This beautifully written memoir captures a very special time and place--India in the 1960s and 1970s--from the narrator's unique perspective as a child of an American mother and Indian father. Narayan depicts her coming of age in a colorful, unconventional yet troubled family, whose members are pulled apart by their individual searches for solace or enlightenment, and lovingly brought back together on these pages. The various characters come vividly off the page, as does India itself as one of them. Narayan is a gifted writer who has given us a gift of a memoir.

This autobiographical work goes beyond the personal story to capture moments in time that include the author's grandmother in her sari playing solitare on a formica table. Contemporary design meets ancient Hindu traditions meets the beginnings of Bollywood. Maw's hosts the stream of western seekers and an older brother's care and companionship help a young woman survive and thrive in a confusing childhood.