I Swam in the Padma: A Westerner's Reflections on Life and Culture in Bangladesh

by Jonathan Ammon

136 pages, Paperback

Published March 30, 2026

Reviews

[CeraMakaroni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this so much. It is honest, messy, thoughtful, and on quite a few occasions hilarious. As a westerner interacting with Bangladeshis, Muslims, and South Asians regularly, it was very helpful to read Ammon’s cross-cultural experiences, interpretations and reactions to those experiences, philosophical and spiritual insights scattered among the stories, and, sometimes, simply untidy bewilderment in his interactions. He does a great job explaining some common differences between cultures: things he’s found frustrating, confusing, and lovely, and how he has logically processed and also emotionally reacted to his experiences. This book isn’t preachy, isn’t boring, and isn’t dogmatic, instead, it is full of fun details, deep thoughts, unanswered questions, and lots of love for Bangladeshis.

I think this book is an excellent and easy-to-read resource for anyone who wants to have more joy, peace, and patience working alongside or among people with different cultures, not just Bangladeshis, because Ammon’s way of exploring his experiences seems to be an extremely healthy, humble, and human way to engage others who are different.