American Born Indian

About The Book

"I've always heard about people leaving their home countries behind for the United States, to fulfil what's called the American Dream. You know the way it looks in the movies. Never did I imagine the opposite could happen."

Meet Jay Sharma, a spirited Indian-American middle schooler who's never had the chance to explore the land of his heritage. But when an unexpected move whisks him away from New York City home sweet home to bustling and vibrant Bangalore, Jay is thrown into a world of unfamiliar rules and rigid traditions. (Who would have thought that phones weren't allowed in classrooms?) And that's just the start of his many, many problems.

Suddenly, Jay is the centre of attention in this new country, torn between two worlds. How can he decide if he is Indian or American

if he keeps juggling between each country? Will he ever be able to ?

American Born Indian is an equal parts funny, poignant and heartwarming middle-grade novel that explores themes of

cultural identity, self-acceptance, and the journey to discovering

one's true self in a new and unfamiliar land.

Author Bio


Fuelled by a love of books and storytelling since she was young, Melody Vega began writing seriously during the COVID-19 pandemic, and started her blog Melody's Hub in August 2020 to showcase some of her early work. She was also secretary of her school's literary club in Grade 9, and participated in literature-related fests and competitions as well. She draws upon her experiences as a Gen-Z teenager to write candidly about the younger generation of India. Born in Patiala, she currently resides in Bangalore with her family. Apart from reading and writing, she enjoys being a minor cinephile, making endless playlists and drinking too much coffee. You can reach out to Mel on her Tumblr ask box at melodyvega1967tumblrcom and read some of her other works on