Told through the eyes of a mother facing a terminal illness, this is beautiful story of family relationships. I appreciated the insight into the ways that the couple has changed during their time in America and the ways they are still drawn to traditional customs. The idea that the mother and daughter use cooking as a way to deal with the illness was so moving, and made me want to get Indian food! I highly recommend this to readers of domestic stories. ( )

The Abundance is told from the point of view of an Indian immigrant to the United States who is dying from cancer. Throughout the book, she tells of her present reality and also reflects on her life and her relationships with her children. As a way of bonding, she teaches her daughter, who has never been interested in cooking, how to cook traditional Indian dishes.

The book moved me to tears several times. The reflections on love and family, both the good and the bad, were very powerful. ( )

This was a beautiful novel about an Indian immigrant couple and their two adult children. There are inevitable clashes between the highly successful immigrant parents and their equally successful first generation children, but things begin to change when the mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer with only a very short time to live. The somewhat estranged daughter decides she wants to learn how to cook all the Indian foods her mother prepared in abundance for the family. Her frantic efforts to learn everything before her mother dies turns into a project that leads to both reconciliation and discord. Told from the point of view of the dying mother, the novel includes many stories about life in India and the community of immigrant Indian professionals in the American Midwest. I really liked this novel and would recommend it. ( )

This was a re-read for my book club. I am so glad I read it again because I liked it even more. On the first read, I gave it 4 stars, but this time it is a definite 5 star book. The language is so beautiful and I love the story. It can be sad at times, but it also full of life. There are so many themes that permeate the book: mother-daughter relationships, ethnic assimilation, 2nd generation Indian immigrants, dying, loss, parental expectations, family, food. I could go on and on. It is one of those books that I want to read slowly and savor! Highly recommended. ( )

The Abundance by Amit Majmudar is a beautifully written book about a mother dying and the effect of the experience on her husband and her children. The author has demonstrated such a tremendous sensitivity that makes you forget that the mother’s character is written by a man.

The mother really wants a celebration of life instead of discussing her coming death. She loves it so much, she loves music, art, books and cooking, especially cooking. She wants to keep on loving life as long as she is alive. The kitchen is her empire. She could have completed her education and become a doctor but cooking was so natural to her and a big way of showing her love to her family. A good bit of the book expresses that and now I regret that I did not have time in the past to go with an Indian friend to the grocery and learn how to cook some Indian foods. That sadness was hanging around me as I read this book. I want to make the mother’s stuffed eggplants!

Mala, her daughter who has always tried so hard for her mother’s love by being perfect, she felt in competition with her mother’s love with her brother Ronak. She works hard and becomes a doctor. The two are prone to quarrels with each other but that may be that they are alike. Ronak, the son does not follow the rules and has a finance career which is completely different from what his parents wanted but they still love him. The spouses are a part of this book too and I see myself akin to Amber, Ronak’s wife!

The portrayal of Abhi was surprising rich with layers. He loves numbers as much as my husband! In fact, I could see my husband showing his love in the same gentle ways as Abhi. Mala told her mother that she was lucky that not many arranged marriages turn out to be so loving. Love marriage or arranged marriage, her mother was indeed fortunate to be married to a man who cared deeply for her.

I highly recommend this book to all who interested in good marriages and Asian Indian families ( )