Meet Me in Mumbai

Two stories come together in this novel: Ayesha, an exchange student from India, becomes pregnant and places her child up for adoption, and Mira, a young girl who uncovers letters from her birth mother inviting her to travel to India to find her. Identity and belonging are central themes in this novel, and readers may be asked to reflect on complex topics such as cultural expectations, diversity, abortion, immigration, adoption, and sexuality as they surface in the narratives. In a secondary classroom, the novel lends itself to a literature circle selection or independent novel study, and students may be encouraged to create memoirs as they explore their own family histories.