The Journey of Publishing 'Fitting Indian' with Author Jyoti Chand aka MamaJotes
Join Brown Girl Mag for an intimate Sunday brunch celebrating the launch of Fitting Indian, the powerful and poignant debut book by comedian, creator, and now author Jyoti Chand (@mamajotes), on Sunday, May 18th at 12:30PM.
This debut teen graphic novel — illustrated by Tara Anand — follows one girl’s journey navigating high school and her mental health within a traditional South Asian family.
All Nitasha’s parents want is for her to be the perfect Indian daughter—something she is decidedly not. Everything she does seems to disappoint them, especially her mom. They just don’t get that she’ll never be like her doctor older brother. To make matters worse, she’s never quite felt like she belongs at school either, and lately, her best friend, Ava, and her crush, Henry, seem to be more interested in the rich new girl than in her.
Alcohol takes the edge off, but when that doesn’t work, Nitasha turns to cutting. She can’t stop asking herself: Will she ever be enough for her friends or her family? Or even for herself?
This authentic and powerful teen graphic novel shines a light on how harmful the stigma of mental illness is and how lifesaving a community that is honest about mental health can be.
We’ll be gathering at the BG Clubhouse over light breakfast bites and chai to talk identity, generational healing, and the humor in all our contradictions.
✨ The conversation will be moderated by Rani Shah, Lilly's Librarian, author and cultural critic, who brings her own sharp lens to what it means to rewrite the stories we’ve inherited.
🎟️ Space is limited, so we hope you can RSVP soon (we have a few different ticket options making to choose from).