You Bring the Distant Near

“‘It is only a game, Baby,’ her mother says. ‘Be quiet.’ With a howl of rage, Sonia breaks out of their mother’s grasp.”

One of the novel’s major themes is Family Dynamics and Cultural Identity. The conflict between the eight-year-old Sonia and her mother is a fitting introduction to their relationship, which remains fraught for various reasons throughout most of the novel. In addition, the backdrop of this scene connects to the concepts of cultural identity and Love and Understanding Across Differences. The Das family are the only people of color at the British club apart from the employees, and a Ghanaian waiter sympathizes with Sonia’s frustration.

“‘Where are you from?’ ‘London,’ Starry responds, without hesitation. I’m not sure I’d answer that question with just one word, like my sister. Where are we from? It’s complicated.”

The Das family’s immigration from London to New York in 1973 highlights their family dynamics and their complex cultural identity. Sonia’s narration points out differences between herself and her sister. While Tara has a breezy and charming personality, Sonia is more self-contained and introspective. Sonia describes the question of where they’re from as “complicated” because she’s an Indian-born Bengali girl who has spent much of her life abroad. The Das family lived in Ghana and London due to Rajeev’s work. These moves weigh on the parents’ relationship and complicate the daughters’ sense of cultural identity. Eventually, the members of the Das family find reconciliation and a sense of home in the United States.