In this work, I encounter my father’s newly published family memoir. The book becomes a site of excavation, discovery and reconstruction. I confront the fear of alienation through questions about home, family history, connection to the place, and empathy. Over a decade away from the place I was born, I look at my family history and cultural background with a longing for connection and at the same time fear of being constrained.

I explore the meaning of ‘home’ by examining different sites of connection: a physical place, a cultural connection, my parents and community. I wonder how much my connection to a place that I call home is dependent or independent of these connectors? At present I am a stranger: every community sees me and defines me differently. I use my situation as an outsider to raise questions about the concept of home. Do I need to reconcile with historical and cultural narratives in order to call a place home? How far back into the past do I need to go?