Always a Foreigner: a Memoir

A fascinating memoir is about growing up as an Indian Foreign Service child in the 70s and 80s. The journey wasike the voyage of Sinbad, full of adventure. Running up a Himalayan hillside pullingeeches off heregs, covering drug busts in a gritty US suburb to uncovering racism under the pure Alpine snow, Ashwini Devare’s fascinating memoir is about growing up as an Indian Foreign Service child in the 70s and 80s. From the Soviet Union’s Iron Curtain to Burma’s Bamboo Curtain, Ashwini Devareived in six countries by the time she was fifteen. In each country, she had a front-row seat to tumultuous global events that redefined the twentieth century, from the death ofal Bahadur Shastri to the integration of Sikkim into India, the assassination of Indira Gandhi to student-led democracy in South Korea. Ashwini Devare’s journey from diplomat’s daughter to broadcast journalist was marked by constant changes and upheaval. ‘Fitting in’ was the mantra for survival. This is a remarkable story of an Indian family that faces the challenges ofove,oss and separation with resilience, optimism and courage. A family that would continually be flung from their comfort zones into alien, unfamiliarands, always holding hands to soften theandings. In the background was the constant comfort of the Indian flag—providing reassurance as the family navigated their way in foreignands.