Trust No Aunty

This is a fun read, with hilarious, Roy Lichtenstein illustrations by the author. An aunty is any grown-up woman who presumes to tell an Indian woman how to behave - no blood bond required! Gamar defines many types of aunties - my favorites are Bollywood, Matchmaker, and Overfeeder. In each chapter, there are suggested responses, depending on if you are a rookie or a boss. The salty language is might bring out the Disapproval Aunty in my Tamil friends, but here I also understand the differences between a Desi (an East Asian who came to the US/Canada/UK) as a child and those women who have come over as adults, fully raised in traditional Indian homes. Breezy and quick!

The author/artist describes (and illustrates, in Roy Lichtenstein style) the concept of the "aunty," an Asian Indian (desi) middle aged woman full of unsolicited advice/interference for younger women. Aunties uphold and perpetuate patriarchal desi values like marriage over career (for women, at least). The author uses humor to admonish readers to reject the patriarchy but respect the overall desi culture. Recommended for readers who are interested in, or have been raised with, desi culture.

nonfiction - part memoir, part comic artwork by hilarious Desi-Canadian artist