In “Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir,” Tulasi Acharya pens a detailed and intimate look at the death of his in-laws upon returning home to his native Nepal.
In 2019, Acharya had been teaching in the United States while his wife and young daughter still lived in Nepal. The book opens with the passing of his mother-in-law after Acharya returns home during a holiday break from teaching.
His mother-in-law’s death was sudden and unexpected. She had been the primary caregiver for her ill husband. Upon her death, Acharya, his wife and other family become caregivers. They must negotiate grief from the loss of the mother while handling care for the terminally ill father.
Acharya is a teacher with South Georgia State College. His other books include his debut English novel, “Running from the Dreamland,” and the Nepali novels, “Mochan” and “Swapnabhumi.” “Like Water on Leaves of Taro” is an award winner in the memoir category of the Georgia Independent Authors Association.
Acharya takes readers deep into the family’s struggles to balance mourning with care, the responsibilities of work and family with unexpected life emergencies. He reveals the often fragile dynamics that come with losing a loved one.
American readers also receive a glimpse into another nation’s health-care systems and how another culture mourns during the deaths of family members.
“Like Water on Leaves of Taro” is a memoir that reads like a personal journal made public of a family coping day-by-day with death and dying.
Book reviewed by Dean Poling: Poling is a veteran South Georgia journalist, editor, and award‑winning author, best known for his long career at The Valdosta Daily Times and his contributions to both fiction and nonfiction writing.
