Get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Growing up in middle-class India, Rajika Bhandari has seen generations of her family look westward, where an American education means status and success. But she resists the lure of America because those who left never return—they all become flies trapped in honey in a land of opportunity. As a young woman, however, she finds herself heading to a US university to study, following her heart and a relationship.
When that relationship ends and she fails in her attempt to move back to India as a foreign-educated woman, she returns to the US and finds herself in a job where the personal is political and professional: she is immersed in the lives of international students who come to America from over 200 countries, the universities that attract them, and the tangled web of immigration that a student must navigate.
An unflinching and insightful narrative that explores the global appeal of a Made in America education that is a bridge to America’s successful past and to its future, America Calling is both a deeply personal story of Bhandari’s search for her place and voice, and an incisive analysis of America’s relationship with the rest of the world through the most powerful tool of diplomacy: education. At a time of growing nationalism, a turning inward, and fear of the “other,” America Calling is ultimately a call to action to keep America’s borders—and minds—open.
When that relationship ends and she fails in her attempt to move back to India as a foreign-educated woman, she returns to the US and finds herself in a job where the personal is political and professional: she is immersed in the lives of international students who come to America from over 200 countries, the universities that attract them, and the tangled web of immigration that a student must navigate.
An unflinching and insightful narrative that explores the global appeal of a Made in America education that is a bridge to America’s successful past and to its future, America Calling is both a deeply personal story of Bhandari’s search for her place and voice, and an incisive analysis of America’s relationship with the rest of the world through the most powerful tool of diplomacy: education. At a time of growing nationalism, a turning inward, and fear of the “other,” America Calling is ultimately a call to action to keep America’s borders—and minds—open.
Product Details
- Publisher: She Writes Press (September 14, 2021)
- Length: 296 pages
- ISBN13: 9781647421847
Raves and Reviews
2022 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Creative Non-Fiction
2021 Sarton Book Award Finalist in Memoir
2021 Foreword Indie Finalist in Autobiography & Memoir
“An Indian woman’s wonderfully written, illuminating account . . . a valuable study of an extremely important area of ‘soft diplomacy,’ dispelling all sorts of easy and false assumptions. Bhandari’s informative memoir is for readers who want to understand how interconnected the world really is. Bhandari is a very talented writer, knowing that in a sea of data there is no better life raft than the telling anecdote.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In America Calling, Rajika Bhandari captures the confusion and wonder of the international student experience of the sort she, I, and many others have shared. Sometimes funny, often moving, and always thought-provoking, Dr. Bhandari's is a memorable story and an enjoyable read.”
—Shashi Tharoor, Indian political leader, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, and best-selling author of India: From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond
“In adding her voice to the immigrant experience, Rajika reminds us that everyone has a story to tell and that everyone’s story counts. It is books like this that make America a kinder and wiser nation. Highly recommended for high schools and colleges.”
—Firoozeh Dumas, New York Times best-selling author of Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America
“Rajika Bhandari is a voice that urges us with moral clarity and rigorous intelligence to embrace immigrants. . . This book tells a personal story, and a wider one too; it is a clarion call for the nation’s policymakers and educators to welcome all curious minds.”
—Maeve Higgins, New York Times columnist, award-winning author of Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else, host of the Maeve in America: Immigration IRL podcast, and cohost of the StarTalk podcast
“[F]ar more than a singular memoir of one Indian student's experience, but a wider-ranging embrace of the various social, cultural, political, and educational challenges that all readers should know. . . . Anyone who has wondered about the modern immigrant experience and perceptions of coming to this nation to fulfill dreams will find America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility a lesson in adaptation, advantage, and revised futures.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Rajika Bhandari offers a roadmap to the many who have come, and the many who will be drawn, to America in search of educational and other life-affirming professional opportunities. It is deeply personal and yet fully illustrative of the many shared experiences of generations that continue to enrich a nation built by and for immigrants.”
—Raju Narisetti, founder of Mint newspaper and former managing editor at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal
“Through this intimate account of her own journey, Rajika Bhandari tells the story of the millions of young people who pursue the dream of an American education, the price they pay, the irreversible transformation they undergo, and the often misunderstood and underappreciated yet immense social and economic value they bring about. While she grew up in Delhi and I in Madrid, her story is, in many ways, mine too.”
—Angel Cabrera, president of Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and a Carnegie Corporation “Great Immigrant”
“Seeking an international education takes courage, as Cervantes reminds us. But it’s not a quixotic venture. As Dr Bhandari’s story illustrates, the windmills of the mind can be overcome, and the arc of educational exchange bends toward open doors and open minds.”
—Allan E. Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE)
“Rajika Bhandari presents a very personal and fascinating story of the trials and tribulations of a foreign student coming to the US. She explains why the world’s brightest flock to American shores and boost its competitiveness—and why they are now returning home. She is right that if America doesn’t correct the exodus, it will be the greater loser.”
—Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program and best-selling author of The Immigrant Exodus: Why America is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): America Calling eBook 9781647421847
