Return to India
Return to India
is the tale of a young lady, fascinated by things American, who left Madras to study in the US, and came back for an arranged marriage....“Although the author does not address it directly, the book highlights two of life’s major questions: Who am I? What are my values?”
Deccan Herald
For those wanting to know
about an Indian's life abroad, this is the book. For all those Indians living abroad and wanting to come back to India, this is the memoir to be read.And, for those just wanting to have a read of a brilliant book, Return to India is a must. Shoba Narayan has indeed given a voice to all those who have been dealing with ‘an immigrant’s dilemma’ – to be or not to be is the question!” Blogadda
The relevance of the book
lies in the fact that Narayan represents a vast multitude of Indians who go through that dilemma day in and day out....The memoir is also about how we handle our urge for ‘freedom’…. The reason for our escape also becomes the reason for our return. And that’s reason enough for this reader to recommend it for all children who want to leave our shores in search of a ‘better’ life.” Business World
Deccan Chronicle: about the launch
Story and photo on 9th September 2012
Meeting Mr. Murthy
Some things you remember because they are dramatic. Some things you remember because of circumstance. I remember Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy phoning me up to tell me how much he liked my first book, Monsoon Diary. I had interviewed Mr. Murthy a couple of times and had exchanged emails and phone calls with him in that context. One day, a year after our last encounter, I was in Chitradurga with my niece, Nithya, as part of her Indicorps fellowship. We were having breakfast in a dhaba on the highway when my mobile rings. It is Pandu, Mr. Murthy's assistant, telling me that Mr. Murthy wants to speak to me. Then, Murthy comes [...]
Marketing a book
Rupa told me today that my book has reached the Bangalore office and was being shipped to bookstores. We are planning a launch and I confront the whole marketing question. Here's the thing though: I truly and deeply believe that a work of art (or a book for that matter) has to fly on its own merit. It takes a life of its own with its own destiny. This I believe. On the flip side, if a book doesn't sell, does that mean it just wasn't good enough? This is the question I have to confront as I prepare for what has so far been a quiet self-contained project to be open [...]
Return to India
It has been a month of weddings. Glorious food, beautiful sarees, fragrant mogra and jasmine-- can there be anything more sensual than an Indian wedding? I returned home to an email from my editor in Delhi. She gave me the good news that my book is now available on pre-order at Flipkart. Here is the link
New Book: Return to India
I am working on Book Number 2, which will hopefully be out later this summer. It is a memoir called, "Return to India." It will be published by Rain Tree (how I love that name), which Rupa calls "its new premium hardcover imprint" here You can view my title in the Raintree catalogue here The reason I put up this post was a note from a friend-- okay, my husband-- this morning that said, "Good timing of the book." He was responding to an article in the New York Times about immigrants. I can say it here because hardly anyone sees this site. My grand ambition with this book is to open [...]
Confessions of a cross-carrying immigrant
Very old piece. Suddenly resurfaced here and on Rediff below. Confessions of a Cross-Carrying Immigrant Shoba Narayan January 4, 2000 I am an immigrant. I straddle cultures, juggle identities, and carry labels. The INS calls me Resident-Alien, the IRS calls me Permanent Resident, Americans call me Indian, Indians call me Non-Resident Indian, surveys call me Asian-American, and job applications ask if I have a Green Card. I got my Green Card last year. The process took two years and cost about $ 5000. I spent hours filling forms that the INS routinely sent back asking for more documents, yet another birth certificate... A local police-station took my fingerprints to check if I [...]
One Family’s Journey back home.
Knowledge @ Wharton has been one of my most satisfying journalistic experiences. My editor, Mukul Pandya, sits in Philadelphia at the Wharton School. He has taken chances on me and allowed me to write pieces that aren't an obvious fit for a business publication but ended up getting a lot of gratifying feedback for both K@W and for me. I am listing below all the pieces I've done for them and will keep adding to this page, and well as upload separate pieces. I start with what I call my magnum opus-- the Return to India piece I did for Mukul. To this day, a good three years after the piece was [...]
Return to India: For Knowledge@Wharton
Return to India: One Family's Journey to America and Back Published: November 01, 2007 in India Knowledge@Wharton For decades, it was widely assumed that the brightest Indians would go overseas to study and eventually settle there. Today, signs have begun to appear that the tide may be turning. The fact that global companies are setting up operations in India makes it easier for non-resident Indians to return home, often while remaining with the same employer. Indian students are not leaving the country as eagerly as they once did, and if they do, they go back home much faster because of the attractive professional opportunities there. Others return because they feel they are [...]