A really lovely memoir-in-essays from a writer who has lived all over the globe, and as a result has developed toughness, tenderness, and humor to create a sense of self and sense of home wherever she is.

My immediate desire was to look up Kashmir, this idyllic place that her family was forced to leave forever when she was a child. Kashmir is a region at the base of the Himalayas, with parts controlled/influenced by India, Pakistan, China, and even Afghanistan. Knowing this, we can understand it to be high conflict and highly militarized, but Mattoo let us in on a much richer history.

It piqued my interest that a place like this once existed, now doesn’t, and feels nearly unknown to the average American. I wanted to learn more. Later, she made me want to move to Rome. Or perhaps London. No so much Riyadh. I loved her family history - the story of her grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents, and little brother.

Despite the variety of global residences, Mattoo’s other stories were highly relatable: 1990s teen angst, learning to live with roommates, falling in love, and becoming a mother. The first and last essays were my favorite though, where Mattoo dug into the forces that led to her family’s around-the-world migration.

People with the most resilience are often able to make everyone in their presence feel comfortable and welcome, which is just what Mattoo accomplishes in this book.

Thank you Knopf for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Priyanka Mattoo has written a sweet book about her life and her beloved Kashmir. Lucky for Priyanka she was born and raised partly in Kashmir along with a large extended family. With opportunity knocking, her father left for England with a job in hand as a doctor. Her mother joins later after she finishes her Phd, leaving behind her secure nest of relatives and childcare. At first London seems so strange but slowly her mother ventures out more, cooks more interesting foods, and Priyanka goes to school. Trouble strikes in Kashmir and the family scatters around the world, never really able to return and slowly this Kashmiri connection is hanging by a thread.

Her family are travelers and our author lives in many places around the world such as Saudi Arabia, Michigan, Rome and finally settles in Los Angeles. She writes lovingly of her family’s quirks, how they handle life and her lack of being able to speak her mother tongue. As she now has children, she wonders how she can keep her culture alive in America as Kashmir is more than just rituals and food.

The book is a lovefest for her life, her luck and her family. Mattoo is successful in so many areas, from talent agent to podcaster to effortless Indian cook. Now she is a writer, and we look forward to more.

I received a copy of "Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones." By Priyanka Matoo. the author writes of the many countries she has lived during her life. Because of living in countries like India, Saudi Arabia, England, Rome and several states in the USA. She has learned to speak several languages. Had to live amongst different cultures. She also writes of her relatives including a beloved grandmother, Her little brother and her parents. And also many friends she has made over the years. She has lived around the world when her parents would move and when she studied in Rome and the USA such as Michigan.
She writes of her different careers over the years the good and the bad. I liked the author's book. I found it a bit frustrating thought when her chapters went all over the place in time. Like going from her childhood then skip to recent years then go back years ago. but is just my frustrations. I would give this book a 3.5.