How does a family reconstruct itself when the contours of life have changed?

The Olander family embodies the modern American Dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home.

But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the family’s foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.

When Karina heads off to college for a fresh start, her search for identity and belonging leads her down a dark path, forcing her and her family to reckon with the past, the secrets they’ve held and the weight of their choices. The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging—in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves.

  • International & US Bestseller

  • Target Recommends Pick

  • Named a Best Book by: USA Today, NY Post, CBC, ChaptersIndigo, Ms. Magazine, Library Journal

Global TV Morning Show Interview

Virtual Reading

Virtual Q&A (San Diego Book Festival)

REVIEWS

“In [her] engrossing new novel … Gowda renders even the worst decisions made by the Olanders with compassion and insight, so much so that rooting for them — despite and because of their fragility — becomes a pleasure. I know these characters, and I love them, and for some unnameable hours in this uneasy spring, their journey from life, to death, to life was also mine. What a gift, to be that transported, and, eventually — blessedly — transformed.”
— San Francisco Chronicle

“Rendered with compassion, this is a compelling testament to a family’s struggle to find solace.”
— Booklist

“Gowda traces the fallout lines with compassion and a keen eye for the lies we tell ourselves to avoid facing our own demons…. A deft, patient portrait of grief.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“Gowda’s descriptions of their grief, coping mechanisms and bad decisions are as compassionate as they are profound. This is clearly a writer who has studied the full spectrum of human emotion, but even more impressive is her ability to render it so beautifully on the page. ”
— Book Reporter

“Sympathetic and inspiring, this intimate story is bound to stick with you.”
— Ms. Magazine

“This introspective story challenges readers … Thought-provoking to the core, The Shape of Family is both a warning about how our lives can change in an instant and a testament to the strength we must summon to keep a family whole.”
— Washington Independent Review of Books

“A moving story that reflects the trials of families everywhere … The result is a rich and engrossing novel about normal people trying to live their lives.”
— BookTrib

“[A] poignant and occasionally heartbreaking novel … There are many parallels with other Indian American authors that successfully deal with feelings of emotional loss, despair, and cultural conflict including Jhumpa Lahiri and Kiran Desai. Gowda has forged a fresh, new era in realist fiction by depicting the lives and inner worlds of everyday individuals … She has the innate ability to transport the reader into the inner lives of her characters with disarmingly simple language. … her luminous works should continue to appeal to younger generations … for many years to come.”
— Rain Taxi Literary Review

Praise

"A deeply involving story of a family falling apart, The Shape of Family rings so true."
— Emma Donoghue, NY Times Bestselling author of Room

“A moving exploration of how loss can change the contours of a life. Gowda deftly examines the forces that can make and remake a family in this engrossing page turner of a novel.”
— Thrity Umrigar, Bestselling author of The Secrets Between Us

“This beautifully written, poignant novel explores how one loving family deals with an unspeakable tragedy. It's a novel about race and culture, parents and siblings, marriage and love, but most of all, it's about finding hope after darkness. Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a compassionate and wise storyteller who keeps us riveted from beginning to end.
— Jean Kwok, NY Times Bestselling author of Girl in Translation

“Shilpi Somaya Gowda has painted an unforgettable portrait of a family’s loss, longing, and reconstruction. Haunting and beautiful, The Shape of Family takes hold of you from the first page and does not let go as it explores —in the distinct and rich voices of each family member — the forces that separate and the ties that unite a mother, father, daughter and son.”
— Lawrence Hill, Bestselling author of The Book of Negroes

“In prose of quiet beauty, Shilpi Gowda drills down into the American Dream and comes up with pure gold. You will cry, rage, worry, and come to love the members of the Olander family.”
— Tatjana Soli, Bestselling author of The Lotus-Eaters

"A tense and moving story of tragedy, grief, and resilience, of a family confronting its darkest moments while searching for the light within. Gowda's vivid characters and glimmering prose make for an engrossing and unforgettable read."
— Bruce Holsinger, Author of The Gifted School

HONORS