“The Family Took Shape has a strange and very beautiful ending, proof of Bhat’s tremendous promise. It may take a moment to get used to the general quietness of this novel. But the more time you invest, the greater the reward.”
– National Post

“A refreshing break from convention … Bhat seamlessly interweaves Canadian suburban life with Indian cultural life … moving and beautifully crafted …”
– The Globe and Mail

“Quietly confident … Bhat sustains a thoughtful, unvarnished presentation of the brother/sister bond through different life stages and a range of emotions … the book’s remaining two-thirds, largely about the lives of Ravi and Mira as adults, are original and emotionally fearless.”
– Quill and Quire

“Quietly remarkable … Bhat infuses the book with a quiet humour that only adds to the genuine sense of family between the characters.”
– The Chronicle Herald

“A valuable contribution to the Canadian immigrant experience … a rare work of literary art, a view into a world that few of us has ever experienced firsthand. Mira is a miracle, a full-fledged character who will fascinate readers.”
– The Sun-Times

“Bhat has a gift for astute observations of common, ordinary life experiences and making these fascinating by magnifying the details to great effect … I can’t reinforce enough the refined accuracy in Bhat’s descriptions. She is especially excellent when describing socially awkward situations in such a way that immediately puts you right inside of them … This novel has made me laugh, cringe and (yes) tear up significantly … The story has stayed with me well after I had finished reading, and I now look forward to more from this writer.”
– The Winnipeg Review

“A compelling narrative that tracks the heroine’s progress into adulthood, and offers a beautifully crafted window on the world of a Hindu-Canadian family overcoming adversity and keeping traditions alive in their adopted homeland.”
– 24 Hours

“A quiet, tender novel that finds new ways to look at potentially fraught topics like the immigrant experience and autism.”
– Slightly Bookist