From Another Land

I was delighted to be offered a review copy of From An-Other Land because I felt this short story collection might offer alternative perspectives on the immigration experience. That is absolutely the case! I loved that Ghosh portrays a wide variety of authentic characters who each undertake their journeys to America for very different reasons. I had previously understood people emigrating to achieve their own dreams, but it must be even more of an emotional mountain to climb when you are following someone else's life plan.

The fifteen stories cleverly interlink by way of shared characters, or perhaps an overlapping location, so I got good a sense of the Indian diaspora in this part of America. Each tale can be read as its own individual story though. We first see several characters in the airport queue, briefly becoming aware of each other as they all await their escape overseas. There is a strong sense of hope throughout From An-Other Land. The women particularly are constantly striving to make a good home life for themselves and their families, or the people who become almost surrogate family so far from home. Some take to the American way of life easily, others try to hold onto aspects of their Indian heritage, and others eventually make the decision that they would prefer to return to India. I noticed a bias towards IT related industries for employment, but I'm not sure whether that reflects Ghosh's own experience or whether Indians are especially prevalent in those occupations. I would recommend From An-Other Land to anyone interested in stories of cultural identity, immigration and emigration.