THIS BEAUTIFUL, RIDICULOUS CITY

Finding solace in the big city.

Growing up in the outskirts of Calcutta in an era of unprecedented economic liberalization, Sohini obsessively read books about New York City. Her romanticization of the city that had produced writers like Sylvia Plath, Alison Bechdel, and Colson Whitehead led to her decision to immigrate to the city of her dreams to pursue her Ph.D., a choice that was also propelled by her need to escape an abusive romantic relationship plagued by betrayal and deception. While living in Calcutta, Sohini struggled with intense mental health issues as well as grief about her grandfather’s sudden death. New York, however, felt like a place that suited her intensively introverted personality and her emotional connection with both cooking and consuming food, which she’d forged growing up in her intergenerational Indian home. Something about the city broke her depressive patterns, providing her with a life force that she hoped to maintain despite the economic threat of gentrification. Sohini’s gorgeous illustrations are in and of themselves marvels of bright colors and elegant compositions. Unfortunately, much of the accompanying text lacks the coherence of the artwork, partly because the narration lingers on historical context and other topics that abruptly shift the tone of the story. The author also has a tendency to allude to past trauma without giving readers details. While her healing relationship with New York is inspiring, the underlying reasons for her sudden ability to cope with her mental illness and her traumatic past are never fully explained.

A beautifully illustrated memoir that is hampered by uneven narration.