Editorial Reviews
Goodread Reviewers
Patrick Greenwood rated it
Nov 21, 2020 Lamar rated it
Nov 12, 2020 Linda rated it
Feb 04, 2021 John Gorrmally rated it
“How do you capture lives great traditions with tragedies? This wonderful novel explores the reality of many that cling to their past values while missing that life is about moving forward. Seeing a parent a child is never an easy story to tell. The author skillfully helped us readers through the difficult journey of Samantha. I will forever remember this masterpiece novel.”
Written by Goodread Reviewer John Gorrmally
“Painful tragically drafted with extremely deep passion.”
Nov 28, 2020 Pat Patterson rated it
“This book was not as I expected. I needed to make myself read it at the beginning. Its storytelling was a different style of storytelling. I could understand the conflict of coming to another country fro opportunity and missing your home where friends and people understand what you mean and don’t have to explain your history or background with every new person you try to friend. The conflict of keeping true to your culture and whether to assimilate with the overwheling USA culture.”
Dec 16, 2020 Marika Chunyk rated it
“Learning to adapt to American culture, Samantha tries her best to keep her Indian culture also. She raises her daughter to respect both cultures, and now she wants to marry an American. Will she learn to accept it or push her daughter away? Will tragedy help her learn a lesson? A sad, but thoughtful story that integrates the two cultures. I didn’t agree with some of the medical part of the story, but that’s because I work in medical and I’m critical of that!”
Loved it!
By Reviewer Becky Holland
Truth-telling, hide your face, but you know it’s true – what a nice little read.
” Life is hard – Samantha had discovered – but everyone can achieve the ‘American dream’ if they try hard enough. And, the young Indian woman discovers a lot more in the process.
In “All those Tears We can’t see” by Gita Audhya,the writer establishes an excellent story filled with a plethora of questions (and answers) revolving around spirituality, opportunity, immigration, tension and poverty. Gita also throws in a mixture of class battles, and domestic issues circling around Americans and those from Samantha’s past in India.
Samantha is our main character – and this story, “All those Tears We can’t See,” is a journal of sorts of Samantha’s life.
First, we look at a younger Samantha who leaves it all to head get a better life in America … and then, we see her going back to her homeland of India, to find her daughter who she has a turbulent relationship with as her daughter married a man who is not of their culture.
Her daughter, Monica, goes through turmoil, and Samantha is broken-hearted and anger.
It is through this tragic scenario – which you will have to read about it – that Samantha (or Shimonti) discovers the necessity and power of change.
Gita Audhya wraps what appears to be some deep doses of reality into a gumbo of intrigue, acceptance, mystery, growth, and yes fiction. She holds nothing back in her descriptions and use of the language.
And that is the kind of writer we need – especially these days. Entertain us, yes, but dear writer, if you can educate us or make us feel “woke,” then do it.
Gita Audhya does it.
From Chapter One, Gita Audhya had her main character go through a moment or two of angst – especially over the babysitting of her child.
And here is where we see her becoming more aware of the culture difference she was going through.
“Samantha looked at Patty and sighed, showing her frustration. it was in these moments that she felt so helpless in this country. Everything was so different here, the mindset in particular. It would be no less than a scandal in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a young girl bringing a guy into the house! But here it was a way of life!”
The paragraph above revolves around culture difference – and how bringing a many in to the house and not being married would create some drama.
And that is how the book goes – keep us on the edge of our seats – to see what drama is going to unveil next. Check the book out today.”
IR Approved
Literary Fiction
Posted by C.S. Holmes (Jndie Reader), September 7, 2020
“The novel ALL THOSE TEARS WE CAN’T SEE by Gita Audhya takes a brave look at a range of true-to-life multi-cultural injuries from the physical to the psychic to the little deaths sometimes initiated against those we say we love the most.”
ALL THOSE TEARS WE CAN’T SEE
By Gita Audhya
INDIE READER
IR RATING:
4.0
” Indian-American Monica is in love with life and with a non-Indian man in ALL THOSE TEARS WE CAN’T SEE by Gita Audhya, while Monica’s mother firmly does not approve.
Gita Audhya’s literary novel, ALL THOSE TEARS WE CAN’T SEE, is a smorgasbord of painful delight as the traditions of one Indian family clash with the desires of a first generation American daughter while they reside in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
This story is ripe with authentic conversations that reflect palpable heat, especially within the mother-daughter bond. The characters, who deeply care for one another, desperately alternate between trying to understand each other and pushing their own beliefs regarding what is unquestionably, unassailably right. Overall readers are likely to come to care about the characters that are portrayed as conflicted, headstrong, yet ultimately beautiful regardless of the sometimes questionable decisions they make.
The novel ALL THOSE TEARS WE CAN’T SEE by Gita Audhya takes a brave look at a range of true-to-life multi-cultural injuries from the physical to the psychic to the little deaths sometimes initiated against those we say we love the most.“
Reviewed by Author K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
“All Those Tears We Can’t See is a work of fiction in the interpersonal drama, cross-cultural and realistic fiction sub-genres, and was penned by author Gita Audhya. The work is written for an adult reading audience due to the presence of some sensitive topics, plus complex issues of culture, immigration, and the sense of belonging. We meet Samantha and Monica, who both have conflicting emotions within them about their mixture of Indian heritage and the new world of America where their culture is not always understood or appreciated. As Samantha tries to reconcile her beliefs against those of her daughter, who is marrying a Christian man, so begins a fascinating journey of identity and family loyalty.
Author Gita Audhya has crafted a truly beautiful story of different cultures and different viewpoints coming together, and within it, there is a fantastic ideology of India’s history as the heart of the world, and the conflict of traditions versus modernization. The author handles some very difficult topics with grace and emotional realism, whilst also portraying a fragile but very important relationship between a mother and daughter who have a true love for one another, but also some very polarized opinions. I felt that the quality of the narration brought this across beautifully, and I also appreciated the commitment to history and small cultural details and differences, in which the author does a wonderful job of educating us. Overall, I would certainly recommend All Those Tears We Can’t See to readers seeking a unique perspective and some accomplished dramatic writing.”
Reviews By Booklife.com , The Title All Those Tears We Can’t See (2nd Edition)
“Audhya’s tearjerker second novel (after In Pursuit of Love, Spirituality, and Happiness) explores the relationship between a contemporary Bengali immigrant and her American-born daughter. Shimonti Bose, raised in a middle-class Bengali family in India, got married and started life over in America in pursuit of the American dream. But Shimonti—now going by Samantha—feels torn between cultures, a divide that only deepens when she raises a daughter, Monica, who feels purely American and eventually starts dating Brandon, a white American man. Then Monica shocks and surprises her mother by accepting a journalist assignment in India. As she and Samantha travel separately through India, Monica begins to understand where her mother came from, while Samantha experiences being a stranger in a changed India.
Monica and Samantha both undergo transformations throughout the novel, illuminating the familial challenges of bridging cultures. Audhya has a gift for description and insight. However, her long asides grow repetitive after a time, and some of the dialogue sounds stilted. Her portrayals of Indian cities are rich and vivid, but readers may be jarred by equally vivid scenes of violence. Some Bengali cultural elements are described in detail for outsiders, but others go unexplained, leaving the book’s intended audience unclear. Indian and American racial politics play significant, sometimes contrasting roles in Samantha’s life. While she is conscious of being treated as an outsider in the U.S., she shrugs off anti-Black racism among Indians. She agonizes over Monica getting engaged to Brandon, threatening to bar Monica from her house and concluding, “I can never think of him as my own son.” Monica and Brandon’s romance is less than compelling; the key relationship is between Samantha and Monica, and the conclusion of their story will have readers weeping.
Audhya connects the past and the present through highlighting both cultural comfort and dissonance in relatable terms. The strongest part of the story is the complexity of the relationship between a mother and daughter who love each other very deeply but struggle to understand each other. This endearing, sometimes tragic story will resonate with anyone who has ever had a difficult relationship with family, and particularly with members of immigrant families who are working to unite generations.
Takeaway: This powerful and insightful drama will appeal to members of immigrant families that are grappling with cultural divides across generations.“
Book Similarity: Jhumpa Lahiri’s book The Namesake and Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club
Amazon Reviews
Grady Harp
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2023
Sensitive and Enlightening Novel
“India born author Gita Audhya has earned degrees in literature and in computer programming, and to date has published two novels – IN PURSUIT OF LOVE, SPIRITUALITY AND HAPPINESS, and this award winning novel, ALL THOSE TEARS WE CAN’T SEE. In both novels Gita presents stories that explore family, different cultures, and immigration, stories that both entertain and encourage universal acceptance of individual backgrounds. For this novel, she has gently outlined her concept – a story ‘about a first generation American-Indian girl who was born and brought up in western culture and had to go through pain, conflict and frustration in growing up. Though she had sensibilities and understanding about her mother’s culture and upbringing in traditional way in India she could not totally agree with her in every aspect of her life.’
This lyrical and sensitive novel addresses (in the author’s words) ‘immigration, opportunity, spirituality, myth, wisdom, class, customs, poverty, corruption and physical assault’ The engaging style with which she delivers her personal-life-influenced story is suggested as she opens: ‘What’s the time now? Shimonti, now Samantha (her American name), looked at her watch, half past one. Martha should have fed her baby by now. She had specifically instructed Martha to feed Moni by one…’ So much of the impact of the novel is present there, as the lives of Samantha and her daughter Monica demonstrate the differences of Indian culture with American culture, intensified as Monica matures and, much to her mother’s regret, steps away from her Bengali inheritance and marries an American Christian. The ending of the story underscores acceptance and forgiveness. So many lessons about culture and independence pour forth in this novel – messages that alert us to the current state of immigration challenges. Fine reading, this!“
Kathrin Spinnler
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2023
Interesting and Engaging Novel
” All Those Tears We Can’t See by Gita Audhya is a novel featuring an Indian family that emigrated to the US. After marrying Amit, Samantha left behind her homeland and settled in the US. Although the two started out poor, they became successful later on and had a daughter, Monica. Samantha always felt out of place in India, but Monica integrated into the culture and even fell in love with a native.
The book takes place at several points in time and switches back and forth between India and the US. I really enjoyed the insight it gave me into Indian culture and the way complex relationships are portrayed. Aside from tackling immigration, the novel explores the complexities of intercultural love.
I would recommend All Those Tears We Can’t See to people who are interested in Indian culture or would simply like to read an engaging family story. Although there are some spelling and punctuation issues, the book is clear and easily readable throughout.“
Adrienne
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2023
The Heart of the Story is Compelling
“Despite this book’s short length, I had a hard time getting into it and therefore reading this took longer than I thought it should.
The narrative is well written. This novel is rich in the level of detail of Shimunti’s (Samantha’s) Indian culture and background was amazing. But there was almost too much detail and long paragraphs that really took away from the meat of the story. I also thought the timeline of the story could have been better, there was so much going forward and then going back, all mixed in with the present that at times I got confused or couldn’t see the point of going back. I thought the focus of the novel should have been more on Samantha and her daughter, except we go so much of Samantha’s background that wasn’t needed, such as the suicide of her cousin etc. I also thought Samantha was so stubborn about wanting to keep everything 100% Bengali but then taking in all the advantages of living in America. She looked back on her time in India with rose-tinted glasses and it took the end of the book and a huge tragedy for her to remove these glasses. I would have looked to get more of Monica’s story growing up with her mother. The snippet scene of Brandon’s work as a photography didn’t seem necessary at all and didn’t drive the plot forward.
The book needed one more read through for editing purposes as there were grammatically mistakes, but otherwise this is a book about family and culture and dealing with change and growing as a person (or not growing). I enjoyed a lot of the imagery and fine details in the story but the story itself was hard to absorb. Despite this I would recommend as I like the perspective of an immigrant coming to America and trying not to become American. For Samantha, it really was a hard time for her and I’m sure many people immigrating to America can relate.“