The Reading List

It is an improbable friendship: a nearly 80-year-old widower, stuck in a lonely routine after the death of his beloved wife, and a snarky teenager who lashes out at those attempting to violate her calculated isolation. The usual clichés do not apply: Aleisha is not searching for a surrogate father figure, as she is well aware of her father and his imperfections. Mukesh is not searching to replace his dead wife, nor does he long for some kind of surrogate family. Their friendship emerges only because they are two very lonely people who have experienced firsthand the illogical traumas of life and are struggling to understand why such catastrophes happen and how to cope with them.

The friendship, awkward initially, evolves as the two discover that the satisfaction of reading demands others to complete it. Reading alone is rewarding, even necessary; it allows Aleisha and Mukesh to derive personal lessons from the books they read and gives them the chance to be safely vulnerable on their own. But true fulfillment, for them, comes from the experience of sharing what they gleaned from the novels. The books are wonderful on their own, but the bonding opportunities they create are far more valuable to Aleisha and Mukesh.

The novel argues that the young can learn from the tempered wisdom of the older generation, and the older generation, in bonding with the younger, can relearn, relive, and reexperience all of life’s tragedies and joys by sharing them with their younger counterparts. In the aftermath of Naina’s death, terrified of living without his wife by his side, Mukesh finds, in conversing with Aleisha, an expansive delight in the moment that was lost to him. Aleisha, in turn, finds a friend in Mukesh—someone who is on the same journey of discovering the joys of fiction as she is. She also gains a comforting mentor, as Mukesh helps her navigate her grief after Aidan’s death by suicide.

Other intergenerational relationships develop in the novel, too. Much of Mukesh’s engagement with reading stems from a desire to bond with Priya, something he has previously failed to accomplish. Early in the novel, it is clear Mukesh doesn’t understand his granddaughter; he loves her, but he has no idea who she is or what she likes. As he goes through the reading list, he gains a deeper understanding of Priya’s love of books, as well as the confidence to brave new places with her. The two of them are equally mesmerized by their foray into the bookshop, and that first moment of true connection grows into a true bond as the story progresses.

Aleisha, for her part, works to develop a relationship with her mother through the reading list. Leilah, whose mental-health conditions lead to intense mood swings and prevent her from leaving her home, only seems at peace when Aleisha reads to her in bed. Bonding with her mother over books brings Aleisha the kind of joy she hasn’t had since childhood, and it gives her true hope that her mother will recover. The evolution of Aleisha’s bond with her mother is more fraught than Mukesh and Priya’s story, as Aidan’s death by suicide deeply affects both Aleisha and Leilah. However, their story ends on a positive note. Leilah, in being unable to attend the open house held in Aidan’s memory, is finally ready to ask for professional help. Leilah and Aleisha are the only two people who truly understand the loss of Aidan; that they will embark on a healing journey together speaks to how close they’ve become.

Despite their age difference, Mukesh and Aleisha both struggle with overwhelming grief. Mukesh’s story begins with loss, while Aleisha loses her brother toward the end of the novel; this backward parallel allows Mukesh to impart the lessons he’s learned as Aleisha navigates her own grief.

Early in the book, Mukesh is still in “that silent, lonely stage of grief where everyone but you [has] moved on” (13). He goes through the motions of normal life: He walks about his neighborhood, chats amiably with the grocer and with members of his mandir, and even talks with his daughters. But for him, “Naina is everywhere” (133). He wrestles with survivor’s guilt, unable to understand why, of the two of them, the vibrant, loving, charismatic Naina was the one to die. He grieves over the time they will no longer share and regrets how little he tried to connect with Naina while she was alive. His daughters have their own lives; no one but Mukesh feels Naina’s loss as keenly as he does, and for two years, he cannot break free of the weight of grief.

Meanwhile, Aleisha grieves the fragmentation of her family because of her father’s decision to pursue a new love and abandon the Thomases in the process. On the threshold of college, Aleisha realizes these summer days should be the culmination of a carefree adolescence. She grieves the adolescence she was never given the chance to live, as the responsibility of caring for Leilah fell to her. As with Mukesh, Aleisha feels as though she is not fully present in her own life.

Mukesh is the first one to discover the therapeutic properties of books. Aleisha offers him the reading list as a way to pass the time, but she does not know that Mukesh has already learned that books can help him honor Naina’s memory. Even without knowing Naina left the list, Mukesh sees traces of Naina in each story he reads. These moments, however, are freeing. They do not weigh him down with regrets and memories; instead, they help him feel remnants of Naina’s loving presence and show him that he is not living the life she would have wanted for him. This gives him the courage to break out of his lonely routine and begin to live again.

For Aleisha, books initially offer an escape from the stress of her current life. Books give her chances she lost in devoting her life to caring for her mother; they draw her into new, exciting worlds, and they open the door to friendships and romance. Slowly, these bonds help Aleisha heal from the grief of her broken family. Aidan’s sudden death threatens to shatter everything Aleisha has gained—but Mukesh steps in and shares the wisdom he has gained through his own journey with grief. He urges Aleisha not to abandon her newfound love of reading and teaches her how to utilize books in overcoming grief. Most importantly, he draws Aleisha into their greater community; it is Mukesh’s idea to hold an open house in Aidan’s honor, and he is the one who does the footwork and invites even non-readers, like they once were, to attend. Their friendship, more than anything, guides Mukesh and Aleisha through the difficult process of handling grief, and the novel promises that despite the loss of their loved ones, both Mukesh and Aleisha are on their way toward healing.