{"product_id":"a-return-to-self","title":"A Return To Self","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Return to Self: Excursions in Exile\u003c\/strong\u003e by Aatish Taseer is a blend of travelogue and memoir shaped by questions of identity, belonging, culture, and exile. Following the revocation of his Indian citizenship in 2019, Taseer revisits places connected to his sense of self and uses travel to examine the historical and cultural forces that shape how people relate to nations and communities.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMoving through places including Istanbul, Uzbekistan, and India, Taseer brings encounters with the ancient world into conversation with contemporary life. His reflections consider migration, changing food cultures, the effects of the pandemic, cultural conflict, and the ways different histories overlap and influence the people who inherit them.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAbout This Book\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe loss of his Indian citizenship becomes the starting point for a wider exploration of home and identity. Rather than treating belonging as a simple connection to one country, Taseer looks at the layers of history, migration, culture, memory, and personal experience that contribute to a sense of nationality and place.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Istanbul, he reflects on the ambitions and expectations of his earlier self. In Uzbekistan, he considers the transformation of historic Silk Road spaces into contemporary tourist destinations. In India, he examines the contrast between Buddhism's origins in the country and its limited contemporary practice there.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Return to Self\u003c\/strong\u003e moves between personal reflection and observations of societies undergoing change. Its travels become a way of considering how cultures develop through centuries of interaction and conflict, and how migration and overlapping identities contribute to the multicultural world of the present.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWhat You'll Discover\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eTaseer's reflections on exile, identity, nationality, and belonging\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eTravel experiences across Istanbul, Uzbekistan, India, and other regions\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe historical and contemporary character of Silk Road cultures\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eReflections on Buddhism's origins in India and its present practice\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe relationship between ancient cultures and contemporary social change\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIdeas about migration and the formation of multicultural identities\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eHow personal journeys can reveal broader questions about culture and nationality\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePerfect For\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eReaders interested in travel writing and memoir\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThose exploring identity, exile, migration, and belonging\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eReaders interested in culture, history, and changing societies\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThose drawn to reflective writing about nationality and place\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eReaders interested in journeys across interconnected cultural landscapes\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Book\u003c\/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Return to Self: Excursions in Exile\u003c\/strong\u003e combines travel and personal reflection to examine how history, culture, migration, and memory influence the meaning of home. Through encounters across different regions, Aatish Taseer turns a personal experience of exile into a broader meditation on identity and belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aatish Taseer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54749616308499,"sku":"BY13.6533","price":380.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/4494\/6707\/files\/ReturntoSelf_1.webp?v=1789823167","url":"https:\/\/booksandyou.in\/products\/a-return-to-self","provider":"Books and You","version":"1.0","type":"link"}