
The Vibrant Years
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Deepti Gupta
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Soneela Nankani
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Anita Kalathara
About this listen
“Bursting with humor, banter, and cringeworthy first dates, Sonali Dev’s The Vibrant Years is a joyful and fun read, but it’s also very much a timely tale about a group of underestimated women demanding respect and embracing their most authentic selves.”—Mindy Kaling
Living on their own terms means being there for one another.
When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded—and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. Desperate to keep the secret, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida.
The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for the segment she’s been promised for years at the news station where she works.
As Bindu and Aly navigate their new dynamic, Aly’s daughter, Cullie, is faced with losing the business that made her a tech-world star. The only way to save it is to deliver a new idea to her investors—and of course they want the half-baked dating app she pitched them in a panic. Problem is, Cullie has never been on a real date. Naturally, enlisting her single mother and grandmother to help her with the research is the answer.
From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt novel about three generations of hilarious, unconventional, ambitious women navigating bad dates, a spiteful HOA board, reemerging exes, and secrets that refuse to remain hidden. Join the Desai women on a shared journey of self-discovery as they dare to live their most vibrant lives.
©2022 Sonali Dev (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Narrators Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani, and Anita Kalathara come together to represent three generations of the Desai clan.… With this hilarious cast of characters and the matching range of talented narrators, listeners are in for a rollicking treat. Gupta, Nankani, and Kalathara provide great contrasts to one another as the three women fight for their happiness with wit and humor.”—AudioFile Magazine
“Bindu is a wise, sexy woman and [Deepti] Gupta delivers a well-paced southeast Indian accent. [Soneela] Nankani brings her smoky voice to the recording, her intonations varying with the text. [Anita] Kalthara’s Cullie reflects the character's forthrightness and intensity. The three narrators do an excellent job mirroring each others’ developed characters as well as setting the mood. Fans will eat it up, and those drawn in by the cover's ‘Mindy's Book Studio’ sticker will love Kaling's introduction too.”—Booklist
“Deepti Gupta's portrayal of Bindu as a woman of a certain age with plenty of buried regrets has the most emotional resonance. Gupta's audacious style drives the twisty narrative forward. Soneela Nankani's Aly is gentler and more cautious but provides a solid background to the wilder actions of her daughter and mother-in-law. Anita Kalathara brings out both Cullie's deep anxieties and her unspoken longing tor romance. The three voices interact well, creating a vibrant tapestry.”—Library Journal
Interview: The Vibrant Years Is a Colorful Meditation on Work Love and Life for Three Generations of Women
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Incredibly Frustrating for Hindi Speakers.
- By pujabberwocky on 06-26-15
By: Sonali Dev
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I'll Stop the World
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Thoman, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Natasha Tina Liu, Alaska Jackson, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Trapped in a dead-end town, Justin Warren has had his life defined by the suspicious deaths of his grandparents. The unsolved crime happened long before Justin was born, but the ripple effects are still felt after thirty-eight years. Justin always knew he wouldn’t have much of a future. He just never imagined that his life might take him backward.
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One of my favorite reads this year
- By Jamie L Bailey on 04-11-23
By: Lauren Thoman, and others
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Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
- A Novel
- By: Sonali Dev
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own nonnegotiable rules: Never trust an outsider, never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations, and never, ever, defy your family. Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now, she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.
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From the Male Perspective
- By Consumer Products Tech Geek on 05-20-19
By: Sonali Dev
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The Better Half
- A Novel
- By: Alli Frank, Asha Youmans, Mindy Kaling - introduction
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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After a difficult five years, at age forty-three, Nina Morgan Clarke’s time has finally arrived. With an ex-husband relocated across the country, her father bouncing back after the loss of his beloved wife, and her daughter, Xandra, thriving at boarding school, Nina is stepping into her dream job as a trifecta: a first-generation, Black female head of the storied Royal-Hawkins School. To mark the moment, Nina and her best friend, Marisol, take a long-overdue girls’ trip to celebrate the second half of Nina’s life—which is shaping up to be the best part of her life.
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Love a great story for we 40+ folks
- By MicJor on 07-03-23
By: Alli Frank, and others
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Well Behaved Wives
- A Novel
- By: Amy Sue Nathan
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Gail Shalan
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Law school graduate and newlywed Ruth Appelbaum is acclimating to life and marriage in a posh Philadelphia neighborhood. She’ll do almost anything to endear herself to her mother-in-law, who’s already signed up Ruth for etiquette lessons conducted by the impeccably accessorized tutor Lillian Diamond. But Ruth brings something fresh to the small circle of housewives—sharp wit, honesty, and an independent streak that won’t be compromised.
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Excellent
- By nancy M on 12-02-22
By: Amy Sue Nathan
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The Daughter's Tale
- A Novel
- By: Armando Lucas Correa
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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BERLIN, 1939. The dreams that Amanda Sternberg and her husband, Julius, had for their daughters are shattered when the Nazis descend on Berlin, burning down their beloved family bookshop and sending Julius to a concentration camp. Desperate to save her children, Amanda flees toward the south of France, where the widow of an old friend of her husband’s has agreed to take her in. Along the way, a refugee ship headed for Cuba offers another chance at escape and there, at the dock, Amanda is forced to make an impossible choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life.
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Beautiful and heartbreaking
- By INGRID on 07-06-19
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Wild, Beautiful, and Free
- A Novel
- By: Sophfronia Scott
- Narrated by: Channie Waites
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister—until her father suddenly dies. His vindictive wife refuses twelve-year-old Jeannette her inheritance and sells her into slavery. Now on her own, Jeannette must fight the injustices she faces because of her mixed race. She escapes enslavement and travels from Mississippi to Philadelphia to New York to Ohio, all while searching for purpose, love, and her place in a country torn asunder by the burgeoning Civil War.
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Beautiful
- By AP on 05-19-23
By: Sophfronia Scott
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Blank: A Novel
- By: Zibby Owens
- Narrated by: Sharon Freedman
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Pippa Jones is a fortyish former literary sensation who fears she will be a one-hit wonder. After the follow-up book she was almost done writing, Podlusters, had to be tossed (it ended up sharing a plot and title with superstar author Ella Rankin’s summer blockbuster!), she couldn’t write a thing. Months of staring at a blank page made her confidence vanish like a one-night stand. When she finds out that she has only five days left to finish (or rather, start) or repay an advance she’s already spent, Pippa has a brilliantly original idea.
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The plot twists
- By Tracie on 06-21-24
By: Zibby Owens
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What Happens Next
- By: Christina Suzann Nelson
- Narrated by: Rebecca Quinn Robertson
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne has made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy—but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. When she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast, she uncovers desperate secrets and must face the truth before she can move forward.
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Enjoyed This!
- By Freida Keith on 05-14-23
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Impossible To Forget
- By: Imogen Clark
- Narrated by: Bronwen Price
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Just turned eighteen, Romany is on the cusp of taking her first steps into adulthood when tragedy strikes, and she finds herself suddenly alone without her mother, Angie, the only parent she has ever known. In her final letter, Angie has charged her four closest friends with guiding Romany through her last year of school—but is there an ulterior motive to her unusual dying wish? Each of the four guardians possesses an outlook on life that Angie wants to give her daughter as a legacy.
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Rather Boring...
- By M. Hutton on 08-05-22
By: Imogen Clark
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The Candid Life of Meena Dave
- By: Namrata Patel
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Meena Dave is a photojournalist and a nomad. She has no family, no permanent address, and no long-term attachments, preferring to observe the world at a distance through the lens of her camera. But Meena’s solitary life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly inherits an apartment in a Victorian brownstone in historic Back Bay, Boston.
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Nice Story...
- By Estarovia on 06-07-22
By: Namrata Patel
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A Woman in Time
- A Novel
- By: Bobi Conn
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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The McKenzie women, empowered with a formidable history rooted in the foothills of Appalachia, have passed down their folk-healing wisdom through generations. Rosalee, the last living headstrong daughter in Granny McKenzie’s line, soaked up everything she could about the secrets of the forest before a series of tragedies left her alone, without the protection of the women who came before her.
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BORING
- By Jack Kelley on 02-21-23
By: Bobi Conn
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Dear Mr. Knightley
- A Novel
- By: Katherine Reay
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The problem is that both her prose and conversation tend to be more Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore. But life for the 23-year-old orphan is about to get stranger than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor calling himself Mr. Knightley offers to put Sam through Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress.
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Stilted narrator
- By Hannah Dahl on 05-11-22
By: Katherine Reay
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These Women
- A Novel
- By: Ivy Pochoda
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Frankie Corzo
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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In her masterful new novel, Ivy Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of loss, power, and hope featuring five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish. They’re connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved.
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Woman-centered LA Noir with two amazing narrators
- By Bridget C. on 08-29-20
By: Ivy Pochoda
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Light to the Hills
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Blaylock
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The folks in the Kentucky Appalachians are scraping by. Coal mining and hardscrabble know-how are a way of life for these isolated people. But when Amanda Rye, a young widowed mother and traveling packhorse librarian, comes through a mountain community hit hard by the nation’s economic collapse, she brings with her hope, courage, and apple pie.
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I love this story!
- By Robert on 12-01-22
By: Bonnie Blaylock
regarding the performance I had some trouble at times understanding what was said. I believe the narrative was good for the story. Perhaps more of an issue of my older ears having trouble with Indian accent
Good book of three generations of women.
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Fun read.
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Great story, bad narration
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Brilliant
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So good! Fun to listen to
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Just ok
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Looking forward to listening or reading another one Sonali Dev books. Thank you Sonali
Nice change
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Strong and loveable characters
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I love the 3 generations of women dealing with their lives and loves from the perspectives their life experiences have given them; and the 3 narrators that make each of the 3 worlds distinct.
Bindu is by far Sonali Dev’s best heroine, similar to some of the younger ones in other books: there’s a Bollywood connection, food and clothing references, carefully guarded secrets, and intense emotions. The most refreshing part is that she’s hot, 65 and a grandmother of a young professional. She also seems to be able to turn the heads of men wherever she goes without even trying.
Reading The Vibrant Years makes me wish for more stories with enchanting grandmother characters like Bindu. She’s the magical, charming, loving grandma that most of us want to be.
A Woman Who Turns Heads After 60
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Definitely recommend.
Great Book!
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