---
title: "Some People by Parini Shroff | Book Review"
description: "Some People by Parini Shroff is a sad yet hilarious story about a soon-to-be-divorced man who has to tend to his ornery mother-in-law after she has a fall. Her daughter is away in India and he's..."
url: https://somisguided.com/2026/07/26/some-people-by-parini-shroff-book-review/
date: 2026-07-26
modified: 2026-07-26
author: "Monique"
categories: ["Book Reviews"]
tags: ["fiction"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Some People by Parini Shroff | Book Review

[![](https://somisguided.com/wp-content/uploads/some-people.jpg)](https://www.amazon.ca/Some-People-Novel-Parini-Shroff/dp/B0FV8D2722/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BRY92HE6EQJH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.InKV5kvf4t-jfyfamUI_SOHTMq3jVK6116qjLQYDhbufDPAyU0r8AcNzMMI0p2YCvXRmqL0CbZ315-0WZZnUJHe3UepRPor8r3UccdXqSbNZnFKZ_Kgww1Qc9X0eaAAtJwvIcYaaanT4zOzAYTeBWORQGUqE-igAD1GBqZHHvWtUKPceR7yV6V6adTrGz2rCKNhBFtJ3RaJLs4yqlda8Y_VuBnY-4_SpaV6dTMqz3AU.LhJvIcKfIkrgliDRPXVlbrh0SymkFHnTos42Z4uaE3w&dib_tag=se&keywords=some+people&qid=1785090906&s=books&sprefix=some+people%2Cstripbooks%2C144&sr=1-1)

[Some People by Parini Shroff](https://www.amazon.ca/Some-People-Novel-Parini-Shroff/dp/B0FV8D2722/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BRY92HE6EQJH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.InKV5kvf4t-jfyfamUI_SOHTMq3jVK6116qjLQYDhbufDPAyU0r8AcNzMMI0p2YCvXRmqL0CbZ315-0WZZnUJHe3UepRPor8r3UccdXqSbNZnFKZ_Kgww1Qc9X0eaAAtJwvIcYaaanT4zOzAYTeBWORQGUqE-igAD1GBqZHHvWtUKPceR7yV6V6adTrGz2rCKNhBFtJ3RaJLs4yqlda8Y_VuBnY-4_SpaV6dTMqz3AU.LhJvIcKfIkrgliDRPXVlbrh0SymkFHnTos42Z4uaE3w&dib_tag=se&keywords=some+people&qid=1785090906&s=books&sprefix=some+people%2Cstripbooks%2C144&sr=1-1) is a sad yet hilarious story about a soon-to-be-divorced man who has to tend to his ornery mother-in-law after she has a fall. Her daughter is away in India and he’s called as the next-of-kin medical contact. The situation is bad for everyone, and as a result it’s pretty funny.

Malti is the sharp-witted and sharp-tongued mother (mother-in-law). She immigrated to the US from India when she was young and raised Kavya alone. Malti was over protective and a workaholic (by necessity, not by choice). Kavya is successful by all measures but unhappy. She’s quit her high-paying job and gone into the non-profit sector. Now she’s quit that job to return to school, but not in America, in India. Maybe it’s to spite her mother who never wanted to return or connect to family there or maybe it’s to reconnect to her Indian heritage and language.

It’s midlife crisis time for Kavya, and that puts her marriage to Nathan on the rocks. Nathan is no saint in this. He’s a white guy who has never actively participated in Kavya’s family or traditions. He’s emotionally unavailable, a bit of a neat freak, and tapped into the stereotypical Californian, tech/engineer/video gamer, foodie persona.

The mutual hostility between Nathan and Malti runs its course through the book as Nathan nurses Malti back to health and keeps Kavya at bay in India. But the close quarters forces these two, who both deeply love Kavya, to deal with their cultural misunderstandings, emotional barriers, and past grievances.

The story covers a seven day period that feels like years of therapy baked into a quiet, bittersweet, yet redemptive story.

[The Bandit Queens](https://somisguided.com/2023/06/17/the-bandit-queens-by-parini-shroff-book-review/) was a riot compared to this, but Parini Shroff knows how to write about strong women who are short changed and underestimated, yet rise above the patriarchy–or at least get their head above it. There are some very funny moments.

If you like dry wit, dark humour (not too dark), flawed characters and unconventional family dynamics, this give this a read.