Brown Baby - Nikesh Shukla

Nikesh Shukla is best known for the Good Immigrant, a path breaking work that gains value with each passing year.

His keynote address at Platform writer’s conference held me in awe along with so many others as his heartfelt words echoed in our minds much after he had finished his speech.

The same authenticity is reflected in the memoir. Brown Baby subtitled as a Memoir about Race, Family and home. An accomplished writer, Shukla weaves in statistics and statements in his memoir, as he takes us through his various familial relationships and the influences that have shaped him.

Originally a series of essays, the chapters have been restyled in an epistolary format addressed to his daughter whom he calls Ganga. They touch upon different topics ranging from race, feminism and societal stereotypes, balancing the act with family anecdotes. The dominant theme is of bereavement as Shukla reveals how he struggled to deal with the loss of his mother.

In true Asian fashion, there are ample references to food and flavours but in Shukla’s hands they act as panacea to manage the decade old grief of losing his mother.

It is a compelling read and the honesty with which he talks about his family, the relationship with his father and the expectations of the family is heart rendering and dealt with brutal honesty.

Overall a great read, there are times when it feels a bit overwhelming but the engaging tone keeps it light and smooth. It is a great read. As a parent myself, I could relate to bits of it and marvelled at how skilfully Shukla has managed to write about race and deliver it in a palatable fashion.

This memoir definitely gets a thumbs  up for its well structured pieces and for instigating a dialogue about topical issues.