Title
They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us
Processing time: 1-3 days
US Orders Ships in: 3-5 days
International Orders Ships in: 8-12 days
Return Policy: 15-days return on defective items
Payment Option
An Indian American Daughter Reveals How The Dangerous Model Minority Myth Fractured Her Family In This Searingly Honest Memoir That Manages To Be At Once A Scalding Indictment And A Heartfelt Love Letter (Scott Stossel, Author Of My Age Of Anxiety).One Of The Best Books Of The Season: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Bustlein Examining With Boundless Love The Secrets And Sorrows Of One Family, Gupta Shows Us The Lifealtering Power Of Telling Ones Truth.Megha Majumdar, Author Of A Burninghow Do We Understand Ourselves When The Story About Who We Are Supposed To Be Is Stronger Than Our Sense Of Self? What Do We Stand To Gainand Loseby Taking Control Of Our Narrative? These Questions Propel Prachi Guptas Heartfelt Memoir And Can Feel Particularly Fraught For Immigrants And Their Children Who Live Under Immense Pressure To Belong In America.Prachi Guptas Family Embodied The American Dream: A Doctor Father And A Nurturing Mother Who Raised Two Highachieving Children With One Foot In The Indian American Community, The Other In Pennsylvanias White Suburbia. But Their Belonging Was Predicated On A Powerful Myth: That Asian Americans Have Perfected The Alchemy Of Middleclass Life, Raising Tightknit, Ambitious Families That Are Immune To Hardship. Molding Oneself To Fit This Perfect Image Often Comes At A Steep But Hidden Cost. In They Called Us Exceptional, Gupta Articulates The Dissonance, Shame, And Isolation Of Being Upheld As An American Success Story While Privately Navigating Traumas Invisible To The Outside World.Gupta Addresses Her Mother Throughout The Book, Weaving A Deeply Vulnerable Personal Narrative With History, Postcolonial Theory, And Research On Mental Health, To Show How She Slowly Made Sense Of Her Reality And Freed Herself Emotionally And Physically From The Pervasive, Reductive Myth That Had Once Defined Her. But, Tragically, The Act That Liberated Gupta Was Also The Act That Distanced Her From Those She Loved Most. By Charting Her Familys Slow Unraveling And Her Determination To Break The Cycle, Gupta Shows How Traditional Notions Of Success Keep Us Disconnected From Ourselves And One Anotherand Passionately Argues Why We Must Orient Ourselves Toward Compassion Over Belonging.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
- Q: What is the main theme of 'They Called Us Exceptional'? A: The main theme revolves around the myth of the exceptional Indian American family and how it affects identity, belonging, and personal narratives, particularly addressing the challenges of racism, sexism, and family dynamics.
- Q: How many pages does 'They Called Us Exceptional' have? A: The book has a total of 288 pages.
- Q: Who is the author of 'They Called Us Exceptional'? A: The author of the book is Prachi Gupta.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This edition of the book is a hardcover binding.
- Q: When was 'They Called Us Exceptional' published? A: The book was published on August 22, 2023.
- Q: What age group is 'They Called Us Exceptional' suitable for? A: The book is suitable for adults, particularly those interested in memoirs, cultural identity, and social issues.
- Q: Is there a specific audience that would benefit from reading this book? A: Readers interested in themes of identity, race, family dynamics, and personal growth, especially within the context of the Indian American experience, would benefit from this book.
- Q: What recognition has 'They Called Us Exceptional' received? A: The book has been longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award and recognized as a She Reads Best Book of the Year.
- Q: Does 'They Called Us Exceptional' include personal stories? A: Yes, the book includes deeply personal narratives from the author, interwoven with historical and theoretical insights.
- Q: What makes 'They Called Us Exceptional' a unique read? A: The book uniquely blends personal storytelling with broader cultural and psychological themes, challenging stereotypes about Indian American families and examining the cost of success.