A boy in Kerala chooses a globe—a glimpse of a world far beyond his own. Years later, he crosses that world to build a life in America.

In The Boy Who Chose Dr. Kuriakose, recalls a childhood in Trivandrum and summers at his grandparents’ ancestral home in Pala, where daily life followed the rhythms of farming, faith, and family. His memories bring to life a Kerala of telegrams, coconut-trunk bridges, carved wooden verandas, and customs passed down through generations.

In 1970, he leaves India to pursue medical training in the United States. From his first encounters with American life in Chicago to caring for patients in New York, he recounts the uncertainties, friendships, humorous misunderstandings, and unexpected kindnesses that shaped his journey. Marriage, family, and decades of medical practice deepen his understanding of what it means to make a home while remaining connected to another.

Told with warmth, candor, and gentle humor, this memoir traces both a personal journey and the extraordinary changes of a lifetime—from telegram to Instagram. It offers older readers the pleasure of recognition and younger generations a window into the lives and choices that came before them.

For anyone who has left home, begun again, or wondered about the stories behind a parent’s or grandparent’s journey, this is a moving account of curiosity, belonging, and the enduring ties of family.