Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

This family saga with a streak of magical realism and a dash of urban fantasy grabbed my imagination from page one. In 2007 an ambitious Indian-American community tries to insert its young people high up in the meritocracy of their adopted country. Much of the humour in Gold Diggers comes from the reluctance of some teenagers to compete for academic glory. Neil Narayan, who is the narrator and one of the main characters, is not engaged by the subjects his parents choose for him. He is distracted by an increasing obsession with Anita Dyal, his neighbour and best friend from childhood, and by his interest in tales of the earliest Indian immigrants to the USA.

‘Once a lot like Neil, Anita is truly thriving academically, athletically and socially. Anita has a secret: she and her mother Anjali have been brewing an ancient alchemical potion from stolen gold that harnesses the ambition of the jewellery’s original owner. Anita just needs a little boost to get into Harvard. When Neil – who needs a whole lot more – stumbles on their secret and joins in the plot, events spiral.’

Author Sanjena Sathan has done a brilliant job of imagining herself into the shoes of her male narrator. I found the character of Neil convincing and likeable, although he shows a lack of moral courage when he fails to support friends from outside his tight social group. After tragedy strikes one of these outsiders Neil suffers from a sense of guilt he cannot shake off. His story is picked up again in 2016. Now a graduate student and lecturer, he neglects financially rewarding tasks in favour of his fascination with the history of the Indian-American diaspora. When he reconnects with Anita he finds himself involved in a scheme to steal gold – this time with the best of intentions.

Although Neil is the focus of and catalyst for action, the most exciting and powerful personalities in Gold Diggers are women. Anita and her mother are the guardians of secret knowledge that has been passed down in the female line from time immemorial. As one of the many aunties who rule Hammond Creek says, ‘You pick up things from mother, mother’s mother, mother’s sister. Like recipes. Cannot remember who starts it all.’

What I like most about Gold Diggers is the multi-generational nature of its cast. The characters range from young teenagers to people in extreme old age. Sathian cleverly avoids stereotyping to make each of them interesting as personalities in their own right. I also enjoyed the detailed descriptions of social and community events. I feel as if I have learned a lot from this book.