The Indian American Cultural Association (IACA) hosted a literary afternoon on June 13 at Tabla Midtown in Atlanta to celebrate the launch of On Mullingar Hill: Memory, Movement, and Belonging in a Himalayan Hill Station by scholar and author Dr. Joyce Flueckiger. Organized by Ani Agnihotri and hosted by IACA, the event featured a conversation moderated by journalist Jyothsna Hegde.
Born in Landour and educated at Woodstock School in Mussoorie, Dr. Flueckiger has maintained a lifelong connection with India. During the discussion, she explained that the idea for the book took shape during a 2017 visit to Mussoorie. While exploring the Mussoorie Heritage Centre, she noticed that much of the town’s history was presented through a colonial lens. A walk through nearby Landour Bazaar prompted a different question: Where were the stories of the families whose lives, businesses, and traditions had shaped the hill station for generations?
That question led to years of research and conversations with shopkeepers and residents of Landour Bazaar. Recalling an exchange with the owner of a jewelry shop whose family she had known since childhood, Flueckiger said she admitted how little she had understood about their lives while growing up in Mussoorie. His response became a turning point: “Joyce, aap to bacchi thi. Ab to sikh sakti,” or, “You were only a little girl. Now you can learn.” That invitation to learn ultimately became the foundation of the book.
On Mullingar Hill profiles 24 shopkeepers and families from a bazaar of more than 200 businesses. Their stories trace journeys from Afghanistan, Kashmir, Gujarat, Bihar, present-day Pakistan, and villages across the Garhwal Himalayas, illustrating how migration, resilience, and adaptation have shaped both individual lives and the identity of the hill station.
Among the stories highlighted during the event was that of Jaswinder Singh, a grocery store owner on Mullingar Hill. Flueckiger described him as someone deeply woven into the fabric of the community, helping visitors navigate steep roads, participating in religious observances, and mediating neighborhood disputes. His family’s story began with displacement during Partition and continued through decades of rebuilding their lives in Mussoorie. When asked where he considered home, Singh replied, “It would have to be Mussoorie. I can’t say it is Pakistan because I have given 44 years to this place.”
Throughout the conversation, Hegde explored how Flueckiger earned the trust required to tell such deeply personal stories. The author explained that while the project began with formal interviews, its richest insights emerged through repeated visits, shared cups of tea, and long conversations. She recalled one shopkeeper telling her, “Other teachers and big people pass and say salaam. But you stopped,” a comment she said captured the importance of taking time to listen.
The discussion also examined one of the book’s central themes: belonging. Flueckiger noted that a shopkeeper’s observation that “No one is from here” led her to reflect on how communities are created in places shaped by migration. Through festivals, neighborhood relationships, family businesses, and everyday interactions, residents continually construct a shared sense of home.
Another theme explored was the differing ways men and women narrated their lives. While many men emphasized business, family history, and economic change, women often framed their experiences through marriage, caregiving, family responsibilities, and personal resilience, offering a broader understanding of life in the bazaar.
As the conversation concluded, Flueckiger shared that she hopes readers come away believing that every person has a story worth hearing and that listening can reshape our understanding of history and belonging. She encouraged audiences to consider how people can develop meaningful connections to multiple places and communities over the course of their lives.
The afternoon concluded with audience questions and a book signing, leaving attendees with a deeper appreciation for the histories preserved not only in monuments and archives but also in everyday lives, shared memories, and the relationships that transform a place into a home.
Photos by IACA