The Vibrant Years by Somali Dev
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev is a story about the complicated bonds and dynamics within families. It’s also about customs and empowerment.

My Overview

The Vibrant Years is a multi-generational family story about three women.

  • Bindu: A widowed grandmother.
  • Aly: Bindu’s daughter-in-law.
  • Cullie: Bindu’s granddaughter.

Bindu and Aly have a close mother/daughter relationship. They even continued living together in Florida, after Aly divorced Bindu’s son. Cullie is a young adult living in California. She’s a successful app developer who struggles with anxiety. Although she now lives far from her mother and grandmother, the bond between them is strong.

When an unexpected event puts Bindu in a negative spotlight, and secrets from her past threaten to resurface, the three women do what they have always done best. They band together to support each other. As they face various challenges the dynamic of their relationship fluctuates, but their love and respect remains the same.

This is a multi-layered story, with various storylines slowly unraveling to create mystery throughout. As the storylines unravel, we slowly learn about the characters’ present day situations and background. I liked the vulnerable way in which the characters were presented, with flaws and all. Also, since the story’s told from the POV of Bindu, Aly, and Cullie we truly get to experience and appreciate their situations. Part of the story is told through journal excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, and I enjoyed that unique way of giving that character a voice.

Overall, I enjoyed this story well enough. It wasn’t quite what I’d expected, but I enjoyed the positive direction and growth the characters experienced. This story is a reminder that families are complicated. However, when life gets messy it’s family who is there for you.

My Recommendation

I read the Kindle edition, but wish I’d listened to the audiobook instead. Unfortunately, although I found the story interesting, it wasn’t engaging enough to keep me wanting to read. This is an instance where for me, the audiobook would’ve been better. Overall, I recommend this story. If you give this story a try but feel it’s dragging, give the audiobook a try. By the end, I think you too will appreciate having met Bindu and her family.

Have you read this story?