I’ve lived in the same town my entire life. And while I like to travel, I’ve never left home for more than a week. So, I can’t imagine picking up and living somewhere else, let alone another country. But many people do, and this often causes an issue with identity and the place that you call home. Author Subhashini Prasad has tapped into those themes with her collection of short stories, Not Really Indian. Below is my review of her book along with an interview with the author about what it’s like to relocate and acclimate to a new culture, a different life path, and a sense of self.
Not Really Indian plot summary
Not Really Indian tells the stories of 10 Indian women and their conflicted relationships with their homeland. It’s a diverse mix of female characters, from business-driven women climbing the corporate ladder to housewives who start a family in a different country with different customs, trials, and tribulations.
The protagonists of each story are very different from one another. Some are passive and timid while others are stubborn and driven. They represent a wide range of identifiable women who are all trying to make their way through their conflicts and not lose themselves in the process.
There are some tough, and even sad situations, depicted within these stories, but it never becomes too much of a downer, and they tend to end with a sense of hope or at least lessons learned that allow them to push forward to the next phase of their lives.
Favorite stories
The collection starts off strong with “The Intruder” a seemingly supernatural thriller with a humorous twist. It felt like an episode of a light, workplace TV show.
I also especially liked “Penelope Sharma,” about a chef who recalls the origins of her relationship with food while trying to win a prestigious cooking competition. It was interesting how obsessed she became with an activity that was inspired by fear. This story too has a bit of a twist at the end that’s more significant to the storyline and the character’s identity.
“The U.S. Return” most encapsulates the main theme of the book. In it, Moshu returns home for a visit with a rebellious, Americanized look that throws her parents off guard, especially when they learn that she has ingrained herself so into the culture that even her personality has changed. What ensues is a tug-of-war between parents who feel that their daughter has gone overboard in trying to acclimate to American culture while Moshu fights for her new self to be taken seriously and to not have to conform back to her life in India.
The narration
Prasad has a very strong, distinct voice that comes through in her writing. Her style is very dialogue-driven which helps to bring out the personalities of her characters. She throws in pop culture references and paints a detailed picture of their surroundings and lifestyle.
Sometimes she does tell versus show, relying a little too much on exposition rather than a natural flow to fill in the reader on details that they need to know in order to follow the story. A few also run a little long, sometimes jumping ahead in time in order to track a character or situation’s progress.
Overall, though, the collection is a strong piece of women’s fiction that can be informative yet still relatable, even to those of us who haven’t experienced a nomadic or immigrant lifestyle. I like how she encapsulated several different female lifestyles from the workplace and motherhood to romance and parent-child relationships.
My recommendation
Not Really Indian is a short, relatively breezy read that tackles an important theme without feeling preachy or melodramatic. It doesn’t provide a solution to the trials and tribulations of uprooting your life. It merely presents the situations to absorb and contemplate. Every woman’s life journey is different, and Prasad recognizes and tries to represent this without trying to simplify a complex and individualized conflict.
I recommend this book to female readers, especially younger female readers of all cultures who are looking for a short yet thought-provoking, character-driven read. I don’t often read short story collections, but I’m glad that I took a chance on this one. Between its eye-catching cover and its compelling content, it’s a great representation of the many hats that women juggle and the obstacles that we dodge while we juggle them.
An interview with Subhashini Prasad
About the author and book
Author links
Book Title: Not Really Indian
Genres: Short Stories/General Fiction
Link to buy
Not Really Indian book summary
Shivani returns to the heart of Mumbai after a decade of ruling New York as a banker. But who can she count on when a sudden intruder enters her house?
Seema’s childhood nanny from Jaipur visits her in Singapore: 50-year-old Mamta massi who has watched her grow. What can a new country do to a loyal simpleton?
Twin sisters Ahana and Sahana are oceans apart for the first time in their lives, one in Delhi and the other in London. And both are expecting babies in the same month. What does it take for these inseparable sisters to stay apart?
Ten women of Indian origin. No, they are not a sports team. They are women who have a love-hate relationship with their country. Some opportunists, some merely curious, some bystanders and some striking the fine balance between being Indian and not. But none of them can call just India home.
This book is a collection of short stories taking us through the lives of these women who are…Not Really Indian.
Not Really Indian book excerpt
“And cut!” shouted the art director. “That was great, chef. Let’s take a quick break, and we will start the interview from the top. It was a great trial run. Andrew, can I get a quick touch up for Penelope please?”
Penelope sprung up from her bar stool. Deciding to interview at her home was a great idea. She was at home and could see the Mediterranean Sea from the penthouse windows and the smell of the paella simmering next door. Barcelona was by far her favourite city in the whole world, but she never admitted it in any of her interviews. “It’s so hard to pick a favourite,” she would say like an indecisive schoolgirl who didn’t know whether to wear a purple or indigo hair bow.
But Penelope was not an indecisive schoolgirl. At the age of nine, she knew she wanted to be a chef. When she was three, she would climb on a stool and watch her mama make her favourite breakfast – Spanish omelette. And Daddy would watch them intensely while reading his newspaper and say in a cocktail of Hindi and Spanish, “Fuego se door! Away from the fire right now, Penny!” Before her first tooth fell, Penny had lived in Chicago, Barcelona and Mumbai, and was fluently speaking in English, Hindi and Spanish. “What a talented child!” everyone would say, but Penelope knew she was just another third culture kid, lucky to have lived in so many countries and brought up by parents who believed in assimilation.
Talking Shop
Name a fact or detail about your story that readers will never know is there.
One of the stories: “Goodbye, My First Love” is based on my family’s story when we moved to Indonesia. While the plot is overly dramatic, the emotions and the unravelling of a young woman’s journey in a new country is very close to my heart. Most readers love this story but little do they know it’s a depiction of my life.
What famous books can you compare to your own?
One of my favorite authors is Jhumpa Lahiri, and the theme of the book aligns with the story line of Namesake: depicting ten young women who have been forced to make a country other than India home and what impact it has on their relationships, personalities and morals. Another famous book Not Really Indian can be compared to is Eat, Pray, Love: set in different countries, the stories are introspective and has the underlying themes of food, romance and spirituality.
How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?
Not Really Indian was first written as a novel – more like a memoir of my journey in India, Indonesia and America. However, after several beta reader sessions and feedback from expert writers, I converted the story into ten short stories making women the central part of every plot.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of great writers?
Khaled Hussaini, Elif Shafak, Jhumpa Lahiri and J.K. Rowling.
What were your expectations for writing and publishing your first book? Have they changed now that you’ve written your book?
My expectations when I first started writing were that: completing the book and getting it out there are the hardest parts. However, with the availability of Amazon and other self-publishing platforms, these are not as challenging. What is more challenging is the marketing and the sales strategy. While many in your target audience would be willing to spend 10x on a bag or designer clothes, they will think twice before buying a book. A lot to learn in terms of making writing a business.
“What If” Scenarios
If your book ever becomes a movie and you get final say over the cast, which actors would you hire to play your characters?
Since Not Really Indian is a series of short stories, the book would likely be converted into a web series or short films. Picking two of my favorite stories and who the characters would be:
- “Goodbye, My First Love” – Priyanka Chopra as Kavita Ramaswamy
- “Penelope Sharma” – Sophie Turner as Penelope Sharma
If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?
Jhumpa Lahiri
A wealthy reader buys 100 copies of your book and tells you to hand them out to anyone you wish. Who do you give them to?
I would give it to all Indian women living in countries abroad: US, Indonesia, UK, South Africa…the list is endless. It is the stories of such women that inspired [this book] and I believe they will be able to relate to it most.
Your favorite character that you’ve written comes to life for one day. What do you do together for 24 hours?
My favorite characters are Penelope Sharma and Mamta massi (a nanny) from the story “Maid in India.” I would spend the day either cooking in her apartment in Barcelona or hopping restaurants in Delhi. If I had 24 hours with Mamta massi, I would request her to cook up the world’s most elaborate meal and then finally ask her: “Where did you go at the end of the story?” (Readers of the story would know what I mean!)
Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?
Being on NYT best seller list will be a dream come true so I will first pinch myself. After that, I will pitch for producers to covert the book into a video format either for OTT platforms or for the big screen.
Just for Fun
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I want to be known as someone who followed her passion and told the best stories.
Your favorite childhood book or story.
Famous Five by Enid Blyton and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
One bucket list item you’ve completed and one that’s still on your list.
Sky Diving and writing a book – check
Climbing Mt Everest base camp – to be done
A movie or a piece of music that changed your life.
All A.R.Rahman music compositions.
Favorite time of/part of your day.
When the kids go to bed. 😊
Favorite place you’ve visited/place you want to visit.
There are so many on this list but my favorite places are Bali, Turkey and Egypt.
Food you’d like to win a lifetime supply of.
Mie Goreng!
A book that you recommend everyone reads.
Thousand Splendid Suns
Your favorite book format.
Hard cover or paperback – I still cannot get used to reading on the Kindle.
Celebrity you’d want to be friends with.
A.R.Rahman and Leonardo D’Caprio
Your most unrealistic dream job.
Scuba Diver
A talent you have and a talent you wish you had.
I am a trained Bharatanatyam dancer but really wish I had learnt a musical instrument.
Buy it!
Buy a copy of Not Really Indian here, and help support the author, local bookstores, and this blog! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
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