On the Outside Looking Indian

I found Rupinder's easy writing style engaging. I wanted a bit more pay-off, but I wasn't angry with the end. This was a charming memoir and I would recommend it.

This was pretty entertaining and took us through Rupinder's quest to experience a true childhood, complete with a trip to Disney World. The writer had a clear and strong voice.

This book had so much potential! Like many first-generation immigrants, Gill wants a modern childhood with summer camp and music lessons, activities deemed luxurious by her Indian parents who recall their own toys made out of mud. As a child, Gill is embarrassed by her parents and their strict rules and, now that she's a adult, Gill seeks to reclaim her lost childhood by doing all the things she was denied - learning to swim and tap dance, having sleepovers, visiting Disney World. The problem is that Gill reflects on her childhood through her now educated and sympathetic adult eyes and this self-awareness leads to a fear of appearing ungrateful for her parents' sacrifices. Gill seems perpetually on the verge of being laugh-out-loud funny but rarely achieves such a level of humor. Still a fun, entertaining read, but I can't help feeling that it could have been so much more.