What We Carry

Maya Shanbhag Lang grew up idolizing her mother, an accomplished physician who immigrated to the United States from India and completed her residency all while raising her children. Maya’s mother had always been a source of support-until Maya became a mother herself. Struggling to understand this abrupt change, Maya soon learns that her mother is living with Alzheimer’s.Unable to remember or keep track of the stories she once told her daughter, Maya’s mother divulges secrets about her past that force Maya to re-examine their relationship. Absorbing, moving, and raw, What We Carry is a memoir about mothers and daughters, lies and truths, receiving and giving care, and how we cannot grow up until we fully understand the people who raised us.