First Darling of the Morning - by Thrity Umrigar (Paperback)

The First Darling of the Morning is a poignant memoir by bestselling author Thrity Umrigar, tracing the arc of her Bombay childhood and adolescence from her earliest memories to her eventual departure for the United States at age 21.

This evocative and emotionally charged story offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the 1960s and 70s Bombay of Umrigar's memories, with two coming-of-age stories collide in this memoir - one of a small child, and one of a nation.

Umrigar communicates her childhood longing for a cohesive family in deeply felt portraits of those she loves, and her depiction of her tight-knit family is moving.

With painful honesty, Umrigar tells us about her family, making an interesting point - we make up our own families wherever we are; we choose our circumstances; we are capable.

This memoir is a heartfelt account of the significance of origins and self-identity, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in the cultural divide between Indian and American cultures.