Nonfiction: They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta

Confession: I struggled with the decision to read They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us by Prachi Gupta as the next nonfiction book to write about. There are many options out there, as there always is, and I was not sure if I was up for the challenge that I knew this book would present. The extremely positive buzz and reviews did help make the decision easier, but it still took me longer than usual to get there. Gupta's book was promised to be 'searingly honest,' a commonly used phrased to describe a lot of things that often makes me both curious and scared. But of course, there are many things I have done that I was scared to do that I am glad for, and reading difficult books has often brought delightful surprises.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Gupta tells the story of her life as the oldest child and only daughter in an Indian-American household. While her father was born in Canada, her mother is originally from India and moved to the U.S. to be with her husband. Prachi and her younger brother Yush moved around with the family as their father pursued a career as a medical doctor, believing that to be one of the best and most prestigious routes to success in this country. While telling the story of what it was like to grow up in a family whose constant aim was to project a picture of American success, Gupta addresses her mother, relaying the pressure she felt to be a high-achieving student and perfect daughter, while the perfect image of the family that the outside world was seeing was the opposite of the truth. It would take years for Gupta to assess the truth about what was happening with her family, which meant exploring and confronting issues of mental health, the immigrant experience, postcolonial theory, and even feminism.

My Verdict: I will go ahead and acknowledge this one thing: this book is stressful. And yes, 'searingly honest' is an accurate description. As Gupta addresses her mother and tells her story of what it was like growing up with a father who routinely made her feel small and wanted his daughter to fit into the kind of life he felt was best, the reader is brought along on a journey filled with tension and unease, as well as discomfort and pain. Even the positive moments that do not involve conflict or abuse are tough to navigate and appreciate, especially as Gupta gets older, and the family relationships become more strained. The author's insights into what she has realized when it comes to her experiences are invaluable, as are the stories themselves. And the overall journey may be difficult for many, but hopefully worth it.

Favorite Moment: Closer to the end of the book, Gupta will have a conversation with her grandfather that is not only incredibly touching and sweet, but gave me an immense feeling of hope and comfort that I did not see coming, which can only pale in comparison to what the author may have felt.

Recommended Reading: Both Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett and Ducks by Kate Beaton are difficult reads, but are also two of my favorite memoirs of all time.