From the Ganges to the Snake River: An East Indian in the American West

From the Ganges to the Snake River, an East Indian in the American West is a tender, often amusing, account of the landscape and people of Idaho written with an outsider’s

perspective. Debu Majumdar interweaves East Indian culture with Northwestern reality, reflecting on the difficulties, discoveries, and delights of being a stranger in a strange land. This is a collection of creative non-fiction stories that reflect on the immigrant experience and a culture left behind.

The stories shuttle between past and present, myth, and careful observation of everyday life. A native of India and a Ph.D. physicist, Debu came to Idaho Falls with a government job at the Idaho National Laboratory in 1980.

He quickly discovered that Southeast Idaho has a very different culture from anything he had previously experienced. His urban upbringing in Calcutta provided strong contrast with the customs and culture of the ‘wild west.’ He always stood out as a novelty and that brought both humorous events and awkward situations.

The wide range of topics covered include hunting, fishing, river float trips, horses as pets, social entertainment, and the special people of the area such as Mormon missionaries and Native Americans. Everyday life is sincerely described with meticulously observed details and human warmth.

The book throws two vastly different ways of life into fascinating juxtaposition in a totally engaging way. Although Debu has been an American citizen for quite some time, he can no more escape his origins than any other American. Fortunately, he is able ‘to tell truth without drawing blood’.