of women is India isn’t all that empowering.

After Anil’s father unexpectedly dies of a stroke, he becomes the “man” of the family, even though he’s more than 8,000 miles away from the village in India. Though he doesn’t live there, as the new head of the Patel family, Anil unwillingly becomes a sort of judge for the local populace. When families in the region have inter-family disputes, Anil is now (like his father and father before him) the person to decide domestic fights. He is supposed to display great wisdom during these “arbitrations,” yet he doubts he is old enough or knows enough about the current circumstances in the village to be the judge for local matters.



Leena’s husband ends up being as awful as expected. He takes his rages out on Leena and hits her in the face several times. When she tells some of her in-laws or family members, they tell her to keep quiet about the abuse. Leena thinks that dogs are often treated better than she is. This circumstance is, Anil knows, typical for most women in India.

Worst, the other family starts to demand more money from Leena’s family. When her family can’t keep up with the blackmail payments, they brutally hurt Leena. She returns to her own family.

After Anil becomes a doctor, he establishes his own clinic in one of the houses he inherited. He hires Leena as an assistant. In talking about their lives, Anil learns that he or his family didn’t do enough to protect Leena. As the new judge of the community, he orders for Leena to be compensated for her loss.