Daughter of the Ganges: A Memoir

Daughter of the Ganges, originally published in Spain, the country in which Mire was raised from a small child, is an intimate look into one woman's quest to uncover her origins. The memoir is actually comprised of two separate books: the first covers Mire's first venture into India; the second her return trip with a documentary team. Each section has its own distinct voice that compliment each other.

Mire spent her early years in Indian orphanages, first in the city of Nasik and later in Bombay. She was adopted at six by a Spanish couple and grew up in Barcelona. In her early twenties, she feels her past calling to her. She decides to return to India to retrace the childhood steps that led her to Spain. Written in short, diary-like chapters, interspersed with journal entries her adoptive mother made when Mire was a child, the reader accompanies Mire as she makes her tenuous discoveries, struggling with her conflicting feelings of both belonging and being an outsider. On her return trip, she unearths more truths about her past, reunites with family, and learns ultimately where she came from.

Daughter of the Ganges shares not only one woman's personal story, but delves into the wider issues of international adoption along with the values and lifestyles of Western society contrasted with Indian life. It also offers a glimpse into the experiences of people, particularly women, who live harsh, yet beautiful, lives. Daughter of the Ganges is a compelling, honest account of one woman who discovers not only herself, but a country as well.