I can’t express the excitement I felt when I discovered that the person I’ve been following on Instagram since the start of her account, Sahaj Kohli, is going on a book tour and will be visiting Houston and Austin! I first found out about Sahaj through Instagram during COVID in February 2020. At that time, I had just moved back in with my parents after undergrad. Her content on therapy, trauma, and the challenges of being a second-generation brown girl in America has been incredibly relatable and helpful. I have continued to follow her throughout my grad school program, and even now, Sahaj’s insights have been a constant source of inspiration and support, and I could not wait to see her in person!
Meeting Sahaj Kohli in person was an unforgettable experience, one that left me in complete awe. As she walked down the stairs, I turned to my sister and couldn’t help but remark, “Muskan, she looks like us, she looks Punjabi, she is us.” Seeing someone who represents our cultural background on such a platform was surreal and incredibly validating.
Sahaj’s novel, “What will People Say”, resonates deeply with the experiences of brown kids like us. She captures the nuances of our lives—the unspoken conversations with our parents, the reflections we have with ourselves, and the connections we seek with others. There were moments while reading her book when I had to put it down, overwhelmed by how closely it mirrored my own experiences. It’s a testament to Sahaj’s ability to articulate our collective journey with such raw honesty that it sometimes feels too intimate to revisit before bedtime.
Meeting Sahaj has been one of the biggest highlights of 2024!