Book Review: The Mango Season

Credit: mango

Amulya Malladi vividly describes a rich and vibrant India. Its sights, smells, and sounds are described in meticulous detail. We meet Priya and her large extended family early in the book. Priya is returning to India after seven years abroad to tell her family she is engaged to an American man. Her family members are described like characters from an Indian movie: the nagging mother, the modern brother, the mean aunt. Thankfully, Malladi develops the characters further as the book goes on.  

Priya is torn between being the woman she wants to be and the girl her parents want her to be. This is a familiar struggle for many South Asian women, making it an interesting read. The style of the writing was unique, the narrative was intermixed with emails and recipes. Food was very central to the book, so the recipes were a nice touch. However, after the first few I ignored them. After a lengthy build up and climax, the ending felt rushed and abrupt.


Rating:4/5