Welcome to the story of my BECOMING Goan
- A contemporary coming home story
Golden Goa’s magnetism has always attracted admirers and colonizers. In June 2020, Michelle found herself moving to the 160-year-old house she had inherited in Siolim, a village in North Goa, with her human and canine family.
Having never lived in Goa before, she couldn’t help but wonder if her Goan ancestry made her an insider or if she would forever remain an outsider. In this memoir, she confronts her complex relationship with her Goan Catholic heritage and explores themes of identity, culture, migration, stereotypes and labels.
Becoming Goan is a heartfelt and charming story of Michelle’s love for this land that her grandparents left her. She cares deeply about Goa’s biodiversity and is distraught about the environmental impact of tourism, construction and mining. Her devotion to Mother Earth deepens as she learns more about her roots, steeped as they are in syncretic traditions.
You can buy a copy at a bookstore in India or on Amazon across the world.
#BecomingGoan #Booktour
Come with me on my recent book tour. I have been travelling across the country and the seas talking about my book. Here are some cool photos and videos.
I am recommending books on from and about Goa, and also good books on my Substack
Shorts & Reels
In keeping with the trend of shorts and reels here are a few about my Becoming Goan and other themes and issues the book discusses.
Memories of
Haruki the Lab
In Memory of Haruki (2016-2025)
We lost our big, beautiful baby Haruki to a fatal Russell’s Viper bite on 11 November, 2025 in our garden.
Haruki went the way he lived, curious, looking for adventure.
He was a big dog, who lived a big life. Not one to let the world take its course he took the world head on.
Haruki was my shadow, my tail, my heart. He changed our lives forever.
We are all broken, struggling to make a life without him.
