Silk Saris is a collection of essays, all of which explore some aspect of young, second generation south-asian women who, like the writer herself, are "caught - not between two cultures, but between omissions and fragments [of themselves]".

The book is especially noteworthy, not because it captures the essence of two extreme ends of a spectrum: from the "traditional (south asian culture)" on one end to the "modern (Canadian)" on the other, but because it so beautifully brings to light all that is in-between. It's easy to talk about what is black or white and Handa deserves credit for giving colour and vibrancy to what is otherwise a grey area.

Silk Saris is bold and gutsy book. It exposes the duality that most south-asian girls in North America live with. It documents what it is like for south-asian girls in Canada to 'constantly live in a generational space in which there is constant switching, lying and hiding of truths, experience of shame, and the weight of upholding a certain image in a hostile environment". As Handa describes, the book is about hanging out the collective south-asian "dirty laundry".

Dr. Handa's experiences and conclusions result from a series of interviews and painstaking research which includes case-studies all of which is adeptly documented throughout the book (The book has over 200 footnotes and a bibliography that extends over 10 pages!!!). I would not be surprised if this book is actually the thesis for which the writer may have received her doctorate (perhaps in sociology?). This is not someone who woke up one day and decided to publish a diary of her experiences in Canada.

Indeed, Silk Saris is more than a personal journal. It has forensic value and is a well researched, richly detailed and yet a lucidly written book. Unlike most books of this genre, Silk Saris has an uplifting tone to it. Most south-asians who read it, irrespective, of their gender will find stories, incidents and behaviour documented in the book that they can readily identify with. My personal favourite is, what Dr. Handa calls, the "Uncle/Auntie phenomenon". I have exhibited that exact same behaviour so many times myself and Dr. Handa touches the precise nerve when she explains why young south-asian girls exhibit certain behaviours around other south-asian elders - even ones who are strangers to them.

Silk Saris will leave you with answers. Answers to questions that may not even have occurred to you to ask

In my opinion, Silk Saris will hold its place as a valuable reference tool among academics and will strike a personal chord among many generations of second-generation south-asian women.