Like Water on Leaves of Taro
A Himalayan Memoir
When Tulasi Acharya returns home to Nepal from the United States to celebrate his daughter's first birthday, he does not expect his world to be turned upside down. But when his mother-in-law dies suddenly, a joyful reunion becomes a season of mourning-and a journey through the fragile space between life and death.
As his wife grieves and observes traditional rituals, Tulasi finds himself caring for his father-in-law, whose health is rapidly declining. What follows is a deeply personal account of a son-in-law's struggle to balance love, duty, and distance-caught between two continents, two families, and two ways of being. Amid hospital visits, cultural expectations, and the crushing weight of unspoken truths, Tulasi wrestles with questions of masculinity, caretaking, and how to tell someone they're dying.
Set against the lush yet turbulent backdrop of Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic, Like Water on Leaves of Taro weaves together themes of loss, resilience, identity, and hope. The memoir honors sacred rituals and everyday heartbreaks, from the thirteenth-day death feast to a father's wish to spare his daughter further grief. Through poetry, reflection, and memory, the author invites readers to witness the quiet strength of family, the complexity of Nepali culture, and the universality of sorrow.
This is not just a story of illness and loss-it is a meditation on what it means to be human, to mourn, to endure, and to carry love forward in a world that feels constantly in flux.
For readers of When Breath Becomes Air, The Year of Magical Thinking, and The Long Goodbye, Like Water on Leaves of Taro offers a moving cross-cultural perspective on grief, devotion, and the enduring lessons of death.
Critical Praise & Endorsements
"In Like Water on Leaves of Taro, Tulasi Acharya approaches personal loss with both emotional honesty and intellectual depth. Weaving his family's private sorrow with the global tragedy of theCOVID-19 pandemic, Acharya explores the limits of human endurance through a kaleidoscope of cultural, generational, and spiritual perspectives."
— Review"His prose is mesmerizing—soft, lyrical, and deeply affecting. Acharya beautifully portrays the love and respect that binds his family, tenderly illustrating their struggle to make sense of a dark and complex world. With arresting clarity, he plunges readers into the vivid landscape of grief and the universal need to find meaning in loss. Ultimately, this memoir offers a stirring testament to the healing power of reflection, memory, and hope."
— The Book Life Prize"Like Water on Leaves of Taro," Tulasi Acharya's poignant memoir invites readers into a deeply personal story shaped by love, loss, and the shifting ground beneath a family caught between continents and generations. With lyrical honesty, Tulasi reflects on fatherhood, grief, and the rituals that hold us together—even as the world around us unravels. Set against the rich landscape of Nepal and shadowed by a global pandemic, this is a moving meditation on resilience, responsibility, and the fragile beauty of everyday life."
— Robert Gwaltney, award-winning author of The Cicada Tree"In Like Water on Leaves of Taro, while Acharya's homecoming is filled with frustration and grief, readers, especially those mourning the loss of a relative or friend, will appreciate and find comfort in his quiet reflection on what gives his life real substance and meaning—good health, being present to the moment, and cherishing and remembering those he loves."
— Kristine F. Anderson, author of the award-winning Crooked Truth and the award-winning Crooked Lines"Like Water on Leaves of Taro is an incredibly heartbreaking memoir that tells of the shared experiences of a family coming to terms with an unimaginable and untimely loss. This memoir is a poignant read."
— Elizabeth Howard, Assistant Branch Manager Calhoun-Gordon County Library"Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir presents events and context from a fresh and honest perspective. The book highlights societal reluctance to openly discuss illnesses like cancer, especially with children, and this dynamic is artfully portrayed in the book. The writer has vividly and honestly portrayed the family calamity in the book."
— Prakash Sayami, Nepali Film Director, writer, and producer"Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir is an interdisciplinary text, which not only reflects the agonizing situation of the writer's spouse but also contributes to building public awareness about cancer. The book is a health awareness toolkit, while simultaneously conveying a family tragedy."
— Gita Tripathee, Nepali poet, lyricist, essayist, literary critic, and scholar"The author's mastery of mystery and suspense is vividly apparent by how the reader is gripped through the final page of the book."
— Gopi Krishna Dhungana, Sub-editor of Annapurna Post"The writer is engrossed in life, death, and meaningful life, with extensive references from philosophers, poets, essayists, and ethicists. The allusions range from a revered Hindu scripture, 'Mahabharat', and from 'Waste Land', a seminal modern poem by TS Eliot. The invocation of philosophy on the termination of life and yearning to seek meaning makes the book meditative and literary."
— Narayan Ghimire, Editor, New Agency of Nepal RSS"This raw and riveting memoir offers a unique perspective on the author's experience of loss and love, death and birth within his family. Acharya pursues a Kafkaesque quest to navigate the tattered infrastructure of a health care system while honoring timeless rituals and social expectations as he seeks aid for his ailing father-in-law and grieving wife. By turns heart-stopping and poignant, this beautifully written work gives us a glimpse into the complex and intimate process of death and shows us ways to heal our souls after losses great and small. A must-read memoir!"
— Bridget Pupillo, Editor"This memoir by Dr. Acharya, focuses on various dimensions and experiences of life and death. Death is inevitable. This book also confirms that death cannot be avoided."
— Padam Bhattarai in Annapurna Post"The strength of this book lies in its simple presentation and reflection about life and death. In times of trouble, we often experience ambiguity and wonder what now? What next? In his book, Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir, author Dr. Tulasi Acharya openly talks about life and death by candidly approaching the subject in a clear and simple manner designed to resonate with us all."
— Badri Prasad Dhakal, Author
