Summer of Canadian Reading 2019Internationally bestselling author of Secret DaughterThe Golden Son is a “sensitive and intelligent work" that tells an unforgettable story of family, responsibility, love, honour and tradition, in which two childhood friends must balance the expectations of their culture and their families with the desires of their own hearts (National Post).Anil is the cherished eldest son of a large family from an Indian village, expected to inherit the role of leader of his clan and arbiter of its disputes. Leena is his closest companion, a fiercely brave girl who loves nothing more than the wild terrain they inhabit and her dear parents. As childhood friends, they are inseparable—but with the pressures and complications of adulthood, their paths begin to diverge. Anil is the first in his family to leave India and become a doctor half a world away in Dallas, Texas, where he is caught up in his new life, experiencing all the freedoms and temptations of American culture. In India, Leena dreams of a strong, true love like the one shared by her parents and leaves her beloved home to join her new husband’s family in a distant village. Anil and Leena struggle to come to terms with their identities thousands of miles apart. Many years later, their lives intersect once again. Altered by their choices and experiences, these two old friends are reunited when they need each other most. A tender and bittersweet story of friendship and family, The Golden Son illuminates the decisions we must make to find our true selves. | The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, Paperback | Indigo Chapters