Breaching Whale: A Story of Trauma and Survival
This memoir recounts a year filled with contrasting experiences, where the author achieved her highest professional success but faced profound personal loss. Shortly after the thrill of receiving tenure and a promotion, Vrinda learns that her sister is hospitalized and in a coma as a result of domestic violence. She decides to go to India to save her sister’s life. Breaching Whale: A Story of Trauma and Survival details her journey to Kolkata, India as an immigrant American woman, navigating cultural differences in the perception and management of domestic violence. Interwoven with this narrative are reflections from Vrinda’s spiritual journey to the resolve generational trauma that continues till today.
Vrinda Kalia
Vrinda Kalia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Vrinda researches goal-oriented behavior in individuals throughout their lives. She has a particular interest in those who are driven to reach their objectives but struggle to regulate their thoughts and actions sufficiently to succeed. Additionally, she instructs classes on how stress and trauma affect a person's life journey. An Indian immigrant, Vrinda resides in Oxford, Ohio, with her caring and supportive spouse.