On the Outside Looking Indian: How My Second Childhood Changed My Life by Rupinder Gill was a light and lovely read. Memoir can sometimes be heavy, especially when one is reflecting on a childhood that was less than ideal, but Rupinder Gill is able to honestly confront her past without blaming her traditional Indian parents or bemoaning the affect it had on her.
However, she does decide to take things into her own hands. She takes a year and takes a “do-over” on many of the things she has never gotten over missing out on such as summer camp, sleepovers, Disneyworld, swim and dance lessons and more.
Her writing style was so refreshing, and while it wasn’t the kind of eye-opening, thought-provoking memoir that I often read, it was so delightful and humorous in an understated way that I enjoyed every page. Rupinder Gill reminded me that it’s never too late to live the kind of life you want.
Her style and humor are reflected nicely in this passage (page 39):
Oprah learned to swim at 40, so I would actually be a decade ahead of her in that achievement. Not to make myself a hero, but I’d be learning in a public pool, where my body and numerous screams for help would be exposed to the unsuspecting masses. Oprah, meanwhile, likely learned it in the privacy of her giant pool while Maya Angelou read her inspirational quotes and Stedman fixed them iced tea. But we both had the goal of learning to swim, and by Gayle I was going to achieve it.
She could have gone deeper and explored her feelings and reflected more on how this second childhood truly changed her life, as she indicated in the subtitle, but that would have made it a completely different book. It might just be this particular stage in my life, but the upbeat anecdotal style was just what the doctor ordered.
If you are looking for a summer read that is both light and somewhat enlightening, you can enter to win a copy of On the Outside Looking Indian by leaving a comment (U.S. and Canadian addresses only). We’ll announce the winner in our giveaway column on Wednesday, July 4. The giveaway is closed.
- The winner of Daddies Do It Different is #20 Garrett.
- The winner of Ready Player One is #6 June.
Whether it’s funny or intense, Jennifer Donovan enjoys reading books set in India or featuring Indian American people. She blogs at Snapshot about her very WASPy life.
Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.
This sounds neat even if it ended up being a little bit lighter than it could have been. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, it would have had a whole different feel if she had included major revelations and thoughts on her life. I liked it this way 🙂
I had this on my to-read list on Goodreads but couldn’t locate a copy in any of my local libraries. For some reason, I am oddly drawn to books about Indian culture, and this does sound very appealing!
This looks like a great summer read! Thanks for the review.
Sounds great! I saw this on another blog as well, and am really interested in reading it.
The story line sounds good, doing the things you really want to do in life.
Wonderful giveaway. many thanks.
This book sounds really good, I’d love to win a copy!
Oh my! I definitely need to read this book before I plan my do-over year…which will include forbidden childhood rites of passage such as going to a middle school dance (Baptists didn’t do that sort of thing), wearing blue mascara (make-up should look natural), and riding all of the rides at a mall parking lot carnival (can we really trust physics at the hands of ride operators who ran away from home before mastering math, science and dental hygeine?). So much living left in my life!
I think you need to THANK your parents for dodging the bullet on that blue mascara. I wasn’t trendy enough to want to, but it is pretty horrid.
A “light and lovely read” sounds like just what the doctor ordered. I didn’t have a traditional childhood, but (unlike Gill), I have no particular desire for a do-over. Still, reading about someone else’s do-over? Yes, please! I’ll be looking this one up.
Sounds like a good book!
I was lucky to have a pretty traditional childhood, but I’m sure there are a few things I wish I could do over. I’d love to read Gill’s thoughts.
I think most all people have something in their live’s they could have a do over on.
Looks like a good read! 🙂
Looks like an interesting read!
I would love to read this book.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I never thought of having a “do-over” year. What an interesting idea.
I’m definitely looking for a nice light summer read! Sounds fun!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Interesting topic. I am curious to see how things were for her.
The book sounds great, and so would a do over year.
This woman sounds like she knows what she wants out of her life.
Count me in! This looks fascinating.
This book sounds very good.
Memoir, light, and humorous–Yes!
Yes, please enter me for this one.
You won! Please reply with your address, and I’ll have it shipped.
Sounds good to me.
Different way to look at things in your life I guess.