Nandita is a middle-aged Hindu widow who has always derived her identity from her roles as mother and grandmother. So when her son asks her to move from India to Illinois to help settle his young family in a new country, Nandita is certain where her duty lies and willingly leaves everything she knows behind. Unfortunately she never considers how she will build a life of her own once her usefulness to her son's family declines. While Nandita attempts to redefine herself and find meaning in a new culture devoid of familiar traditions, her life's path eventually leads her to Bill Brady, a widower, heartbroken over the recent death of his wife. As Bill and Nandita form a friendship over their commonalities related to grief, she is left to decide whether she wants him as a friend—or something much more. Perched on the Periphery paints an intimate portrait of a Hindu widow's journey to find her identity, search for meaning within a new culture, and contemplate loving again.