On the Outside Looking Indian
CBC Books | CBC | Posted: February 16, 2017 5:03 PM | Last Updated: February 27, 2017
Rupinder Gill
Rupinder Gill was raised under the strict rules of her parents' Indian upbringing. While her friends were practicing their pliés, having slumber parties, and spending their summers at camp, Rupinder was cleaning, babysitting her siblings and watching hours on end of American television. But at age 30, Rupinder realized how much she regretted her lack of childhood adventure.
Stepping away from an orderly life of tradition, Rupinder set out to finally experience the things she missed out on. From learning to swim and taking dance lessons, to going to Disney World, her growing to-do list soon became the ultimate trip down non-memory lane. What began as a desire to experience all that had been denied to her leads to a discovery of what it means to be happy, and the important lessons that are learned when we are at play. On the Outside Looking Indian is a warm. funny memoir of the daughter of Indian immigrants learning to break free and find her own path. (From Riverhead Books)
Stepping away from an orderly life of tradition, Rupinder set out to finally experience the things she missed out on. From learning to swim and taking dance lessons, to going to Disney World, her growing to-do list soon became the ultimate trip down non-memory lane. What began as a desire to experience all that had been denied to her leads to a discovery of what it means to be happy, and the important lessons that are learned when we are at play. On the Outside Looking Indian is a warm. funny memoir of the daughter of Indian immigrants learning to break free and find her own path. (From Riverhead Books)
From the book
I had always joked about how boring and uneventful my childhood had been. That day, the reality of it truly hit me. I had lost hundreds of hours of my childhood and missed countless experiences as I sat in front of that television. It may have been that I had just turned thirty, an age that makes you evaluate your life, whether you want to or not. It may also have been that I was surrounded by the very friends I watched have the childhood experiences I wanted.
From On the Outside Looking Indian by Rupinder Gill ©2012. Published by Penguin Random House Canada.