Family Planning

August 4, 2008
The patriarch of a chaotic family living in a hectic land must come to terms with himself and what he’s wrought at home and at work in this excellent debut. Rakesh Ahuja battles the twin bedlams of his sprawling family and overcrowded home city of New Delhi while simultaneously trying to save his career as the minister of urban development. Rakesh attempts to manipulate and cajole his way through the corrupt and sometimes illogical Indian civil service, often finding himself embroiled in absurd intrigues. Home is no less fraught, where his 13 children battle each other for their often-absent father’s love. The lone exception is Arjun, the eldest, whose adolescent rebellion and nascent romantic inclinations prompt him to form a rock band and pull away from his frenetic family. As Rakesh clumsily reaches out to his first-born son, the twists of fate that shaped both their lives are revealed, providing a portrait of a family that is both comical and heartbreaking. Mahajan’s effortless blending of comedy and tragedy is irresistible and should help his book stand out.

October 1, 2008
Set in New Delhi, India's ever-expanding mega-metropolis, this debut novel explores the political and familial landscape of middle-aged civil servant Rakesh Ahuja. Rakesh is the father of 13 children, and the narrative zeroes in on his escalating conflict with eldest son Arjun. Arjun, who is experiencing typical teenager angst regarding first love, sexuality, and identity, is incredulous when he disturbs his parents as they make love in the nursery. Even as this incident sets off a chain reaction of comical events, Rakesh is forced to confront long-kept secrets and also becomes enmeshed in the high jinks of Indian politics, jockeying for power within India's notoriously corrupt civil service. Meanwhile, the death of an Indian soap opera character has consequences for all of Delhi, including Rakesh's political party. This could have been a fairly dour novel, but Mahajan interjects hilarity throughout otherwise tense and poignant moments of family drama. The result is a delightfully entertaining novel about father-son conflict that readers from just about any culture can appreciate. Strongly recommended to add breadth to English-language fiction collections covering contemporary India and South Asia.Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ. Lib., Corvallis

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2008
How does one carve his nichehis lifewhile remaining a loving member of the greater family? Arjun, the eldest of 13 children, straddles that tricky line of playing third parent while struggling to distance himself from his family. A normal day sees him changing diapers, flirting with his crush, and entertaining dreams of rock stardom. Arjuns father is one of Delhis star officials, his mother is addicted to soap operas, and his 12 siblings remain in a constant battle for those finite emotional resources from each other and their parents. Arjun never shuns his family but does critique his home life, saying it was a house as pressure cooker. Arjuns struggles are compounded when he learns that his mother is not his birth mother, but is thatof his siblings. This discovery prompts Arjun to debate the definition of a mother: she who birthed him or raised him? Like any debut, Family Planning has its hiccups, but it is an entertaining expos' of a unique family.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)