Category: Book Reviews The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri Read this again for January book club, and liked it just as well, understood it a little more., and now I own it!! The story of Gogol, named for Nicolai Gogol, the author of “The Overcoat”, is a story of a young couple Ashoke and Ashima from Bangladesh settling in America, has so many amazing insights into family life, personal failings and strengths, the many kinds of love. The old country concept of the pet name and the good name reminded me of Herman Wouk’s Inside, Outside. Jhumpa Lahiri is a gifted writer. Her story just seems to flow simply and deeply. When someone suggests that Ashoke and Ashima name their baby after a relative or the father, they are shocked. The author explains, “Within Bengali families, individual names are sacred, inviolable. They are not meant to be inherited or shared.” Submitted by Sharron O., posted on Thursday September 29, @10:40AM