Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place

by Neema Avashia

When Neema Avashia tells people where she’s from, their response is nearly always a disbelieving “There are Indian people in West Virginia?” A queer Asian American teacher and writer, Avashia fits few Appalachian stereotypes. But the lessons she learned in childhood about race and class, gender and sexuality continue to inform the way she moves through the world today: how she loves, how she teaches, how she advocates, how she struggles.

Another Appalachia examines both the roots and the resonance of Avashia’s identity as a queer desi Appalachian woman, while encouraging readers to envision more complex versions of both Appalachia and the nation as a whole. With lyric and narrative explorations of foodways, religion, sports, standards of beauty, social media, gun culture, and more, Another Appalachia mixes nostalgia and humor, sadness and sweetness, personal reflection and universal questions.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Essays, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

171 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Neema Avashia is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and was born and raised in southern West Virginia. She has been an educator and activist in the Boston Public Schools since 2003, and was named a City of Boston Educator of the Year in 2013. Her first book, Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place, was published by West Virginia University Press in March. It has been called “A timely collection that begins to fill the gap in literature focused mainly on the white male experience” by Ms. Magazine, and “A graceful exploration of identity, community, and contradictions,” by Scalawag. The book was named Best LGBTQ Memoir of 2022 by BookRiot, and was one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2022. It is a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Boston with her partner, Laura, and her daughter, Kahani.

Reviews

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating glimpse into the life of a woman whose parents were born in India, but relocated thousands of miles away to pursue the American dream; Another Appalachia tells Neema and her family's story. Her father took a job at Union Carbide in West Virginia as their physician. A job that brought its own baggage with it as her father had to go with the team who investigated the Bhopal tragedy.

Each chapter in the book is an essay, mostly about the neighbors in their West Virginia small town who were an extended family for Neema and her older sister. The neighbors became the aunties and uncles and grandparents they left behind. Neema's relationships with her beloved neighbors have become strained in the Trump era; however, as one man who was so kind to her as a child has started posting Facebook comments about how horrible immigrants are.

[Serena Zets · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never written a GoodReads review today but this book is deserving of a glowing review and more! Neema Avashia's writing speaks to the complex experiences of "Indolachians", an incredibly small but strong community of people that I'm proud to belong to! I have never read a book that I feel better represents me, my experiences, or my identity. I am so thankful for Avashia's writing and all of the joy and reflection it has sparked within me. Excited to see Avashia speak in person on her book tour soon and see what further meaning her words create.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a word, this book is beautiful. Though its essays are about a very specific place and a very specific cast of perfectly drawn real-life characters, told through the lens of its self-described queer, Indian, and Appalachian author, its themes are universal, and its stories speak to anyone who's ever felt like they don't fit, despite their best efforts: in their families, their communities, or their homes of origin. What does it mean "to possess a love of place so strong you remain rootbound even when the soil sometimes rejects your very existence?" How do we define what it means to be home? There are no easy answers, but throughout her essays, Neema Avashia finds a way toward not just acceptance, but also love -- for her West Virginian neighbors, her immigrant parents, her extended family, and most importantly, herself.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neema Avashia's Another Appalachia is another of the memoirs I've been reading during Pride month. Usually I read mostly fiction, but I wanted to spend some time absorbing people's stories as they understand and speak them.

As the title suggests, Avashia's essay-memoirs have as much to do with growing up in Appalachia as they do with her lesbian identity. Her portrait of West Virginia is fascinating, tracking the economic ups and downs of the region, the regular harassment she encountered as a child, and the ways neighbors who'd lived in the area for multiple generations found common ground with the small community of Indian immigrants who came to the area. These aren't all "kumbaya stories," but there are moments of connection—and not just moments, relationships that have lasted for decades—that created a strong sense of community in the neighborhood she grew up in. Some of those relationships have survived the Trump years, some haven't, and her reflections on those changes are both moving and frustrating.

Another Appalachia offers an LGBTQ perspective that will be new to most readers. It also offers a vision of Appalachian life that challenges stereotypes and assumptions about the region.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.

[Akhila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, i liked it but i wanted more concrete stories, it felt like it was lacking a bit of depth, also author kept mentioning class analysis but there was none lol

[Annisha Borah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite being what I would think the target audience for this book, I didn't like it. Like at all. There was a lot I could relate to, growing up Indian in the south and living as a professional in Boston. However, I just didn't find the storytelling compelling. I listened to this book on audiobook, and there lies my first problem. I really believe that modern memoirs should ALWAYS be read by the author. This was not the case here, and the person reading the text sounded so impersonal and pronounced culturally-related words wrong. Secondly, I found the author romanticizing racist suburban life, which I feel no sympathy for. It's a shame that the author had a toxic neighbor, but I don't really see how that relates anything discussed in the book.

[Vahni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not grow up in Appalachia, but I was the only Indian kid in my grade in a small, Indiana town. I spent my college years in Knox County, Ohio, living and working intimately with people in rural America. This book captures so much of the complexity that I often struggle to articulate about my experiences. It deals with the balancing act that so many of us walk as we straddle identities and histories that don’t quite fit us. I was brought to tears multiple times by how much this resonated with me. And I was especially moved by the care that Neema Avashia took to portray both the gut-wrenching hurt and soul-healing compassion that her Appalachian neighbors gave her. I hope everyone reads this book, but I especially hope that people from non-rural areas read this.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. i absolutely loved this book. it had me crying on the airplane while i was reading, had many moments that induced chills & goosebumps from the sheer poignancy, & still managed provide comic relief inside the complexities of the issues being discussed.
im a person who grew up in NJ outside NYC and so, grew up associating midwest, “hillbilly” stereotypes with any place past pittsburgh. i related to neema’s descriptions of her partner laura, and the differences they had in their city mouse/country mouse relationship. stories like this are so crucial in bridging a divide between life in different parts of the country. as neema mentions, it is important to get to know, & to value your neighbors.
something that i loved about this was that though i didn’t grow up in appalachia, i found i was able to relate to deep love, at times resentment of the place one comes from. it sort of goes along with the idea that though humans have differences, there are many essential parts of the human experience that remain unchanged regardless of location.
i also loved learning about neemas indian heritage, the way she grew up and how her parents and other chosen family members raised her. overall: read this you won’t regret it.

[Shreeya !!! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing tbh.. I feel like the book shouldn’t have been named what is was if it wasn’t going to delve into the nuances/experiences of being queer and south Asian beyond surface level basic diaspora talk

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start off with, I know this author. I know the place. A few changes here and there and out experience is similar. We are both from there. 

That being said, this book is excellent and wonderful and everyone should read it. It brings a different perspective to Appalachia, in turns warm, lovely, and heartbreaking. 

[Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

weirdly lacking in detail? idk just not for me

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook while driving through WV. It was a beautiful collection of essays that really encompassed some of the love and frustration I feel for my home state. While I am neither queer nor Indian, the sense of alienation and judgement that many WV natives emit in the face of otherness hit home due to my own radical upbringing — not to mention my religious and political opinions, which tend to be at odds with those living in my small conservative town. While I have always been proud to be a West Virginian, I was often conflicted — feeling as though I had to explain away the darker parts of my state’s history (and present). Having fled after college, I am recently returned with plans to put down roots, but while maturity has brought greater insight and appreciation for my WV neighbors, I appreciated this book giving credence to my lingering concerns.

One notable negative is that the audiobook narrator mispronounced some key places (based on an Appalachian dialect), which did make me cringe on occasion. It would have been great to have had an Appalachian narrator.

[Alex Nigida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm going to buy this one, it was so good. Neema has such a way of telling these stories that so perfectly capture a million topics. More than one made me cry. Such a great reflection on what home is and what it means to have a complicated relationship with where you're from.

[Julia Landis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intersectional memoir/short story collection and analysis of growing up in Cross Lanes, WV. Despite her identities placing her largely in the margins of a homogenous community, Neema Avashia talks of community, chosen family found amongst her neighbors, and finding her American identity as an Appalachian one through her youth and young adult years. Appalachians aren't a monolith and this book makes that all the more clear!

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

very, very good

[Raychel Kool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t sing my praises for this one enough!

“Nine Forms of the Goddess” was truly one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I’ve ever read.

Some of my other favorites were “The Hindu Hillbilly Spice Company,” which was brilliantly formatted with such personal details; “Shame-Shame,” which made me feel less alone in the complex emotions around writing about the not-so-perfect parts of your family; and “A History of Guns,” which was so powerful that I had to take a break after reading it.

Neema Avashia doesn’t shy away from writing the hard things, both about herself and the many people who raised her. The complexities of the people in these essays are so real, and I see them reflected in my own family and neighbors. I really, really admire this about her writing.

I feel so lucky to have read this book at a time in my life where I’m still figuring out how to reconcile different aspects of my identity, and I know its presence will grace my bookshelves for many years to come <3

[Michael Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of essays is so elegantly written. It is heartfelt and filled with down home stories about growing up in WV. She resonates with me because I grew up just minutes from the WV line and I also knew that I was different from everyone else. I highly recommend this book. It’s a fast read as it’s only 160 pages. It’s also entertaining, from the first word til the last. I hope she keeps on writing, cause I will be first in line to buy her next book!

[Margo Littell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving exploration of the places we consider home. My review of Neema Avashia is forthcoming in the spring issue of Newfound (March 2022).

[Taylor Sabol · Rating 5 out of 5]

if anyone says they want to read hillbilly elegy, I’m going to suggest this book instead — super informative and powerful

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

in this stunning read, avashia mixes humor & harshness to tell the story of her appalachian roots, exploration of gender expression/sexuality, & topics ranging from religion to beauty standards to shame to guns. it is a deeply personal yet strikingly relatable story.

i beamed with recognition as she detailed her upbringing as the daughter of asian immigrants. i saw my own family dynamic reflected — teetering constantly between assimilation & embracing cultural tradition, driven by both pride & shame, always trying to be apolitical despite how america politicizes us. the chapter “armor” in particular made me reflect on the ways i have rejected & embraced cultural việt dress throughout my life, as i’ve defined & redefined beauty/fashion for myself.

the parts of avashia’s story i could not relate to were her rural upbringing & her queerness. in reading, i was able to confront many of my assumptions about rural america, which i know are steeped in classism & coastal elitism. her love for appalachia, despite her trump-loving, god-fearing, hate-mongering neighbors, reminded me why it is so harmful to declare entire regions (especially ones in need of resources & support) lost causes.

i was also challenged to consider the lack of attention i have paid to the intersectionality of asian & queer identity. avashia’s memoir showed how both identities conflict & coexist. i really enjoyed reading about the ways beauty standards, traditional asian gender roles, & the idea of shame all played a role in her identity development. it was joyful to see her embrace fluidity, experiment with gender expression, & challenge expectations of dating all within the context of her indian heritage, while also hard to see how she felt the need to hide parts of her life from her family to shield herself & her partner from harm.

i’m so grateful for this love letter to appalachia, to folks who exist somewhere in the middle of Black/white racial divides or the gender binary, to immigrant parents, to motherland cultures we long for from afar.

[Lindsey Bluher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me think and reflect so much on the concept of “home,” a topic I wish more authors based their essay collections around. I loved Neema’s writing style and each essay’s heart. Highly reccomend! I can’t put my finger on it, but I did feel like something was “missing” from this being a perfect 5 star, but overall, I loved this.

[Sachi Shastri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! As a South Asian woman who grew up in the South and is questioning her own identity, I related to this book on so many levels. It opened up so many questions about my upbringing. I also feel out of place and not at home in the place I grew up. I have so many questions about where I belong and who I belong with. It felt good to know that there are others out there like me. Definitely recommend for other odd-balls out there!

[Brown Girl Bookshelf]

"There is no word for nostalgia in Gujarati. The closest concept I can find is that of vatan, or homeland," mulls author Neema Avashia. "As in: many of the Gujarati immigrants of my parents' generation operated under a narrative that someday, they would return to their vatan."

But for Avashia, as well as myself and many brown children of immigrants in the West, what is our vatan?

The Boston educator and author is astutely aware that her identity, one that is queer and Indian, is not typical of her vatan, West Virginia — a state whose total non-white population has never exceeded 5 percent, the lowest in the nation, and whose Indian population has made up less than 0.5 percent of the population.

When I first picked up this book, I wasn't sure how much Avashia and I would have in common. But in every essay, you, the reader, are not a distanced observer of those people and places involved in Avashia's "Indolachian'' upbringing. Rather, it's the first night of Navratri in 1982, and you are wearing your finest silk sari, dancing in a garba ring alongside Avashia and the eight desi women who have raised her in someone's basement. You are flying down the winding roads of Goff Mountain in your neighbor-turned-stand-in-grandparent Mr. Bradford's red Jeep Cherokee after basketball practice. But, you are also scrolling through Mr. B's Facebook page years later, after the 2016 election, confused and queasy by his erratic 3 a.m. anti-woman, anti-immigrant, and anti-Black Lives Matter posts.

This is the power and incredible feat of Avashia's writing. Sharp, intimate, and provocative, “Another Appalachia” is written as if you're simultaneously having a conversation with a close friend and learning a lesson from a gentle but firm educator, painting a nuanced picture of the West Virginia that raised her.

“Another Appalachia” is the diaspora story that I have craved for years. Avashia’s, and my, relationship to our home is complicated, confusing, sometimes fraught. But, like our parents, we too dream of returning.

[Genevieve Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do I feel compelled to purchase a book after borrowing from the library, but this book was different. I plan to revisit this text for years to come.

This is a beautiful collection of memoir essays - Avashia’s writing is lyrical, impactful, and intimate. The stories and insights she shared are powerful and moving. I felt very emotional at many points while reading. This book also adds much-needed nuance for folks outside Appalachia looking to understand what it means to inhabit this region. While West Virginia is not diverse, it is certainly not a monolith as many might believe. My background is not the same as the author’s, but I grew up in West Virginia and have struggled to reconcile my love for the state while feeling its rejection due to my ethnoreligious identity. I resonated with this book in a way I rarely have when reading a memoir, and I am so happy I decided to pick this book up.

For anyone who loves memoirs, personal essays, or the exploration and impact of identity, this book is for you. I hope everyone reads this book and can’t wait to read what Avashia publishes next!

[Maxine Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 | It really helped being able to talk through my feelings on this one with my book club. I loved learning about the author’s life & perspective, even though I found it hard to relate to her particular experiences. One of her big themes is the love she has for her home and neighbors even though she sees that home and those people so differently now. I also had expectations of what this book would be as “memoir, but it was definitely more like essays written at different times in her life because some of the content felt very duplicative (like maybe this book needed a stronger edit).

[Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a whole, i liked this! some parts felt a little superficial, but there were a lot more reflective moments that did balance that out. my main critique is the discussion of addiction felt like it lacked a certain care/sensitivity about it. it felt self-cantered and i was disappointed that she called the cops, but maybe not surprising because of the self-ID as a liberal. 🤷🏻
i also found the author’s views on chemicals a little off-putting and dismissive.

[Alison Zak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time. Even if you fear you have little in common with this perspective/identity/experience you will find great meaning in these essays that you will think about long after you finish the book. I recently saw the author speak and she is as lovely and impressive in person as she is on the page.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fine essay collection is mis-marketed as a memoir. Some of the essays are extraordinary: “Only-Generation Appalachian,” “A History of Guns,” “Neighbors.” I was very aware that this book had been edited and produced by an academic press.

I will read everything that Avashia will ever publish. She is brilliant and makes me miss my home.

[lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

weirdly cutesy, but, i don’t know, real.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a captivating elegance and a special warm whimsy of childhood nostalgia, Neema Avashia's often bittersweet essays brought out emotions I never thought possible from picking up a memoir. I have wiped away tears imagining the pain or joy while donning another's shoes, but to walk in my own and have such familiar experiences articulated so beautifully, moved me deeply. When each chapter ended I took a moment to process everything and its surprising relevance to my own life or the lives of my closest friends who share much of the author's intersections.

Perhaps someday I will have the time and energy for a complete review of this book, but for now I will recommend it endlessly for those searching for an excellent addition to their Appalachian reading list.