Born in 1945 in the Assamese town of Jorhat, Tesmula Ao lost both her parents in quick succession when she was young. Left to fend for themselves, she and her five siblings ran wild, skipping school and wandering the streets. But when the authorities caught up with her and sent her to a boarding school, she realized that education offered her a way to escape her bleak and uncertain future—and she committed herself to a lifetime of learning.

Once Upon a Life is a powerful memoir of those early years and the career they led to, which saw Ao become not only an acclaimed writer, but also a professor and a successful cultural administrator. A beautifully written account of success in the face of hardship, and the power of education and determination, Once Upon a Life is searing, moving, and unforgettable.