Thank you to House of Anansi Press Inc. for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In Exile is a memoir told in two alternating narratives. The story of the author’s grandmother’s life in Pakistan is told, as well as first-person stories from the author about researching the life of her grandmother and her family.

I think what the author of this book did most successfully was convey her own sense of tenderness and care for her parents, her grandmother, and their experiences. It would be very easy to paint her grandmother in a binary; victim of circumstance or neglectful mother. The amount of empathy that she shows for all of her family members is immense. It comes across very strongly that this was a passion project and that the author cared deeply about sharing this story with the world.

At one point, (not a direct quote), the author mentions that she wasn’t quite sure what this book was meant to be. Unfortunately, that is at times a little bit evident. The parallel narrative structure isn’t exactly executed. The author’s timeline is more tangential, at times talking about her experience writing and researching, but at other times seeming to be single-chapter essays about the immigrant experience or interviewing as an art. I think if the sections set in the present were more linear and similar in structure to the part of the memoir focused on her grandmother that it would be more harmonious.

I’m not convinced that this doesn’t feel a little disjointed. The chapters about her grandmother have more cohesion and a more straightforward structure. The sections focused on her experiences were less of a memoir and more of a collection of long-form essays. I think maybe they would be slightly more successful if they were classified as long form journalistic pieces rather than segments of a memoir.

My final feelings are that this is a heartfelt and interesting memoir that at times feels slightly disconnected. The author’s voice is strong and clear, and in general I did enjoy it.

It’s a luxury and privilege to know one’s family’s history. For many brown people, we don’t have accurate records (many were destroyed due to colonization), remaining records are now held in archives (without easy access), and in many cases the stories are lost. We rely on old photos, documents with fading handwriting, and stories that have been passed down by each generation. Stories that are cherished.

Sadiya Ansari’s ‘In Exile’ is more than an investigative piece. You can literally feel the author and her family healing with each chapter. There’s something introspective and powerful when undertaking a personal journey. But to rediscover hidden secrets from your family’s past, and then be willing to share them with readers? That’s brave. Congratulations, Sadiya, on such a moving debut. Thank you so much for sharing Tahira with the world.