52 pages 1 hour read

Anita Rau Badami

The Hero's Walk

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami follows Sripathi Rao, a man in southern India whose life changes when his estranged daughter Maya dies in a car accident, leaving behind a granddaughter, Nandana. Sripathi brings Nandana to India, and the family grapples with grief, financial struggles, and the path to healing and connection within a fractured household. Themes include death, family conflict, and cultural displacement.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami has garnered praise for its rich character development and evocative depiction of an Indian family's struggles. Reviewers appreciate the emotional depth and relatable themes of loss and resilience. However, some criticize its pacing as slow. Overall, it is viewed as a poignant exploration of familial bonds and cultural identity.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Hero's Walk?

Readers who appreciate richly-woven family dramas set against an Indian backdrop and enjoy delving into intricate character relationships would find great pleasure in reading The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami. Comparable to Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, it targets those interested in cultural identity and diaspora narratives.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Themes

Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness

Genre

Modern Classic Fiction

Indian Literature

Canadian Literature

Period

Asian Literature