Shock to Shanti is an examination of what Archana Singh is committed to - her family, her work and her hobbies - vis-a-vis what she can handle, all influenced by her upbringing as a first-generation American. Divided into four sections, the fifteen essays here encompass a transient stretch known as Archana's mid-life transition. She uses her insight, compassion and humour to turn her personal experiences as a working mother and wife in the bustling city of Manhattan into stories that resonate with every reader juggling the demands of raising a family in a city. Sprinkled throughout are details of her Indian heritage, her immigrant parents' advice based on their village upbringing and insecurities caused by growing up as a minority with one foot each planted in two parts of the world.