Leave It to Me

By Bharati Mukherjee

Book Overview

"A very fine writer, funny, intelligent, versatile and, on occasion, unexpectedly profound."
--The Washington Post Book World

"MUKHERJEE IS FEARLESS . . . DARING AND WITTY . . . Take the wild ride with Debby DiMartino from Albany to San Francisco, from lost child to masked avenger."
--The Boston Globe

"POWERFULLY WRITTEN . . . Debby has no memory of her birth parents. All she knows is that she was born in a remote Indian village, the daughter of a hippie back-packing mother and a mysterious Eurasian father, both of whom have disappeared almost without a trace. . . . Her quest for her biological parents turns into an obsession. . . . Leave It to Me . . . shows Mukherjee at the peak of her craft. . . . Mixing the Greek myth of Electra with the Indian myth of Devi, she sends Devi/Debby careening down on the Bay Area like an elemental force of vengeance."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"DEVI IS A BRILLIANT CREATION--hilarious, horribly knowing and even more horribly oblivious--through whom Bharati Mukherjee, with characteristic and shameless ingenuity, is laying claim to speak for an America that isn't 'other' at all."
--The New York Times Book Review

"STUNNING . . . An astute, ironic, and merciless insight into an aberrant version of the American dream."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0449003965
• ISBN13: 9780449003961
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Mukherjee's best, but not for faint hearts or empty minds

This deep, and deeply disturbing, novel is not for everyone. But, if you are ready to be challenged and provoked, go ahead and jump into a fictional world that is as sacred, profane, and ambiguous as the only half-perceived world we inhabit every day.

It's all up to you

This book might not be for everyone (especially those who are close minded with no imagination or belief that anything is possible); however, I enjoyed reading it. Having read other books by Mukherjee (Jasmine and Holder of the World) this one continues to demonstrate Mukherjee's underlying theme, do what ever it takes to follow your dreams. The plot may seem unrealistic or the ending disappointing (to those who lack the belief in the power one has within them self to accomplish anything in life), but I found it inspiring.

A compelling and unstoppable heroine

This is another one of Mukherjee's wonderful amazingly strong women characters. The plot is more of a roller coaster ride than a logical sequence of events, and Mukherjee isn't afraid to describe some disturbing events, but that makes this book more powerful, and far more interesting than the inoffensive slush that gets pushed at women.

BHARATI DID IT AGAIN-- LOVE EVERY PAGE

for all those people who hated the book- good for you! I love this book. It does not read like an american novel. It is full of fire, lighting, heat, water and blood. If you want to have serious reading this book is not for you (read Thomas Hardy or GREEK Classics) but if you want to have an enjoyable trip--I MEAN ENJOYABLE TRIP, BUY THIS BOOK. I read it 3 times in one year. I took it on a cruise and still could not put it down. Call me naive! - but I really enjoyed this book. Bharati may not sell many books compared to other American writers but this books sizzles like a heap of HOT RED CHILI PEPPERS in a heated pan ready to explode. YOU GO BHARATI!

Hard to label but interesting

Perhaps the secret to enjoying this book is not to label it at first, but allow it to pick you up and carry you along. We have Debbie DiMartino whose birth certificate calls her "Baby Clear Water Iris Daughter," definitely someone who needs to check up on her ancestry. We are told the story of a Hindu goddess. Then Debbie becomes "Devi" a name she sees on a license plate. Lots of adventures and interesting characters intervene: Frankie Fong who used to produce kick-boxing movies but now is into exercise equipment, Loco Larry the Vietnam veteran and sign painter who paints a rose on her cheek, Stoop Man who can receive all kinds of signals via specially designed head gear. Finally, Devi hires a private detective to search for her "bio-parents," but he soon turns up dead. The reader has to pay attention. The artistry of Mukherjee weaves its magic throughout the wild ride. And then we realize the goddess in the prologue was Devi, the eight-armed, bright-flaming goddess of Divine Justice, the one who brings vengeance. We even might see the possibility here of the Electra story for our time.