Book Review (Return to India by Shoba Narayan)

Book Review

RETURN TO INDIA -A MEMOIR-

by Shoba Narayan

Home is where the heart is...

Indian diaspora is rich and widespread across the globe. Shoba Narayan, being a part of it, shares her journey from being a rebellious Indian teen who aspires to be an American citizen to becoming a naturalized American who yearns to go back to India, the homeland.

This coming of age memoir deals mainly with the author's life and how she feels alienated in America— the country which she once thought to be her Utopia.

Shoba Narayan deals mainly with the growth in the psyche of an Indian teen (in eighties). In the earlier chapters America is shown to be a dreamland. The relatives abroad, the series, comics and other entertaining things foster in her a deep sense of longing for America. She deems it to be an escape from the tight clutch of her orthodox family and to be a place where opportunities are abound. 

"It was the land of the free, home of the brave. Struck in a small South Indian city, I felt like I could use a bit of both. I wanted anonymity and space. I wanted to be able to cut my hair without taking a poll about whether I could, and getting a thousand reactions once I did. I wanted to go to school without being watched by thousands of eyes. I wanted to live life by my rules. Not that of my parents or grandparents, but mine"

Her fantasy for America inflates to be a deep-rooted obsession. She loathes the congestion and tardiness of the country's government offices and develops a distaste towards the country. 

She convinces the entire family despite their constant warnings. Her father has to grease people's arms to get her visa. At places Shoba has dealt with huge problems like caste system prevailed in India with subtle humour.  Esp. the way her grandpa gives her a lengthy sermon not to get married to an outsider. 

The entire family goes burserk when her student visa is generated. Being a meritorious student she aspires to become a journalist; gets admitted to a reputed college and proceeds to pursue Arts and Its nuances. 

The next phase being her marriage, she encounters her numerous relatives in America who lecture her ceaselessly to get married to a guy who matches her caliber and satisfies her family's anticipations. Hence a "TamBram" (A Tamil Brahmin) in America. 

Her marriage with an Indian TamBram assuages her family's fear. She becomes a naturalized citizen of America. Her life in New York uncovers so many opportunities and happiness to her family. She befriends people, receives assistance in writing and publishing, accomplishes whatever she wishes to. In short, New York turns out to be a heaven on earth. 

Yet, the passing days of motherhood let her feel insecure and alienated in the foreign country, strayed away from her family. She realises, though America used to be a dream come true for her, it's not her homeland. It can't teach her children any ethics and moral. So she keeps insisting on returning to India. "Now it's time to go back home", her mind keeps reverberates. She puts forth pros and cons of returning to India whereas her husband, being an opportunist is highly reluctant yet budges finally, thinking about their aging parents. 

The memoir ends with a positive note, something akin to the clichéd end— "..and they lived happily ever after"...

"Shoba Narayan and her family moved back to India after spending two years in Singapore."

It was a convincing read with a moderate pace garnished with lucid vocabulary. The characters are relatable and diverse in nature— Desi parents and relatives, aspiring youngsters, immigrants from across the world, American Embassy, the ABCDs (American Born Confused Desis), desi cab drivers and so on. On the whole the book gave me a clear picture of the  agonies and identify issues faced by the immigrants. Though they seem to have everything, deep inside, they have their sense of belongingness dissolved in their hyphenated identity (Indian-Americans).

On the whole it's a soulful rendition of the thoughts of an immigrant. 

Ps

The book is for the people who want to know more about immigrants' lifestyle in America and their mental agonies— the different stages of American citizenship, the practical difficulties the Indian Americans have in returning to their homeland, the ethnic diversity and its impact on Indian Americans and how they feel like being in a no man's land.