I have to be honest. It was the title that made my hand reach for the book. And I am glad I reached for it. Priyanka Mattoo’s memoir is a vulnerable, reflective and moving memoir of a displaced person’s lifelong quest to create a new home. A Kashmiri Pundit forced to move because of sectarian violence in Kashmir, she yearns to recreate her childhood home and memories. As her parents move her to Delhi, then London, then the United States, Mattoo weaves a beautiful narrative of trying to hold on to her Kashmiri identity through ritual, through food, through music.
Her attempts at cultural assimilation in all her new places to call home lead her on a journey of self-reflection and the whats and whys of her identity. In the end, this book is a beautiful tale of defining one’s self, by holding on to what matters most, and letting the sharp edges of forced, external change bring that self into clearer view.
The book is a quick read, it even has a recipe (yay!), and the prose is just so lyrical. I haven’t thought that about prose in a while.
What / Where is Kashmir? Routinely described by all who visit as the most beautiful place on earth, the Kashmir Valley is the northernmost part of the Indian sub-continent with parts held by India, Pakistan and China. The valley is formed by the Himalayan mountain range. My earliest memories of a childhood vacation are from Kashmir, and I remember crystal-clear streams, verdant valleys, and the warm hospitality of Kashmiris. The region goes through cycles of violence, and I hope in my lifetime, the region and its various peoples find peace and stability.
Inquiring Mother 