Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher
£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up
Narrated by:
Rukhmani K. Desai
Buy Now for £17.57
-
Narrated by:
-
Rukhmani K. Desai
-
By:
-
Sonia Patel
It’s eighteen-year-old Gita Desai’s first year at Stanford, and the fact that she’s here and not already married off by her traditional Gujarati parents is a miracle. She’s determined to death-grip her good-girl, model student rep all the way to med school, which means no social life or standing out in any way. Should be easy: If there’s one thing she’s learned from her family, it’s how to chup-re—to “shut up,” fade into the background. But when childhood memories of her aunt’s desertion and her then-uncle’s best friend resurface, Gita ends up ditching the books night after night in favor of partying and hooking up with strangers. Still, nothing can stop the little voice growing louder and louder inside her that says something is wrong. . . . And the only way she can burst forward is to stop shutting up about the past.
“Funny, messy, gut-wrenching.”—Kirkus Reviews
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Critic reviews
“Patel, whose own experiences inform this story, infuses Gita’s first-person narration with thoughtfulness and humor that make her growing confusion and self-loathing cut deeply. Thankfully, Gita’s friends are there to support her when she finally finds her voice. . . . A tough read that's worth the discomfort.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This searing 1992-set novel by Patel explores the ways that prolonged abuse can shape behavior. . . . While Gita’s journey toward finding her own voice is plagued by male characters who—both intentionally and unconsciously—cause her physical and mental harm, bright spots in the form of her kindhearted older brother and supportive gay peer help to carry the burden.” —Publishers Weekly
"Gita's naivete and repressed sexual desires lend themselves to an upbringing void of trust and open dialogue. Autobiographical in part to Patel's own story, many passages can be uncomfortable, but Gita reclaiming her voice is worth the journey." —Booklist
“This searing 1992-set novel by Patel explores the ways that prolonged abuse can shape behavior. . . . While Gita’s journey toward finding her own voice is plagued by male characters who—both intentionally and unconsciously—cause her physical and mental harm, bright spots in the form of her kindhearted older brother and supportive gay peer help to carry the burden.” —Publishers Weekly
"Gita's naivete and repressed sexual desires lend themselves to an upbringing void of trust and open dialogue. Autobiographical in part to Patel's own story, many passages can be uncomfortable, but Gita reclaiming her voice is worth the journey." —Booklist
No reviews yet