Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Diya Das immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was only a year old. On a trip to India to visit her family, she became interested in learning about her relatives. She discovered she had distant family in Chicago. Her curiosity led to a class project, which led to her book, The Evolution of An Identity. The story begins in San Francisco, California the early 1900’s. The immigrants had a strong work ethic, many times stronger than white Americans did. They put in long hours and labored without ceasing. Desiring independents from the British, they formed Ghadr Party, asserting equality. At this point, the story moves to Chicago, 1980’s. The Indians considered they were broadminded but were traditional by American standards. Many that immigrated during this time were professionals. The final venue takes us to New York City, 2005. Prejudice still runs high against the Indian Americans. The Evolution of An Identity is beautifully written. Diya Das shares the history of her family in the form of fiction. I am sure we will be hearing her name again.