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The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2014)Spanning India in the 70s to New Mexico in the 80s to Seattle in the 90s, The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is a winning, irreverent debut novel about a family wrestling with its future and its past.
When brain surgeon Thomas Eapen decides to cut short a visit to his mother's home in India in 1979, he sets into motion a series of events that will forever haunt him and his wife, Kamala; their intellectually precocious son, Akhil; and their watchful daughter, Amina. Now, twenty years later, in the heat of a New Mexican summer, Thomas has begun having bizarre conversations with his dead relatives and it's up to Amina-a photographer in the midst of her own career crisis-to figure out what is really going on. But getting to the truth is far harder than it seems. From Thomas's unwillingness to talk, to Kamala's Born Again convictions, to run-ins with a hospital staff that seems to know much more than they let on, Amina finds herself at the center of a mystery so thick with disasters that to make any headway at all, she has to unravel the family's painful past.
When brain surgeon Thomas Eapen decides to cut short a visit to his mother's home in India in 1979, he sets into motion a series of events that will forever haunt him and his wife, Kamala; their intellectually precocious son, Akhil; and their watchful daughter, Amina. Now, twenty years later, in the heat of a New Mexican summer, Thomas has begun having bizarre conversations with his dead relatives and it's up to Amina-a photographer in the midst of her own career crisis-to figure out what is really going on. But getting to the truth is far harder than it seems. From Thomas's unwillingness to talk, to Kamala's Born Again convictions, to run-ins with a hospital staff that seems to know much more than they let on, Amina finds herself at the center of a mystery so thick with disasters that to make any headway at all, she has to unravel the family's painful past.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2014
894 people are currently reading
34243 people want to read
About the author
Mira Jacob
8 books1,294 followersI am the author and illustrator of Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations. My first novel, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing, was a Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers pick, shortlisted for India’s Tata First Literature Award, and longlisted for the Brooklyn Literary Eagles Prize.
My writing and drawings have appeared in The New York Times, Electric Literature, Tin House, Literary Hub, Guernica, Vogue, the Telegraph, and Buzzfeed, and I have a drawn column on Shondaland. I am currently the Visiting Professor at The New School, and a founding faculty member of the MFA Program at Randolph College.
If I could travel back in time, I would avoid long journeys by boat and take a pair of tweezers.
The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is my first novel. Good Talk is my first memoir, and my first drawn book. Apparently I am big on firsts.
My writing and drawings have appeared in The New York Times, Electric Literature, Tin House, Literary Hub, Guernica, Vogue, the Telegraph, and Buzzfeed, and I have a drawn column on Shondaland. I am currently the Visiting Professor at The New School, and a founding faculty member of the MFA Program at Randolph College.
If I could travel back in time, I would avoid long journeys by boat and take a pair of tweezers.
The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is my first novel. Good Talk is my first memoir, and my first drawn book. Apparently I am big on firsts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,868 reviews
April 28, 2014
...but I might be a bit biased.
June 23, 2022
We arrive in this world connected, to people, to places, to cultures. Just because we move on with our lives, emotionally, intellectually, or geographically, this does not mean that our connections are all left behind.
In Mira Jacob’s debut novel, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing, her characters all struggle with connections, to each other, to their past, to their culture, and ultimately to themselves. For some that struggle includes a connection to reality. The story looks at three places, India, Albuquerque and Seattle, and three times, the late 70s, early 80s and 1998.
When we meet the Eapen family, in 1979, they are visiting the place and family they had left, in Salem, India. Thomas Eapen, a surgeon, had sought a better life for his wife and children in America. Home still has power, though, and his mother, also a physician, tries her best to persuade her son to remain. We meet the family members who had remained, and see some of the strains that might lead one to seek a life elsewhere. The motherland still has a hold, though, and Thomas’s wife Kamala, would like nothing more than to remain.
Amina Eapen is a photographer, working in Seattle in 1998. She had been a successful photojournalist, but has stepped back from that for reasons I will not go into here, and is now shooting events. Amina has a gift for capturing telling moments and is our camera into the history and struggles of the Eapen family. Dr. Thomas Eapen is seriously ill, seeing things that are not there, talking to people who are long dead. It has affected his work. When his wife calls Amina, she returns home to Albuquerque. Eapen’s illness is the maguffin for examining the experience of the Eapen family.
In addition to the strain of emigrating from India and constructing a new life on the other side of the world, the Eapens suffered a huge loss. We learn early on that Amina’s brother, Akhil, died young. The story goes to the early 1980s, where we see Amina and her brother in school, beginning to have relationships, struggling to grow up. Akhil shows some odd behavior, sleeping for vast stretches, falling asleep in inappropriate situations, believing that something glorious is in store for him if only he can complete a particular task. It is not entirely clear whether this is eccentricity or a condition, and neurosurgeon Thomas dismisses it.
The author - from her web site
So, there is a bit of mystery here. What happened to Akhil? What is going on with Thomas? It also takes some time to learn why it was that Amina stepped away from photojournalism. It is in peeling back the layers of those stories that we learn about the characters. There is a bit of romance as well, but, thankfully, it does not at all take away from the story.
While this is not a laugh-out-loud sort of read, there are plenty of light, even delightful moments that will make you smile. Of course, there are very sad ones as well
Much is made of attachment to place. When Thomas cedes his ownership rights to a family property in India there is a direct connection to be made to a story to which Amina is connected, of Native Americans in the northwest ceding land to the extant society in return for the hope that a large amount of cash can improve their lives. There are also smaller scale elements relating to territory.
Another element is secrecy. Amina maintains a private cache of her special photographs, non-commercial ones that epitomize her skill at catching important moments. Thomas keeps his medical situation secret, and a few other things besides. And that ties in to feeling like an outsider, whether one is a native in a land now dominated by European invaders, or a new arrival in America, whether one is a black sheep in a family or an ostracized teen at school.
Amina has a wonderful relationship with her cousin, the wonderfully named Dimple, and there is a supportive, non-parental adult, the cool aunt, Sanji, who is able to bridge the gap between the young and the not so young, offering understanding and support, along with adult wisdom.
As for the sleepwalking element, there is a character who literally sleepwalks, and his connection to dancing is revealed at the end. Thomas’s visions might be seen as a form of sleepwalking. Akhil has big issues with sleep, but sleepwalking is not among them. And there are other characters who see things that are not there, which may be a form of sleepwalking. There is a mention in the book of a sleepwalker’s disregard for her surroundings. It is unclear if the author is suggesting that we are all sleepwalkers in a way, or that we should pay more attention to our effects on the world, or should attend to our visions. Did not get it. Doesn't matter though. There is plenty to go with here, even if one is not able to cross every thematic t or dot every metaphorical i.
Gripes? I would have liked to have seen more, well anything actually, on the Eapen family’s experience when they had first moved to the USA. We only get to see them once they are already settled.
Amina is engaging, definitely worth caring about. Family is family is family, whether the family in question is from India or Indiana, and you are sure to recognize some folks in Amina’s clan who remind you of members of yours. The story is interesting. One gets a strong sense of the warmth and humor as well as the struggles inherent in these multigenerational family connections. Awake or asleep, the music is playing here, and it wouldn't hurt to step out onto the dance floor for a while.
I received this book through GR’s First Reads program – thanks guys!
Review first posted – April 25, 2014
Pub date – July 2014
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Mira Jacob co-authored Kenneth Cole’s autobio, wrote VH-1’s Pop-Up Video, and was a co-founder of Pete’s Reading Series, at Pete’s Candy Store, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a venue where authors have been reading their work to appreciative audiences for over a decade. She is married to academy award nominated documentarian, Jed Rothstein. They live, with their son, in Brooklyn.
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
The Eapen family are Syrian or Saint Thomas Christians. This Christian sect was news to me. The wiki entry is pretty interesting.
In Mira Jacob’s debut novel, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing, her characters all struggle with connections, to each other, to their past, to their culture, and ultimately to themselves. For some that struggle includes a connection to reality. The story looks at three places, India, Albuquerque and Seattle, and three times, the late 70s, early 80s and 1998.
When we meet the Eapen family, in 1979, they are visiting the place and family they had left, in Salem, India. Thomas Eapen, a surgeon, had sought a better life for his wife and children in America. Home still has power, though, and his mother, also a physician, tries her best to persuade her son to remain. We meet the family members who had remained, and see some of the strains that might lead one to seek a life elsewhere. The motherland still has a hold, though, and Thomas’s wife Kamala, would like nothing more than to remain.
Amina Eapen is a photographer, working in Seattle in 1998. She had been a successful photojournalist, but has stepped back from that for reasons I will not go into here, and is now shooting events. Amina has a gift for capturing telling moments and is our camera into the history and struggles of the Eapen family. Dr. Thomas Eapen is seriously ill, seeing things that are not there, talking to people who are long dead. It has affected his work. When his wife calls Amina, she returns home to Albuquerque. Eapen’s illness is the maguffin for examining the experience of the Eapen family.
In addition to the strain of emigrating from India and constructing a new life on the other side of the world, the Eapens suffered a huge loss. We learn early on that Amina’s brother, Akhil, died young. The story goes to the early 1980s, where we see Amina and her brother in school, beginning to have relationships, struggling to grow up. Akhil shows some odd behavior, sleeping for vast stretches, falling asleep in inappropriate situations, believing that something glorious is in store for him if only he can complete a particular task. It is not entirely clear whether this is eccentricity or a condition, and neurosurgeon Thomas dismisses it.
The author - from her web site
So, there is a bit of mystery here. What happened to Akhil? What is going on with Thomas? It also takes some time to learn why it was that Amina stepped away from photojournalism. It is in peeling back the layers of those stories that we learn about the characters. There is a bit of romance as well, but, thankfully, it does not at all take away from the story.
While this is not a laugh-out-loud sort of read, there are plenty of light, even delightful moments that will make you smile. Of course, there are very sad ones as well
Much is made of attachment to place. When Thomas cedes his ownership rights to a family property in India there is a direct connection to be made to a story to which Amina is connected, of Native Americans in the northwest ceding land to the extant society in return for the hope that a large amount of cash can improve their lives. There are also smaller scale elements relating to territory.
To live in the Eapen’s house was to acknowledge the sharpness of invisible borders, the separations that had divided it like two countries since 1983. It had been years since Amina had seen her mother wade into the yellow light of her father’s porch, and as far as she knew, Thomas had never once crossed the gate into Kamala’s garden.One of the connections made is in the similarities between the old world and the new, between generations. Just as Thomas’s mother schemes to try to keep him in India, Amina’s mother schemes to try to keep her in New Mexico. Just as Thomas’s brother spoke to people who were not there in India, Thomas holds his own conversations with the dead in America. Both Thomas and Akhil balk at the limitations inherent in their conditions. Food is used as a way for old and new to connect
Cooking was a talent of her mother’s that Amina often thought of as evolutionary, a way for Kamala to survive herself with friendships intact. Like plumage that expanded to rainbow an otherwise unremarkable bird. Kamala’s ability to transform raw ingredients into sumptuous meals brought her the kind of love her personality on its own might have repelled.Bonds are made through feeding as a way of loving.
Another element is secrecy. Amina maintains a private cache of her special photographs, non-commercial ones that epitomize her skill at catching important moments. Thomas keeps his medical situation secret, and a few other things besides. And that ties in to feeling like an outsider, whether one is a native in a land now dominated by European invaders, or a new arrival in America, whether one is a black sheep in a family or an ostracized teen at school.
Amina has a wonderful relationship with her cousin, the wonderfully named Dimple, and there is a supportive, non-parental adult, the cool aunt, Sanji, who is able to bridge the gap between the young and the not so young, offering understanding and support, along with adult wisdom.
As for the sleepwalking element, there is a character who literally sleepwalks, and his connection to dancing is revealed at the end. Thomas’s visions might be seen as a form of sleepwalking. Akhil has big issues with sleep, but sleepwalking is not among them. And there are other characters who see things that are not there, which may be a form of sleepwalking. There is a mention in the book of a sleepwalker’s disregard for her surroundings. It is unclear if the author is suggesting that we are all sleepwalkers in a way, or that we should pay more attention to our effects on the world, or should attend to our visions. Did not get it. Doesn't matter though. There is plenty to go with here, even if one is not able to cross every thematic t or dot every metaphorical i.
Gripes? I would have liked to have seen more, well anything actually, on the Eapen family’s experience when they had first moved to the USA. We only get to see them once they are already settled.
Amina is engaging, definitely worth caring about. Family is family is family, whether the family in question is from India or Indiana, and you are sure to recognize some folks in Amina’s clan who remind you of members of yours. The story is interesting. One gets a strong sense of the warmth and humor as well as the struggles inherent in these multigenerational family connections. Awake or asleep, the music is playing here, and it wouldn't hurt to step out onto the dance floor for a while.
I received this book through GR’s First Reads program – thanks guys!
Review first posted – April 25, 2014
Pub date – July 2014
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Mira Jacob co-authored Kenneth Cole’s autobio, wrote VH-1’s Pop-Up Video, and was a co-founder of Pete’s Reading Series, at Pete’s Candy Store, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a venue where authors have been reading their work to appreciative audiences for over a decade. She is married to academy award nominated documentarian, Jed Rothstein. They live, with their son, in Brooklyn.
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
The Eapen family are Syrian or Saint Thomas Christians. This Christian sect was news to me. The wiki entry is pretty interesting.
February 7, 2019
Wow,..... what a book and what a colourful characterful family...
This story will stay with me for a long time I'm sure...
Last pages (and other parts of the book) brought tears and tears to my eyes, could not avoid.
Beautiful, melancholy, sad, funny, tragic, loving and highly recommended.
This story will stay with me for a long time I'm sure...
Last pages (and other parts of the book) brought tears and tears to my eyes, could not avoid.
Beautiful, melancholy, sad, funny, tragic, loving and highly recommended.
July 18, 2017
Rating 3.5
The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is a tale of the Eapen family. At the core is Amina, the daughter, telling her story. Her father, Thomas, is ill and her mother, Kamala, convinces her to come home. We also hear about her brother Akhil. The story is told over many years alternating back and forth in time, hearing the past and present stories of this family. It also switches locales from New Mexico, Seattle, and India. There are many family members and others that make appearances within the book.
Thomas is a brain surgeon who is having bizarre episodes where he talking to dead relatives. Very detailed, in-depth conversions. You hear the stories of these relatives and how they passed but you hear in great detail what is going on with Thomas. It is quite the sad story but there is laughter also. Kamala is funny, calling everyone 'dummy' and just not really getting the American ways or slang. When the story of the family from India is told, I laughed so hard so many times. But there is such sorrow too that at one point, I almost cried.
I did have a few issues with this one....and perhaps this is just showing my age. I listened to this one via audio which the author narrates. She spoke very fast and it took me some time to get used to it. I have a hard time with accents and must focus and it just seemed so fast that I was rewinding quite a bit initially. Amina...started driving me nuts with always answering questions or statements when talking with others 'WHAT'...'wait WHAT'. Constantly. Again, showing my age here. I also think it could have been trimmed a bit. Sometimes it was a bit long and rambling.
Anyway, a look at one Indian family but not so much Indian culture. An interesting story that I'm glad I read. I do look forward to more books from this author.
The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is a tale of the Eapen family. At the core is Amina, the daughter, telling her story. Her father, Thomas, is ill and her mother, Kamala, convinces her to come home. We also hear about her brother Akhil. The story is told over many years alternating back and forth in time, hearing the past and present stories of this family. It also switches locales from New Mexico, Seattle, and India. There are many family members and others that make appearances within the book.
Thomas is a brain surgeon who is having bizarre episodes where he talking to dead relatives. Very detailed, in-depth conversions. You hear the stories of these relatives and how they passed but you hear in great detail what is going on with Thomas. It is quite the sad story but there is laughter also. Kamala is funny, calling everyone 'dummy' and just not really getting the American ways or slang. When the story of the family from India is told, I laughed so hard so many times. But there is such sorrow too that at one point, I almost cried.
I did have a few issues with this one....and perhaps this is just showing my age. I listened to this one via audio which the author narrates. She spoke very fast and it took me some time to get used to it. I have a hard time with accents and must focus and it just seemed so fast that I was rewinding quite a bit initially. Amina...started driving me nuts with always answering questions or statements when talking with others 'WHAT'...'wait WHAT'. Constantly. Again, showing my age here. I also think it could have been trimmed a bit. Sometimes it was a bit long and rambling.
Anyway, a look at one Indian family but not so much Indian culture. An interesting story that I'm glad I read. I do look forward to more books from this author.
June 3, 2019
I don't remember what I was thinking when I requested an advanced reader's copy of The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing. I know when it showed up in the mail, however, I was wondering why I had wanted this book in the first place. The premise and the cover no longer enticed me. I set it aside and put off reading it until the last minute. I believe the fates must have been looking out for me when I originally requested this book because it was great.
One of my concerns was that this was going to be yet another story of the Indian diaspora in America. That's a great story and all, but I've personally had a bit too much of it lately. There are certainly elements of that story here, but they're minor and it's not the focus. The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is a delightfully-written story of career, family, and destiny—all those things that make people love Star Wars. Seriously, people should be standing in line to read this book. The prose is fantastic. The story remains interesting and poignant through all its 500 pages. It's wonderful, and it does so much. Mira Jacob goes back and forth between places and time, and she does so without a hiccup. There are so many subplots going on, yet they all fit together and are not only terrific in their own right, but relevant to the larger story. It flows so seamlessly that you have to applaud the author and her editors. The characters are detailed. The dialogue is witty. The story itself has moments of humor and heartbreak. I really enjoyed this book.
The biggest problem I foresee this novel facing is that it is being published in a year with so many great novels. If it doesn't get the right publicity, doesn't hit the target audience, doesn't attract enough prepub attention, this debut may be ignored on the lists of the year's best. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen. Take note, this is one of the most compelling, breathtaking, and lyrical books to be published this year. It's full of life. Put it on your to-read list now and if you want to thank me, you can do so later.
One of my concerns was that this was going to be yet another story of the Indian diaspora in America. That's a great story and all, but I've personally had a bit too much of it lately. There are certainly elements of that story here, but they're minor and it's not the focus. The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing is a delightfully-written story of career, family, and destiny—all those things that make people love Star Wars. Seriously, people should be standing in line to read this book. The prose is fantastic. The story remains interesting and poignant through all its 500 pages. It's wonderful, and it does so much. Mira Jacob goes back and forth between places and time, and she does so without a hiccup. There are so many subplots going on, yet they all fit together and are not only terrific in their own right, but relevant to the larger story. It flows so seamlessly that you have to applaud the author and her editors. The characters are detailed. The dialogue is witty. The story itself has moments of humor and heartbreak. I really enjoyed this book.
The biggest problem I foresee this novel facing is that it is being published in a year with so many great novels. If it doesn't get the right publicity, doesn't hit the target audience, doesn't attract enough prepub attention, this debut may be ignored on the lists of the year's best. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen. Take note, this is one of the most compelling, breathtaking, and lyrical books to be published this year. It's full of life. Put it on your to-read list now and if you want to thank me, you can do so later.
March 13, 2017
Update: on sale today for $1.99
I met the author - in Austin - after I had read and reviewed this.
Much was inspired by family experiences of her own. The Indian Food dishes in the novel make you ready for a spicy meal yourself. Definitely worth $1.99
The STORYTELLING of "The Sleepwalkers Guide to Dancing" fantastic. This 500 page book is a multigenerational saga --It had triumphs, humor, grief, delicious Chutneys and sumptuous meals, and characters, all easy to relate to, (from India to the States).
Its easy to fall intimately under the spell of 'the private-world-of-reading' --(the rest of you can go away now) --The family bonds in this story are powerful. We feel connected with all of them.
I won this book from Goodreads give-a-way. THANK YOU!!!!
Congrats to Mira Jacob on her first novel! Pretty miraculous!
I do have a 'few' comments --
(yet I fully enjoyed this book)
Some of the sentences in Mira Jacob's book felt awkward. I was not sure if I was struggling with cultural differences or not.
Words that were chosen to describe a situation did not flow effortlessly. Yet the story --in its 'entire' was wonderful.
Monster's dentures?,
Jogging Meatballs?,
"Carnivorously"???? -- is 'not' a word I'd use when looking at a bride.
A question that stayed in my mind was --
Will people 'pick' this 500 page book? Books compete with one another. I was surprised to see such a long book by a first time author.
My fear (for the author and publisher) --is its a 'risk' being this long --
Stephen King and Ken Follett can write books as long as they want.
but a new author?
This book was GREAT! ---but could it have been as good with 200 'less' pages?
I hope people do take the time to read this 'gem'.
Its a story that that feels real.
This story matters!
I met the author - in Austin - after I had read and reviewed this.
Much was inspired by family experiences of her own. The Indian Food dishes in the novel make you ready for a spicy meal yourself. Definitely worth $1.99
The STORYTELLING of "The Sleepwalkers Guide to Dancing" fantastic. This 500 page book is a multigenerational saga --It had triumphs, humor, grief, delicious Chutneys and sumptuous meals, and characters, all easy to relate to, (from India to the States).
Its easy to fall intimately under the spell of 'the private-world-of-reading' --(the rest of you can go away now) --The family bonds in this story are powerful. We feel connected with all of them.
I won this book from Goodreads give-a-way. THANK YOU!!!!
Congrats to Mira Jacob on her first novel! Pretty miraculous!
I do have a 'few' comments --
(yet I fully enjoyed this book)
Some of the sentences in Mira Jacob's book felt awkward. I was not sure if I was struggling with cultural differences or not.
Words that were chosen to describe a situation did not flow effortlessly. Yet the story --in its 'entire' was wonderful.
Monster's dentures?,
Jogging Meatballs?,
"Carnivorously"???? -- is 'not' a word I'd use when looking at a bride.
A question that stayed in my mind was --
Will people 'pick' this 500 page book? Books compete with one another. I was surprised to see such a long book by a first time author.
My fear (for the author and publisher) --is its a 'risk' being this long --
Stephen King and Ken Follett can write books as long as they want.
but a new author?
This book was GREAT! ---but could it have been as good with 200 'less' pages?
I hope people do take the time to read this 'gem'.
Its a story that that feels real.
This story matters!
May 27, 2022
2 ½ stars
“People always say time stands still, and it really is that, you know. You find the thing you love the most, and time will stop for you to love it.”
A few months ago I read and loved Mira Jacob’s Good Talk so I was quite looking forward to The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing as I happen to have a penchant for family dramas. And, at first, I was actually quite taken by it. The family dynamics Jacob sets up were complex & compelling and the ‘mystery’ surrounding Akhil’s death, Amina’s career change, and Thomas’ ‘weird’ behaviour, well, they moved the narrative forward.
The story alternates between chapters set in the 90s where we become acquainted with Amina, a wedding photographer who receives a worrying call from her mother, Kamala, about Thomas, Amina’s father. According to Kamala, Thomas is unwell. An anxious Amina flyers to her hometown where she learns that Thomas seems in perfect health. As days go by and after speaking to some of his father’s colleagues Amina is forced to recognise that her mother may not have been exaggerating after all. The other chapters instead give us insight into Amina’s childhood from a holiday gone awry that she took with her parents and brother to India to visit relatives to her experiences growing up in New Mexico. In these chapters, we see a lot of Akhil and come to learn of the events that led to his death.
As I says, initially I found Jacob’s storytelling engaging. Amina was a flawed but sympathetic main character and the various secrets related to her family added a layer of intrigue to her narrative. Things sadly fell apart midway through. I found the story much too repetitive. By then I’d already guessed what had happened to Akhil and what was going on with Thomas but the story keeps delaying these ‘reveals’. Large chunks of the story were just filler, often consisting of the same two or three characters having the same type of conversation or, more often than not, argument. Boy, do the characters in this story like to squabble. It just so happens that their fights did very little for me as it seemed to serve no purpose (we don’t gain much insight into those characters, nor does the fight further or add to the plot, nor does it drastically change things for anyone). Amina’s ‘photographer’ storyline was quite disappointing as Jacob doesn’t really delve into her photography that much. We learn of two ‘pivotal’ photos she’s taken and that’s it. I wanted more passion, more sections detailing her technique or what she feels towards photography (as Rachel Lyon does in her magnificent Self-Portrait with Boy, which also involves the photo of someone falling to their death...but unlike Jacob’s novel, it has depth). I didn’t understand why the characters behaved the way they did, nor did I really get the point of all the ‘sleepwalking’ and possible ‘hauntings’. Amina spends the majority of the whole novel wondering if her father is sick, when she has an answer the focus goes to her romance with a generic white man she knew during her teens, before presenting us with a rushed ending that is meant to provide some sort of answer/resolution for her dad’s situation...but doesn’t really.
I grew to dislike Amina, especially when she comes out with stuff like this: “Why does everyone think I dress like a man?” “Like a sandal. Or a flat.” “I just don’t like dresses. It’s not like I’m some transvestite.” (her response here makes no sense); or this “The blue button-down made her look like a high school lesbian” (this is the kind of remark that if its made by someone who like in amina's case is not part of the lesbian nor lgbtq+ community...well); or this: “she remembered their first kiss, how strange and eager they had both been, like two mutes trying to describe a freak storm” (ugh).
After she shows up at her love interest’s place and they have sex initiated by her he comes up with this, “I think,” Jamie said that evening, his heart thundering under her ear, “you just raped me.”
to which she replies something along the lines of "you seemed into it". Yikes.
The comments Amina makes about ‘lesbians’, ‘transvestites’, and ‘mutes’, well, they were completely unnecessary. Amina is presented to us as the ‘modern’ counterpart to her parents, someone who is relatable and isn’t necessarily interested in getting married. Except that she actually wants to but ‘trauma’ has made her believe she isn’t worthy and yadda yadda. What a clichè.
I didn’t care for the story’s melodramatic overtones. The whole thing surrounding Akhil’s death was just too OTT for me. He just wasn’t a particularly believable character and came across more like a caricature than anything else. Amina went from being a relatable character to someone I could not get behind. Later in the narrative, her cousin and alleged bff breaches her privacy and trust. Instead of calling her out, the narrative makes her actions seem good because Amina’s ‘true work’ can finally be celebrated. Instead of giving her hell Amina just lets her friend manipulate her into going along with this.
Amina’s parents were portrayed as very volatile, and their constant sniping, wild mood swings, and erratic behaviour made it hard for me to get to grips with them. Especially when what they said or did was played up for laughs.
I’m sure other readers won’t be as offended as I was by some of the content in this novel so I recommend you read more positive reviews before making your mind up. Given how much I liked Good Talk, it is safe to say that I am deeply disappointed by Jacob’s debut novel.
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January 8, 2017
I slept on Mira Jacob for awhile. I was vaguely aware that she existed, but I felt no particular compulsion to seek out her books. Then I read her essays "37 Difficult Questions From My Mixed-Race Son" and "Here’s What I’m Telling My Brown Son About Trump’s America," and before I even finished weeping, I ordered this book.
Friends, it is unbelievably, jaw-droppingly fantastic.
I am going to say something crazy, but even after a week of retrospection, I believe this is the best book I've read since The Goldfinch — which we all know I loved so much that it ruined me for all the rest of books forever. And yet! Though this is not so much like Tartt's masterpiece, it had the same deeply immersive pull, gave me the same charged, magnetic feeling that whatever I was doing was utterly irrelevant compared to getting back onto the couch (or the stoop, or the subway, or the line for the ATM) and inhaling this book into my blood.
So. Here is the story of Amina Eapen, first-generation Indian American living in Seattle and working as a wedding photographer after a Bad Thing happened that upended her photojournalism career. We join her as she receives a call from her Ma in New Mexico, who obliquely suggests that something is up with Dad — so obliquely, in a way so out of character for this intensely overbearing mother, that Amina pretty much drops everything and flies home lickety-split to figure out what's going on.
From there the story runs on parallel tracks, going backward in time and eastward in space to Amina's childhood and her last-ever visit to India, where there was a Great Family Blowout that would ultimately lead to tragedy; and forward into the next few months while we figure out what's up with dad, and on the way learn everything about this incredible family, their hopes and fears, their tears and triumphs, their deep though often staggeringly badly expressed love for one another, the lengths, both uplifting and detrimental, to which they will go to keep each other close.
This is a book made up of moments, beautiful crystalline moments like so many strung marbles — moments of tenderness, of rage, of joy, of camaraderie, of despair. The time Amina and her father build a janky slingshot called a Raccooner. The time Amina's narcoleptic brother falls asleep at the wheel and nearly rolls them onto a rushing highway. The time Amina runs into a disliked girl from high school at the mall years later and has the most cringingly awkward conversation. The time an aunt catches Amina and her brother smoking on the roof and heaves herself, pendulous bosom and all, right out the window to join them. The way a young Indian cousin reacts when Amina's parents bring him Nikes from America. The way the Eapens' patched-together "family" of other Indian Americans solves every problem by cooking astounding amounts of food for one another. The way they all talk, with this perfectly crisp Indian-British English, all full of Chee!s and Nah?s and "one" instead of "a" and so many funny bits of bilingual slang. The way we revisit onto our children the sins visited upon us by our parents, and the ways, a generation later, these mistakes can ultimately be (at least somewhat) rectified.
Also, to be clear, this is a book full of devastations. There are deaths and fires and cancer and mental unravelings that are as harrowing as the gorgeous parts are gorgeous. I cried many times over the course of this saga, and while typically that kind of sorrow would have made me quit a book forever, by then I loved these characters SO MUCH that I was there for it, I would never leave them in their times of tragedy, I would hold their hands and hold their gazes and follow them, as they followed one another, heads held high, into whatever abyss awaited us.
I don't know what else to say. This was simply a marvel, pitch-perfect family saga full of the most complexly human characters trying and failing and trying again to love each other, to save each other, to be there for each other no matter how much it takes from them to do so. I love this family and this book so much I, cannot believe I don't get to read about them anymore.
Friends, it is unbelievably, jaw-droppingly fantastic.
I am going to say something crazy, but even after a week of retrospection, I believe this is the best book I've read since The Goldfinch — which we all know I loved so much that it ruined me for all the rest of books forever. And yet! Though this is not so much like Tartt's masterpiece, it had the same deeply immersive pull, gave me the same charged, magnetic feeling that whatever I was doing was utterly irrelevant compared to getting back onto the couch (or the stoop, or the subway, or the line for the ATM) and inhaling this book into my blood.
So. Here is the story of Amina Eapen, first-generation Indian American living in Seattle and working as a wedding photographer after a Bad Thing happened that upended her photojournalism career. We join her as she receives a call from her Ma in New Mexico, who obliquely suggests that something is up with Dad — so obliquely, in a way so out of character for this intensely overbearing mother, that Amina pretty much drops everything and flies home lickety-split to figure out what's going on.
From there the story runs on parallel tracks, going backward in time and eastward in space to Amina's childhood and her last-ever visit to India, where there was a Great Family Blowout that would ultimately lead to tragedy; and forward into the next few months while we figure out what's up with dad, and on the way learn everything about this incredible family, their hopes and fears, their tears and triumphs, their deep though often staggeringly badly expressed love for one another, the lengths, both uplifting and detrimental, to which they will go to keep each other close.
This is a book made up of moments, beautiful crystalline moments like so many strung marbles — moments of tenderness, of rage, of joy, of camaraderie, of despair. The time Amina and her father build a janky slingshot called a Raccooner. The time Amina's narcoleptic brother falls asleep at the wheel and nearly rolls them onto a rushing highway. The time Amina runs into a disliked girl from high school at the mall years later and has the most cringingly awkward conversation. The time an aunt catches Amina and her brother smoking on the roof and heaves herself, pendulous bosom and all, right out the window to join them. The way a young Indian cousin reacts when Amina's parents bring him Nikes from America. The way the Eapens' patched-together "family" of other Indian Americans solves every problem by cooking astounding amounts of food for one another. The way they all talk, with this perfectly crisp Indian-British English, all full of Chee!s and Nah?s and "one" instead of "a" and so many funny bits of bilingual slang. The way we revisit onto our children the sins visited upon us by our parents, and the ways, a generation later, these mistakes can ultimately be (at least somewhat) rectified.
Also, to be clear, this is a book full of devastations. There are deaths and fires and cancer and mental unravelings that are as harrowing as the gorgeous parts are gorgeous. I cried many times over the course of this saga, and while typically that kind of sorrow would have made me quit a book forever, by then I loved these characters SO MUCH that I was there for it, I would never leave them in their times of tragedy, I would hold their hands and hold their gazes and follow them, as they followed one another, heads held high, into whatever abyss awaited us.
I don't know what else to say. This was simply a marvel, pitch-perfect family saga full of the most complexly human characters trying and failing and trying again to love each other, to save each other, to be there for each other no matter how much it takes from them to do so. I love this family and this book so much I, cannot believe I don't get to read about them anymore.
January 14, 2023
I’ll start by sharing that I appreciated this novel’s portrayal of a complex Indian American family. Mira Jacob doesn’t fall entirely into the model minority myth and instead shows a family that is loving yet dysfunctional outside the realm of high academic expectations. Her characters struggle with substance use, physical health issues, miscommunications, etc. in a way that feels honest.
That being said, I really did not like the writing style of The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing nor the characters’ obsessive relationships with white people. First, I felt that the writing style contained a lot – a lot – of dialogue without enough room to explore the characters’ internal landscapes. The characters talked with one another over and over yet I think additional description of scene, characters reflecting internally, etc. may have helped.
Second, why did the main character, an Indian American woman, fall in love with a white man with an afro who asks her if she’s Hindu and is then disappointed when she says she’s Christian?? Jacob literally writes that this character is “mesmerized by the sight of his pale hand on hers” and I was like… why is this happening?? Maybe I’m extra sensitive to this type of internalized racism in light of the fair criticism Mindy Kaling has received for predominantly writing brown girls who dislike themselves and end up with white men, but like… the romance in this book just wasn’t well-written. Also, the main character’s brother also ends up in a romantic relationship with a (seemingly social justice-oriented) white woman who tells him that because he’s a first generation immigrant, at least he can choose what racist stereotypes to contend with. Like what??
Anyway, I’m trying not to start off 2023 on a negative note you all, I really am. I’m searching for my next Transcendent Kingdom , When You Were Everything , or Joan is Okay . I’m searching!
That being said, I really did not like the writing style of The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing nor the characters’ obsessive relationships with white people. First, I felt that the writing style contained a lot – a lot – of dialogue without enough room to explore the characters’ internal landscapes. The characters talked with one another over and over yet I think additional description of scene, characters reflecting internally, etc. may have helped.
Second, why did the main character, an Indian American woman, fall in love with a white man with an afro who asks her if she’s Hindu and is then disappointed when she says she’s Christian?? Jacob literally writes that this character is “mesmerized by the sight of his pale hand on hers” and I was like… why is this happening?? Maybe I’m extra sensitive to this type of internalized racism in light of the fair criticism Mindy Kaling has received for predominantly writing brown girls who dislike themselves and end up with white men, but like… the romance in this book just wasn’t well-written. Also, the main character’s brother also ends up in a romantic relationship with a (seemingly social justice-oriented) white woman who tells him that because he’s a first generation immigrant, at least he can choose what racist stereotypes to contend with. Like what??
Anyway, I’m trying not to start off 2023 on a negative note you all, I really am. I’m searching for my next Transcendent Kingdom , When You Were Everything , or Joan is Okay . I’m searching!
June 3, 2014
The author’s note, at the end of the book, echoes the overarching themes:
…”what it means, as an immigrant, to make a life in a stolen country.”
This luminous, addictive, page-turning, character-driven, and first-rate storytelling held me in its thrall from beginning to end. Yes, it had echoes of Jhumpa Lahiri (by virtue of evoking the Indian-American experience), and it also at times echoes Richard Ford’s CANADA, as well as Richard Russo, John Irving, and any number of master storytellers that tell an epic story about family. I applaud Mira Jacob’s decade-long investment in writing this book, as it gave me a few days of unadulterated bliss. I didn’t want to say goodbye to the Eapen family when I turned the last page; at times, I felt them brushing against my arm, cupping my elbow, and feeding me samosas and chutney.
The nuclear family here is Thomas Eapen, a neurosurgeon, Kamala, his wife, their intellectually gifted son, Akhil, and their photographer daughter, Amina. Only Amina was born in America. Through most of the novel, they live in Albuquerque, although Amina, as an adult, now lives in Seattle and works as an events photographer, after leaving the serious business of photojournalism. The novel alternates back and forth between the early 80’s and 1998, but the offstage history is woven in seamlessly. I don’t want to reveal more of the story than is told in the book jacket. There’s a lot of discovery that is meant for the reader to unearth. And, even though a tragedy is revealed early on (in a handful of words), the narrative keeps you on tenterhooks until you actually get there, hundreds of pages later.
This isn’t a book with political polemics or sermons about social justice—but there is a lot of delicious Indian food that made me hungry. It’s a domestic drama about a family dealing with love, loss, adjustment, flux, sleepwalking, and candid photos—a very human drama that is also witty and sharply observed. It moves swiftly, a charismatic, unputdownable tale told with levity and moving intensity. Jacob’s prose is astute and intrepid, the kind of sentences that get into your blood, and is laced with smooth and cinematic dialogue.
If I could give this 6 stars, I would.
…”what it means, as an immigrant, to make a life in a stolen country.”
This luminous, addictive, page-turning, character-driven, and first-rate storytelling held me in its thrall from beginning to end. Yes, it had echoes of Jhumpa Lahiri (by virtue of evoking the Indian-American experience), and it also at times echoes Richard Ford’s CANADA, as well as Richard Russo, John Irving, and any number of master storytellers that tell an epic story about family. I applaud Mira Jacob’s decade-long investment in writing this book, as it gave me a few days of unadulterated bliss. I didn’t want to say goodbye to the Eapen family when I turned the last page; at times, I felt them brushing against my arm, cupping my elbow, and feeding me samosas and chutney.
The nuclear family here is Thomas Eapen, a neurosurgeon, Kamala, his wife, their intellectually gifted son, Akhil, and their photographer daughter, Amina. Only Amina was born in America. Through most of the novel, they live in Albuquerque, although Amina, as an adult, now lives in Seattle and works as an events photographer, after leaving the serious business of photojournalism. The novel alternates back and forth between the early 80’s and 1998, but the offstage history is woven in seamlessly. I don’t want to reveal more of the story than is told in the book jacket. There’s a lot of discovery that is meant for the reader to unearth. And, even though a tragedy is revealed early on (in a handful of words), the narrative keeps you on tenterhooks until you actually get there, hundreds of pages later.
This isn’t a book with political polemics or sermons about social justice—but there is a lot of delicious Indian food that made me hungry. It’s a domestic drama about a family dealing with love, loss, adjustment, flux, sleepwalking, and candid photos—a very human drama that is also witty and sharply observed. It moves swiftly, a charismatic, unputdownable tale told with levity and moving intensity. Jacob’s prose is astute and intrepid, the kind of sentences that get into your blood, and is laced with smooth and cinematic dialogue.
If I could give this 6 stars, I would.
October 25, 2016
Thirty year old Amina is called away from her photography job in Seattle by her mother Kamala who has growing concerns that something is seriously wrong with her father. Thomas, her father , is a brilliant neurosurgeon who years before relocated the family ( which then included his wife and young son Ahkil ) from India to New Mexico. Upon arriving home Amina finds much more than she bargained for. Thomas is indeed acting unusual doing such things as conversing with dead relatives, leaving Kamala beside herself with worry and cooking up a storm. There is also an actual sleepwalker who causes big problems for this family.
This is a beautifully written family saga which spans from the family's past in India to their present in New Mexico, with glimpses of all the times between. One reviewer called this book "emotionally bountiful" and I agree, although I would add that it is also a "bountifully magical" read. 5 stars
This is a beautifully written family saga which spans from the family's past in India to their present in New Mexico, with glimpses of all the times between. One reviewer called this book "emotionally bountiful" and I agree, although I would add that it is also a "bountifully magical" read. 5 stars
January 20, 2014
This book is to be savored. It's the kind of novel where the only thing that prevents you from being sad about being closer to the end every time you turn the page is that you're totally wrapped up in the narrative.
Although it deals with dark themes honestly, it's also a book that's overwhelmingly optimistic and cheerful (and funny!) -- a reminder to embrace life's beauty even or especially in situations when it's easiest to ignore.
By the time you finish it, you feel like you've made a friend who's made you a better person. You also start getting slightly jealous of all the people who haven't yet discovered it and are soon going to have the experience of reading it for the first time.
Although it deals with dark themes honestly, it's also a book that's overwhelmingly optimistic and cheerful (and funny!) -- a reminder to embrace life's beauty even or especially in situations when it's easiest to ignore.
By the time you finish it, you feel like you've made a friend who's made you a better person. You also start getting slightly jealous of all the people who haven't yet discovered it and are soon going to have the experience of reading it for the first time.
April 12, 2015
A good debut novel about family dynamics. A 3.5 for me - a little overlong and rambly, but there are some poignant and eloquent observations about grief that will ring true if you have experienced the loss of a loved one, especially an immediate family member.
March 21, 2019
In Mira Jacob’s impressive debut novel, Amina Eapen is living is Seattle in 1998 when she gets a call from her mother saying her father, a brain surgeon, has been conducting full conversations with deceased family members. Amina is concerned and decides to see for herself what is happening. At first everything seems fine but, as the story unfolds, she realizes her father is in distress. A substantial subplot concerns Amina’s change in career from photojournalist to wedding photographer, due to the notoriety of a photo she had taken. Another major segment revolves around Amina’s brother, Akhil, and his impact on the family’s struggles. The Eapen family experiences more than its fair share of suffering and heartbreak. The story is told in multiple timelines from the 1970’s in Salem, India, to the 1980’s in New Mexico to the 1998 present, portraying the Eapens’ individual secrets and family tragedies.
The author appears to be a keen observer of human nature. The characters are complex, nuanced, and memorable. Jacob uses elegant prose and well-crafted dialogue that expresses a wide range of emotions. The East Indian-American culture is vividly evoked. This dysfunctional family felt very real to me. Themes include the devastation of profound loss, the importance of coming to terms with the past, and the dangers of sleepwalking through life. Although the novel is filled with pain, loss, and grief, it also contains a thread of hope. Recommended to those who appreciate multi-generational family dramas (unless currently dealing with family illness or loss).
The author appears to be a keen observer of human nature. The characters are complex, nuanced, and memorable. Jacob uses elegant prose and well-crafted dialogue that expresses a wide range of emotions. The East Indian-American culture is vividly evoked. This dysfunctional family felt very real to me. Themes include the devastation of profound loss, the importance of coming to terms with the past, and the dangers of sleepwalking through life. Although the novel is filled with pain, loss, and grief, it also contains a thread of hope. Recommended to those who appreciate multi-generational family dramas (unless currently dealing with family illness or loss).
July 6, 2014
As William Faulkner once wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
This line is certainly true for Amina, a once promising photojournalist who was traumatized by the events leading to her most famous picture – a Native American activist deliberately plunging over a bridge. Since then, Amina has been navigating her own bridges into adulthood. At 30 years old, she works as a wedding photographer, deals with her dysfunctional parents Kamala and Thomas, and struggles to integrate core tragedies of her past.
With a keen eye towards the messiness of family interactions, Ms. Jacob weaves her narrative back and forth from Seattle – where Amina currently lives – to Albuquerque (the home of her parents) and to India, the land of their ancestry.
Some might embrace the overused term “immigrant experience”, but for me, this was the experience of any family who struggled with ties that do not let go and relationships that cannot be forgotten. The novel – tenderly written and often page-turning – tackles the themes of familial bonds, grief survival and self-forgiveness.
There is not only plenty of food (Kamala never ceases to create sumptuous meals even during the most stressful occasions) but also food for thought in this beautifully-written novel. At times, Kamala and Thomas are written a little too broadly and comically; for the most part, though, the characters are authentic and lovingly rendered.
And the sleepwalking? Yes, one of the characters quite literally sleepwalks, but the broader theme might be how we all must eventually stop sleepwalking and take hold of our visions. It’s a most delightful debut. 4.5 stars
This line is certainly true for Amina, a once promising photojournalist who was traumatized by the events leading to her most famous picture – a Native American activist deliberately plunging over a bridge. Since then, Amina has been navigating her own bridges into adulthood. At 30 years old, she works as a wedding photographer, deals with her dysfunctional parents Kamala and Thomas, and struggles to integrate core tragedies of her past.
With a keen eye towards the messiness of family interactions, Ms. Jacob weaves her narrative back and forth from Seattle – where Amina currently lives – to Albuquerque (the home of her parents) and to India, the land of their ancestry.
Some might embrace the overused term “immigrant experience”, but for me, this was the experience of any family who struggled with ties that do not let go and relationships that cannot be forgotten. The novel – tenderly written and often page-turning – tackles the themes of familial bonds, grief survival and self-forgiveness.
There is not only plenty of food (Kamala never ceases to create sumptuous meals even during the most stressful occasions) but also food for thought in this beautifully-written novel. At times, Kamala and Thomas are written a little too broadly and comically; for the most part, though, the characters are authentic and lovingly rendered.
And the sleepwalking? Yes, one of the characters quite literally sleepwalks, but the broader theme might be how we all must eventually stop sleepwalking and take hold of our visions. It’s a most delightful debut. 4.5 stars
October 21, 2014
It took me some time to slog through this one. I can see why some people loved this book, but it just wasn't my style. I really hated how frantic the dialogue-driven story was. Back and forth, back and forth, with no pauses, no breaks. I longed for some more descriptive passages, more moments of thoughtfulness from the characters. And yet, even without much description, the book went on forever! My God, it could have a few hundred pages shorter, in my opinion.
I do think I was able to appreciate the book more as I read on, but it was never enjoyable to me. It didn't help that I didn't like many of the characters. Kamala was so irritating, and I agree with another reviewer who found Amina--and especially Amina's romantic relationship--to be somewhat confusing, inconsistent, and unrealistic.
I know I am in the minority here, but, ultimately, I just didn't care for this book.
I do think I was able to appreciate the book more as I read on, but it was never enjoyable to me. It didn't help that I didn't like many of the characters. Kamala was so irritating, and I agree with another reviewer who found Amina--and especially Amina's romantic relationship--to be somewhat confusing, inconsistent, and unrealistic.
I know I am in the minority here, but, ultimately, I just didn't care for this book.
January 29, 2015
A story about life, a story about death. Simply good.
November 6, 2022
3.25 Stars for The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing (audiobook) by Mira Jacob read by the author.
This family drama was interesting but the way the author jumped back and forth in the time line just left me frustrated. I think this style of writing is over done. Occasionally I think it works but most of the time it seems that authors have trouble keeping all of the stories going. What I’m most impressed with in this audiobook is that the author did the narration. If I hadn’t looked it up I would have assumed that a professional had read the book.
This family drama was interesting but the way the author jumped back and forth in the time line just left me frustrated. I think this style of writing is over done. Occasionally I think it works but most of the time it seems that authors have trouble keeping all of the stories going. What I’m most impressed with in this audiobook is that the author did the narration. If I hadn’t looked it up I would have assumed that a professional had read the book.
December 22, 2014
This book renewed my love for fiction.
Over the past few years, disappointed by an overwhelming number of mediocre novels, I've increasingly turned to non-fiction. My rationale was, even if the book is mediocre at least I'll learn something; what's the point of spending time with a mediocre book that's just a story someone invented? This book, though, reminded me of why I used to be a fiction addict.
I don't want to oversell it. It was a long book, and the narrative occasionally sagged. Not every detail of every interaction was necessary, and thankfully the romance was peripheral because it left me pretty cold.
Now that I got that disclaimer over with, I will rhapsodize. This book pulled me in completely. I felt like I was right there with the characters, feeling what they were feeling. The writing was great, the themes natural and multilayered, the characterization dimensional and interesting. The plot wasn't exactly fast-paced, but it wasn't non-existent either. I loved the family members. I loved their relationships and interactions. I loved their dysfunction, painfully real but not over the top and clearly interwoven with genuine love.
For once I'm not alone here (4+ goodreads star rating, actually well-deserved!), which is also nice. So I feel comfortable saying, though not a perfect book, highly recommended.
Over the past few years, disappointed by an overwhelming number of mediocre novels, I've increasingly turned to non-fiction. My rationale was, even if the book is mediocre at least I'll learn something; what's the point of spending time with a mediocre book that's just a story someone invented? This book, though, reminded me of why I used to be a fiction addict.
I don't want to oversell it. It was a long book, and the narrative occasionally sagged. Not every detail of every interaction was necessary, and thankfully the romance was peripheral because it left me pretty cold.
Now that I got that disclaimer over with, I will rhapsodize. This book pulled me in completely. I felt like I was right there with the characters, feeling what they were feeling. The writing was great, the themes natural and multilayered, the characterization dimensional and interesting. The plot wasn't exactly fast-paced, but it wasn't non-existent either. I loved the family members. I loved their relationships and interactions. I loved their dysfunction, painfully real but not over the top and clearly interwoven with genuine love.
For once I'm not alone here (4+ goodreads star rating, actually well-deserved!), which is also nice. So I feel comfortable saying, though not a perfect book, highly recommended.
July 17, 2017
In "The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing", a family's painful past alternates with the present as they struggle with a developing crisis. Yes the following line is overused but, well, it's true: I wanted to like this book as much as everyone else but I didn't.
The best thing about this book is that the family's dynamics are so genuine. As awkward as the relationships become at times, they are full of real emotions and highlight the various facets of the immigrant experience. I especially enjoyed Kamala's character, the well-meaning but overbearing and stubborn mother who is constantly spouting endearing Indianisms.
My main problem with the book is that it is way too long and I often found myself bored with the excruciating details of the lives of these characters. I don't feel like enough happened in between the first and last pages to justify the length of the book. It was in need of editing to cut out some of the superfluousness. I also found Amina's romantic relationship kind of dry and contrived. There was zero chemistry that I could discern so I couldn't buy into it.
Others may enjoy this novel more and find it at once heartrending yet cozy and amusing, especially those who lived through the '90s or who can relate to the immigrant experience. For me, in some ways it was charming but it also dragged. It's not what I'd call a page-turner.
The best thing about this book is that the family's dynamics are so genuine. As awkward as the relationships become at times, they are full of real emotions and highlight the various facets of the immigrant experience. I especially enjoyed Kamala's character, the well-meaning but overbearing and stubborn mother who is constantly spouting endearing Indianisms.
My main problem with the book is that it is way too long and I often found myself bored with the excruciating details of the lives of these characters. I don't feel like enough happened in between the first and last pages to justify the length of the book. It was in need of editing to cut out some of the superfluousness. I also found Amina's romantic relationship kind of dry and contrived. There was zero chemistry that I could discern so I couldn't buy into it.
Others may enjoy this novel more and find it at once heartrending yet cozy and amusing, especially those who lived through the '90s or who can relate to the immigrant experience. For me, in some ways it was charming but it also dragged. It's not what I'd call a page-turner.
July 21, 2014
I won an Advanced Reader’s Edition of this book from the Goodreads First Reads program, and I’m so grateful, because I love discovering talented debut authors; Mira Jacob is clearly among the best.
I can honestly say this book – weighing in at about 500 pages – was worth every word. That’s something I can’t claim of the longer books I’ve read this year. Jacob took the time and the pages to develop realistic, flawed-but-lovable, three-dimensional characters. I can’t say enough about the character development and realism of the dialogue. (Oh my. Kamala, the main character's mother … the author portrayed her so well through dialogue, alone -- Kamala's continual calling of everyone “Dummy,” in a somewhat affectionate but also terse manner spoke volumes of her character. And then there were Kamala’s physical reactions and the author's subtle descriptions of Kamala's body language … This truly is "show-don't-tell" at its best).
The story unfolds with an adult Amina and her ‘cousin’ Dimple, who both moved from New Mexico to Seattle (Amina a photographer, and Dimple running an art gallery). We sense that they are trying to find their place in the world, not only as the children of immigrants, but also as young, independent women caught between cultures. Through alternating chapters that take us from the present back to India in the 1970s when Amina was young, then to New Mexico in the 1980s with a high-school-aged Amina, we learn of her family’s cultural struggles, personal struggles, and triumphs leading up to the present day story. Those chapters reveal so much about the family's dynamics and personalities.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the storyline itself, for fear of ruining it for the reader, so suffice it to say that, for me, the simplified essence of this story is: family. Yet this novel is far from simple. While it focuses on a father-daughter relationship at the surface, it is also about those people we adopt as family – who become a part of our ‘tribe.’ It’s about the pull and tug of familial ties – the heartbreak, the love, the laughter, the sadness.
This book is a lovely literary accomplishment also containing themes about “place” and connections to the past. This is the kind of story I love, as it allows the reader to read for story only, or to embark on those fun “treasure hunts” I enjoy so much, seeking metaphor, symbolism and thematic connections that ARE there if only the reader will look. What’s more, even though this is a “quiet” story, the tempo is heightened by a series of ‘mysteries’ that will entice you to keep flipping pages.
Perhaps my biggest accolades are reserved for Jacob’s gift of writing incredibly poignant scenes – not overstated or overly sentimental – yet heart-tugging. Toward the end of the story, I can’t count how many times the realism of the scenes, the true emotional truth of them, snuck up on me, pooling in my eyes.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who appreciates literary fiction, but even for those who are drawn to YA (since many of the scenes are written from the teenaged Amina’s perspective). I hope this book does well and continues to earn praise; it is so deserving!
I can honestly say this book – weighing in at about 500 pages – was worth every word. That’s something I can’t claim of the longer books I’ve read this year. Jacob took the time and the pages to develop realistic, flawed-but-lovable, three-dimensional characters. I can’t say enough about the character development and realism of the dialogue. (Oh my. Kamala, the main character's mother … the author portrayed her so well through dialogue, alone -- Kamala's continual calling of everyone “Dummy,” in a somewhat affectionate but also terse manner spoke volumes of her character. And then there were Kamala’s physical reactions and the author's subtle descriptions of Kamala's body language … This truly is "show-don't-tell" at its best).
The story unfolds with an adult Amina and her ‘cousin’ Dimple, who both moved from New Mexico to Seattle (Amina a photographer, and Dimple running an art gallery). We sense that they are trying to find their place in the world, not only as the children of immigrants, but also as young, independent women caught between cultures. Through alternating chapters that take us from the present back to India in the 1970s when Amina was young, then to New Mexico in the 1980s with a high-school-aged Amina, we learn of her family’s cultural struggles, personal struggles, and triumphs leading up to the present day story. Those chapters reveal so much about the family's dynamics and personalities.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the storyline itself, for fear of ruining it for the reader, so suffice it to say that, for me, the simplified essence of this story is: family. Yet this novel is far from simple. While it focuses on a father-daughter relationship at the surface, it is also about those people we adopt as family – who become a part of our ‘tribe.’ It’s about the pull and tug of familial ties – the heartbreak, the love, the laughter, the sadness.
This book is a lovely literary accomplishment also containing themes about “place” and connections to the past. This is the kind of story I love, as it allows the reader to read for story only, or to embark on those fun “treasure hunts” I enjoy so much, seeking metaphor, symbolism and thematic connections that ARE there if only the reader will look. What’s more, even though this is a “quiet” story, the tempo is heightened by a series of ‘mysteries’ that will entice you to keep flipping pages.
Perhaps my biggest accolades are reserved for Jacob’s gift of writing incredibly poignant scenes – not overstated or overly sentimental – yet heart-tugging. Toward the end of the story, I can’t count how many times the realism of the scenes, the true emotional truth of them, snuck up on me, pooling in my eyes.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who appreciates literary fiction, but even for those who are drawn to YA (since many of the scenes are written from the teenaged Amina’s perspective). I hope this book does well and continues to earn praise; it is so deserving!
July 4, 2016
3.5 stars - It was really good.
Started slow, middle was fantastic, ended slowly. An enjoyable story with strong characterization that addresses assimilation across two generations within a family, but there is not anything particularly new here and I wish the pacing would have been more even throughout the novel.
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Favorite Quote: There are small blessings, tiny ones that come unbidden and make the hard day one sigh lighter.
First Sentence: It was a fever, a hot rage of words.
Started slow, middle was fantastic, ended slowly. An enjoyable story with strong characterization that addresses assimilation across two generations within a family, but there is not anything particularly new here and I wish the pacing would have been more even throughout the novel.
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Favorite Quote: There are small blessings, tiny ones that come unbidden and make the hard day one sigh lighter.
First Sentence: It was a fever, a hot rage of words.
September 15, 2014
“There are small blessings, tiny ones that come unbidden and make a hard day one sigh lighter.”
Good writing is one such blessing. I ordered this book based on my mom’s rave and spent a wonderful few days entranced by Mira Jacob’s wonderful debut novel. It’s the rare book that continues to get better as it goes on, but in this case I couldn’t put the story down once I was into the second half.
The plot is nothing remarkably new. Amina is a thirty-something who has to return home to deal with a sick parent. Of course her family is fractured, with buried secrets, tragedy and misunderstandings; but on top of the predictable, Jacobs layers an Indian immigrant’s story. Then, she goes a step further, through Amina’s career as a photographer, to highlight the ideas of isolation and belongingness. Without being overwrought or sappy, she breathes life into this family and into her themes in a compelling way.
“It wasn’t that she doubted their love or intentions, but the weight of that love would be no small thing.”
I understood Amina, but more importantly, I liked her. And I adored all the surrounding characters, especially her parents. They start out as the typical stereotypes of overbearing mother and ambitious professional father, but their stories evolve to become complex and emotionally touching.
“Why is it that fathers so often ensure the outcome they are trying to avoid? Is their need to dominate so much stronger than their instinct to protect? Did Thomas know, Amina wondered as she watched him, that he had just done the human equivalent of a lion sinking his teeth into his own cub?”
Amina’s relationship with her parents held special resonance for me as they faced many quality-of-life decisions. What is real? What is right? Who controls the outcome? All of these questions (and more) come to play in very honest ways, bringing me to tears on several occasions.
Across the board, Jacobs does a terrific job of fleshing out every character she introduces, admirable given the fact that this novel stretches almost 500 pages, three decades and two continents. As the story comes to its beautiful ending, I found myself completely satisfied.
Highly recommend.
Read alikes:
The Lowland
The Namesake
Sister of My Heart
And the Mountains Echoed
Anatomy of a Disappearance
August 5, 2016
Mira Jacobs examines family tensions exacerbated by diaspora in this narrative of the Eapen Family, emigrees from South India. A prologue establishes the present day timeline, June 1998. It is a literary snapshot providing the reader with a glimpse of their tenuous dynamic: one that's conscious, formal, safe, prescribed, and emotionally repressed; and one that's explosive and brutally candid, to be expressed only under the guise of abnormality: sleepwalking or mental aberration. Amina lives in Seattle rather than returning to the family homestead in Albuquerque. She is unmarried (despite countless blind dates set up by her mother without her permission), and not much of a cook ( “A collection of takeout boxes slumped together like old men in bad weather” in her refrigerator. (p.5) Still, she remains connected to a sense of ethnic identity. Her best friend is Dimple, another Indian from Albuquerque. They went to school together and they are so close they refer to each other as cousins. Dimple's parents are like an extended family to her own. Kamala is almost a parody of the ethnic mother. In addition to her obsession with marrying off her daughter to another Indian, she devotes herself to cooking. Biryani, pickles, chutneys, breads, stews and dips flow from her kitchen. The radio, TV and tabloid headlines appear to be her main connection to the world outside her kitchen. She supplements this with her own outrageous opinions voiced with a tenacious dismissal of opposing arguments. Jacob exploits this with often humorous results. The third character we view is her husband Thomas, a neurosurgeon who keeps late hours and chooses to spend his time isolated on the porch tinkering with whimsical inventions and succumbing to the soporific comfort of alcohol. The question Jacob appears to be addressing is how did this family become this way. The opening chapter provides a partial answer. The time jumps back to 1979. Amina is 11; her older brother Akhil is 14. The family makes a disastrous visit to Thomas' mother and his younger brother in India. His mother Ammachy is hardly loving. Instead we view a tyrannical matriarch unhappy at her inability to control events. For her the past was wonderful; everything afterward was downhill, beginning with the urban sprawl that now surrounds her house. She is angry that Thomas rejected the marriage she had arranged with Kamala's lighter skinned (in her eyes more desirable) cousin. She wants him to return to practice in India and attempts to manipulate him into accepting a position at the newly established rehabilitation center. For her dutiful son Sonil she has nothing but complaints and belittlement. The situation explodes. Thomas and his family leave despite Kamala's objections. It's the last time he sees his mother, and it leaves a permanent rift in his relationship to Kamala.
After such a dramatic opening, I was expecting the story to resume with Amina's reluctant return to Albuquerque. In the prologue Kamala had called, complaining that Thomas was talking to his dead mother. She is able to guilt-trip Kamala without actually asking directly for her help. However, this thread is interrupted with the backstory of Amina's career in photography. She had been a successful photojournalist, but has retreated into events photography — weddings, funerals, graduations and the like. Book 3 makes another time jump. It is three years after the disastrous visit to India. Amina is now 14 and Akhil is 17. The focus switches to Akhil's troubled adolescence. Along with the time jumps there will be shifts in points of view. We follow Amina's problems, her adolescent observations of Akhil, and her observations both past and present of Thomas. Unfortunately, although Jacob ties all of this together, these pieces never coalesced for me into a satisfying whole. It was as if Jacob was trying to cover too much ground. Grief, alienation, vulnerability and the price of sacrificing duty for happiness all seem to compete for the reader's attention.
On the positive side, Jacob has created some memorable characters. Thomas was especially vivid with his outgoing exuberance, off-beat sense of humor and intensity. The author mentions in an interview that this character was modeled after her own father who passed away during the course of writing the book. Kamala is irritating and humorous. The author takes great pains to explain that the character is NOT modeled on her own mother. Individual sections such as the explosive family conflict in India were unexpectedly sad. However, at 500 pages, I found this a difficult book to finish.
I purchased this book on an online flash sale. I was particularly interested because of the Albuquerque setting.
After such a dramatic opening, I was expecting the story to resume with Amina's reluctant return to Albuquerque. In the prologue Kamala had called, complaining that Thomas was talking to his dead mother. She is able to guilt-trip Kamala without actually asking directly for her help. However, this thread is interrupted with the backstory of Amina's career in photography. She had been a successful photojournalist, but has retreated into events photography — weddings, funerals, graduations and the like. Book 3 makes another time jump. It is three years after the disastrous visit to India. Amina is now 14 and Akhil is 17. The focus switches to Akhil's troubled adolescence. Along with the time jumps there will be shifts in points of view. We follow Amina's problems, her adolescent observations of Akhil, and her observations both past and present of Thomas. Unfortunately, although Jacob ties all of this together, these pieces never coalesced for me into a satisfying whole. It was as if Jacob was trying to cover too much ground. Grief, alienation, vulnerability and the price of sacrificing duty for happiness all seem to compete for the reader's attention.
On the positive side, Jacob has created some memorable characters. Thomas was especially vivid with his outgoing exuberance, off-beat sense of humor and intensity. The author mentions in an interview that this character was modeled after her own father who passed away during the course of writing the book. Kamala is irritating and humorous. The author takes great pains to explain that the character is NOT modeled on her own mother. Individual sections such as the explosive family conflict in India were unexpectedly sad. However, at 500 pages, I found this a difficult book to finish.
I purchased this book on an online flash sale. I was particularly interested because of the Albuquerque setting.
July 23, 2014
*i received this book from a First Reads Giveaway*
I SO wanted to love this book. It had all of the checkpoints of an "Oh Yeah, Abby's Gonna Love This" Book. Story spanning several decades? Check. Story follows a family and explores the relationships within that family? Check. Book jacket hints at supernatural/magical undertones? Triple check. What I ended up reading, however, was what I feel is a book that's couple hundred pages too long, with a story full of people who were well developed, but did not grow at all until the end.
While I won't give too much away of the story, so as not to spoil it for anyone, I will say that Mira Jacob is phenomenal with the written word. The structure of the novel and the weaving in of different points of the Eapen family history was great and sincerely refreshing. One really gets a sense of the family dynamic from the very first chapter. It is no surprise that they are so familiar to the reader so quickly, being that it took Jacob over ten years to finish writing the book. It was very easy to see that these characters were very close to her heart.
The most frustrating part of this book was that no one really wanted any of their family members to know their true feelings. I spent 400 pages reading about them telling each other they were fine, only to have the last 100 zoom by at warp speed with feelings being unearthed and the family (somewhat) moving forward. Maybe that was done on purpose, and other readers may have liked it...but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I will definitely be reading another of her books should she write more in the future.
I SO wanted to love this book. It had all of the checkpoints of an "Oh Yeah, Abby's Gonna Love This" Book. Story spanning several decades? Check. Story follows a family and explores the relationships within that family? Check. Book jacket hints at supernatural/magical undertones? Triple check. What I ended up reading, however, was what I feel is a book that's couple hundred pages too long, with a story full of people who were well developed, but did not grow at all until the end.
While I won't give too much away of the story, so as not to spoil it for anyone, I will say that Mira Jacob is phenomenal with the written word. The structure of the novel and the weaving in of different points of the Eapen family history was great and sincerely refreshing. One really gets a sense of the family dynamic from the very first chapter. It is no surprise that they are so familiar to the reader so quickly, being that it took Jacob over ten years to finish writing the book. It was very easy to see that these characters were very close to her heart.
The most frustrating part of this book was that no one really wanted any of their family members to know their true feelings. I spent 400 pages reading about them telling each other they were fine, only to have the last 100 zoom by at warp speed with feelings being unearthed and the family (somewhat) moving forward. Maybe that was done on purpose, and other readers may have liked it...but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I will definitely be reading another of her books should she write more in the future.
March 25, 2016
This is one of those books that I had before publication but didn't get to. There are many books like that, and I only end up reading a small number of them once they're out in the world. I heard a lot of good things about this book, and kept it in my mind as something I should check out. Ultimately I was tempted by the audiobook, which the author reads herself. I love that kind of audio experience because I know the author reads things as they're intended.
I enjoyed this book very deeply. Even though Amina is the kind of character who can frustrate me a lot, that person who does very little and spends most of the book stuck in stasis, ultimately the story of her family sucked me in. This is a book about loss and grief, but also about the way families can be pushed apart by love that is too fierce and demanding, or by love that stays too quiet below the surface. The structure, which flashes back from 1998 where Amina visits her parents to her childhood, worked really well for me. It did that thing I love, where a book slowly unfurls its story and characters, lets me explore them deeply, but lets me know it may be hiding something that I don't know about yet.
The audio is excellent. Honestly, I would have assumed it was read by a professional narrator if I hadn't known better. I enjoy hearing accents in audiobooks, it helps me feel more in touch with the characters, and the voices of Thomas and Kamala in particular bring so much to the experience of the book.
I enjoyed this book very deeply. Even though Amina is the kind of character who can frustrate me a lot, that person who does very little and spends most of the book stuck in stasis, ultimately the story of her family sucked me in. This is a book about loss and grief, but also about the way families can be pushed apart by love that is too fierce and demanding, or by love that stays too quiet below the surface. The structure, which flashes back from 1998 where Amina visits her parents to her childhood, worked really well for me. It did that thing I love, where a book slowly unfurls its story and characters, lets me explore them deeply, but lets me know it may be hiding something that I don't know about yet.
The audio is excellent. Honestly, I would have assumed it was read by a professional narrator if I hadn't known better. I enjoy hearing accents in audiobooks, it helps me feel more in touch with the characters, and the voices of Thomas and Kamala in particular bring so much to the experience of the book.
April 8, 2016
This book started off with so much promise. The first 50% of this book really pulled you in, you were invested, interesting and dying to see where this ride would take you. I love Indian characters and Jacob really started this book giving me everything I wanted in a good book.
Unfortunately, I felt the book was entirely too long. About 60% into the book, I just wanted it to be over. I stopped caring about the characters, I was no longer enthralled. I was more annoyed about hearing all these details that didn't seem all that important to the characters or plot progression. I really wanted to like this book because it started off so strong but I have to say Jacob really lost with me with the length of this book.
Unfortunately, I felt the book was entirely too long. About 60% into the book, I just wanted it to be over. I stopped caring about the characters, I was no longer enthralled. I was more annoyed about hearing all these details that didn't seem all that important to the characters or plot progression. I really wanted to like this book because it started off so strong but I have to say Jacob really lost with me with the length of this book.
February 20, 2025
An enemy from the outside is easier to manage than chaos within. p26
The promise of this enticing title may not be entirely fulfilled or help much on the dance floor, but it does offer a panoramic view. The dance of life and death across generations and national boundaries is enacted in this sprawling family drama. Especially for those readers who sought out and played the songs referenced, and those who could hum along; and those who could practically taste the feasts laid out for us here, this was a spicy and delicious stew concocted with all the ingredients that make a zesty and satisfying meal.
From a crowded beginning unfolding into a profound spaciousness, even the most jaded or sedentary reader will find something here to dance to.
July 10, 2014
This 500 page novel is about an immigrant family from India that comes to the United State in 1968, settling in Albuquerque. The novel goes back and forth in time, giving the reader a sense of what things were like in India as well as during the early years in New Mexico, along with what is happening currently.
Amina is the primary character in the novel. She has left Albuquerque and now lives in Seattle where she is a wedding photographer. Out of the blue, she gets a phone call from her mother, Kamala, who is worried about Thomas, Amina's father. Kamala asks Amina to return home to New Mexico. Thomas has been hallucinating and talking to Akhil, Amina's dead brother. Thomas, a respected neurosurgeon, has been acting out of sorts for awhile. There has even been an incident at his hospital that has concerned his colleagues and the board.
Amina has always had a difficult relationship with her parents. Kamala and Thomas have a marriage fraught with anger and pain. Amina feels like she's in a maelstrom when she's with them. As she navigates her time in New Mexico, she is also dealing with problems that have propped up with her job in Seattle. Though a wedding photographer by trade, she is actually an art photographer and some of her recent photographs have come to the attention of her boss who does not approve of them.
The dialog can be riveting but, overall, the story moved too slowly for me to be entirely engrossed. I think Mira Jacobs' debut novel shows a remarkable talent and I look forward to her future writings.
Amina is the primary character in the novel. She has left Albuquerque and now lives in Seattle where she is a wedding photographer. Out of the blue, she gets a phone call from her mother, Kamala, who is worried about Thomas, Amina's father. Kamala asks Amina to return home to New Mexico. Thomas has been hallucinating and talking to Akhil, Amina's dead brother. Thomas, a respected neurosurgeon, has been acting out of sorts for awhile. There has even been an incident at his hospital that has concerned his colleagues and the board.
Amina has always had a difficult relationship with her parents. Kamala and Thomas have a marriage fraught with anger and pain. Amina feels like she's in a maelstrom when she's with them. As she navigates her time in New Mexico, she is also dealing with problems that have propped up with her job in Seattle. Though a wedding photographer by trade, she is actually an art photographer and some of her recent photographs have come to the attention of her boss who does not approve of them.
The dialog can be riveting but, overall, the story moved too slowly for me to be entirely engrossed. I think Mira Jacobs' debut novel shows a remarkable talent and I look forward to her future writings.
January 11, 2020
A solid 3.5 stars
What makes this novel work is Jacob's ability to write dialogue, spoken and internal. Her characters are humane and sympathetically drawn, trying to reach out to each other in their flawed, sometimes misguided ways. I really enjoyed this one.
There was one particular scene in this book that really discomfited me, though. In it, Amina, the main character, is about to give her boyfriend a blowjob. He says "wait" twice; she ignores him and goes ahead and gives it to him anyway. Let me just make this clear: when you're in that kind of situation and the person you're with says "wait" multiple times you do not ignore them: YOU WAIT--you wait for explicit consent. Okay that's all I have to say about that.
What makes this novel work is Jacob's ability to write dialogue, spoken and internal. Her characters are humane and sympathetically drawn, trying to reach out to each other in their flawed, sometimes misguided ways. I really enjoyed this one.
There was one particular scene in this book that really discomfited me, though. In it, Amina, the main character, is about to give her boyfriend a blowjob. He says "wait" twice; she ignores him and goes ahead and gives it to him anyway. Let me just make this clear: when you're in that kind of situation and the person you're with says "wait" multiple times you do not ignore them: YOU WAIT--you wait for explicit consent. Okay that's all I have to say about that.
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