Brown Skin Girl: An Indian-American Woman's Magical Journey From Broken To Beautiful

by Mytrae Meliana

"A riveting memoir of truth and beauty. "When sixteen-year-old Mytrae Meliana and her family emigrate from India to the U.S., she is determined to avoid the arranged marriage her family expects her to have, and to create her own destiny. But when she falls in love with an American man, her family drags the talented graduate student back to India and keeps her hostage.

Mytrae suddenly finds herself heartbroken and trapped in her homeland, where women's fates are decided for them. But that isn’t her only challenge. She must live a lie and keep the secret she’d rather forget, or dare to break with centuries-old tradition and forge a path of her own.

This searing, sensual memoir by an award-winning writer is about how family loves and wounds each other, about how immigrants are torn between cultures, and about leaving everything to find yourself. At times heartbreaking, at times triumphant, Brown Skin Girl is a testament to freedom, love, and the magic that finds you when you follow your heart.

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2020

About the author

Mytrae Meliana (pronounced "my-thray-yee") is an award-winning author, women's empowerment and Divine Feminine teacher, sound healer, and holistic psychotherapist. She empowers women to heal from trauma, liberate themselves from patriarchy, and create true, bold, inspired lives.

Reviews

[Ctucker54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning portal into the heartbreak of ancient tradition healed by Love and Courage only Mytrae could embody with such beauty....

Mytrae's exquisite beauty shines through in her descriptive narrative of her personal triumph in surviving the shackles of ancient tradition and the blessing of courageous healing and freedom which can only come from having faced down the dragons born through generations of cultural entrapment. I wept and I was filled with joy as I walked through her prison and her escape. I am blessed to have read her memoir brought to life by her beautiful ability to write in vibrant pictures, the heartbreak and triumph of breaking free at great cost. This is a testament to Love and the courage to heal, and Forgiveness that can only come from having faced the depths of despair with Love as Counselor. Well written, heartbreaking and illuminating... Thank you Mytrae, for all of us who love you and for the Love you share and are...

[Suparna B · Rating 2 out of 5]

“India, like an eager bride, is spreading her thighs to receive western technology”. While the book details a heartbreaking and yet inspiring memoir, the unnecessary metaphorical writing made it hard to appreciate. The author shares her journey of leaving her family and trauma and finding herself in her spirituality. This book would have benefited from a different editor. I felt like I was reading r/menwritingwomen.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an important message in showing the very real reality many Indian women face, and in other cultures alike. However, the message occasionally fell flat when you read writing such as “India, like an eager bride, is spreading her thighs to receive western technology”. It felt like it was missing something - revisions, a bit more explanation. Some of it was so fustrating to read, as the MC would accept their fate for YEARS after so much fight and it was hard to believe. But overall, it was a good read and still holds true for people.

[Cynthia Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Mytrae Meliana weaves a tale that is both modern and puzzing as cultures collide. Meliana writes courageously of her experiences of living with one foot in the US, and one in India. A fabulous page-turner! Highly recomended.