Westland Books has announced the publication of Why Is My Skin Brown?, a middle-grade novel by Lakshmi Iyer that explores identity, colourism and belonging through the eyes of a young girl navigating life between two cultures.

The book follows Sarayu, a brown-skinned girl who moves from the United States to Bengaluru for a few months. While she has never paid much attention to her appearance before, the move exposes her to constant comments about her skin colour from relatives and neighbours, leaving her questioning why people attach so much importance to complexion.

As Sarayu settles into her new life, she grapples with questions about identity, family and acceptance. Through friendships, conversations with her father across time zones and the support of her extended family, she gradually learns to embrace who she is and discovers that belonging is not defined by appearance.

Positioned as a thoughtful and accessible chapter book for young readers, Why Is My Skin Brown? addresses themes of colourism, self-acceptance and cultural identity with warmth and sensitivity.

Author Lakshmi Iyer is a banking professional based near Philadelphia, US. A graduate of LeBow College of Business and an alumna of the Yale Writers’ Workshop, she writes creative non-fiction and has written extensively on her personal website. She lives with her husband and three daughters and is currently working on a memoir about her adoption journey.

Why Is My Skin Brown? adds to a growing body of children’s literature that encourages conversations around diversity, representation and confidence in one’s identity.