WHEN I VISITED GRANDMA

A child of South Asian descent weathers a complicated visit to India.

Maya’s thrilled to be visiting her grandmother with her parents. Soon after they arrive, Maya and Grandma leave for the market, but Maya’s first morning is challenging. Just as Grandma has predicted, people stare at Maya’s ripped jeans, and she’s overwhelmed by the heat and noise of the market. The pair arrive home late after talking “with all of Grandma’s nosy neighbors,” only to accept another steady stream of visitors. When Maya escapes to her room, she overhears her grandmother making excuses for her absence. She doesn’t have time to dissect these feelings, though, because the next day her grandmother is admitted into the ICU after having a heart attack. On the way to the hospital, Maya asks her parents to stop at the market so she can pick up coconut water—her grandmother’s favorite. But when they miss visiting hours at the hospital, Maya wonders when she’ll see Grandma again. This compassionate portrayal of the challenges of adjusting to a new country while also dealing with a relative enduring illness is a refreshing take on stories about returning to a homeland. The first-person narratorial voice makes for an intimate read, while the collagelike illustrations, which pop with color and feature signs in Kannada script, are beautifully detailed.

A nuanced, insightful look at what it means to have family overseas.