Maria Aurora Couto, a renowned Goan writer and cultural critic and Padma Shri recipient, left an indelible mark on the literary landscape of Goa. Best known for her books Goa: A Daughter’s Story (2004) and Filomena’s Journeys: A portrait of a family, a marriage & a culture (2013), Couto is celebrated for her insights into Goan culture, navigating the intersections of memoir, history, culture, and social change. She died in Aldona, her husband’s ancestral home in Goa, on January 14, 2022, aged eighty-five.
<p>In this collection of posthumously published writings, Maria Aurora Couto, celebrated for her literary prowess and cultural advocacy, offers an unparalleled exploration of Goa. The distinguished memoirist’s lifelong dedication to understanding her homeland’s multifaceted identity shines through in each essay in At Home in Two Worlds.</p><p>A central theme in these reflections is the author’s upbringing in Konkani, Marathi and Kannada-speaking Dharwad, alongside both Catholic and Hindu communities, before she moved to Delhi, London, and Goa, enabling her to embody insider and outsider perspectives on the place of her birth. She interweaves her extraordinary personal experiences, interwoven with critical discussions on colonialism, Christianity, and the numerous dualities—of language, region, religion—that make Goa unique.</p><p>Each piece in this collection is an exploration into Goa from diverse viewpoints, including those of visitors like Graham Greene and Umberto Eco, as well as sociologists, historians, poets, and everyday individuals—family, friends, neighbours, and those who have adopted Goa as home.</p>
