They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us

In this passionate memoir, journalist Gupta (AOC: Fighter, Phenom, Changemaker) details the stresses she endured growing up in a volatile Indian American family. Addressing her estranged mother directly, Gupta reveals how she survived a household in which her life was tightly managed by her controlling father, who was plagued by violent moods and intolerant of the slightest deviation from his directions. Meanwhile, Gupta’s mother regularly excused her father’s aggression and hostility. To please her parents, Gupta became a stereotypical high-achieving Indian American student but grew keenly aware that she was discriminated against—by her family and others—because of her gender. She painfully traces how her nuclear family splintered, highlighting her youngest brother’s struggles with mental illness and his shift from close, loving sibling to an antagonist who came to view her as a “hateful” feminist. Ultimately, Gupta found liberation by pursuing a career in writing and distancing herself from her parents: while she still hopes to reconcile with them, she “no longer live[s] in the space where I tell myself that if I silence or shrink myself, I can one day have that ideal relationship with you both.” Her startling candor and willingness to confront painful truths make this sing. Readers who’ve broken free from toxic family dynamics—or are hoping to do so—will want to check it out. Agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, Neon Literary. (Aug.)