The Anthropologists

Cover of 'The Anthropologists' by Ayşegül Savaş, featuring a hand reaching towards a glass of drink on a table, with a blurred background and a green design.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Print Length: 192 pages
Format: ebook
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Immigrant, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-age story, Cultural Heritage Fiction

This one came to me through a recommendation from my ex-manager. She knew I was reading different immigrant stories and pointed me toward The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş. I went in without expectations. What I did not expect was a writing style I had genuinely never come across before.

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19. Prompt of the Day – Childhood Beliefs: Misconceptions We Outgrow as Adults

Daily writing prompt
What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?

That people are either good or bad.

It took me years to understand that we change according to our circumstances. I was always trying to be morally right at every point in my early life, but it hurt me more than I could take. Only when a close friend helped me realise that we are complex human beings did things shift. We need to exercise our emotions, give an outlet to our thoughts, fears, and other feelings instead of continuously suppressing them. Always trying to be good only harmed me.

So I grew up emotionally stunted and still sometimes have difficulty getting attached or fully processing my emotions. Even though my body absorbs emotions and signals, my mind takes time processing the depth of my feelings.

Talking my emotions out, journalling, discussing, debating, and reflecting has made me realise how much harm I was doing to myself when I simply believed that being good would always be rewarding. It rarely was. But being authentically myself is healing.

The Namesake

Book cover of 'The Namesake' by Jhumpa Lahiri, featuring a vibrant red background with the title in black and white text, and a landscape illustration at the bottom.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Print Length: 336 pages
Format: ebook
Publisher: Mariner Books Classics
Genre: Family Life Fiction, Immigrant , Domestic Fiction, Coming-of-age story

I started this year with a clear intention. I wanted to read more immigrant stories, specifically South Asian stories of settling in the USA. As an immigrant myself, I have spent a long time searching for stories that voice what I carry inside. The feelings I struggle to put into words. The experiences I live through quietly, sometimes without anyone around me truly understanding. So I started with the classic, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. And oh boy, I cried before I even finished the first chapter.

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