I tipu ake a Lahiri i Kingston, Rhode Island, kei reira tana papa Amar Lahiri e mahi ana hei kaitiaki pukapuka i te Whare Wananga o Rhode Island; ko ia te kaupapa mo te kaiwhakaari i roto i te "Te Tuatoru me te Whakamutunga Continent", te korero e whakaoti ana i te Kaiwhakamaori o Maladies. I hiahia te whaea o Lahiri kia tipu ake ana tamariki ki te mohio ki o raatau taonga tuku iho Bengali, ana ko tana whanau i toro atu i Calcutta (inaianei Kolkata). I te timatanga o te whare wananga i Rhode Island, ka karanga te kaiako a Lahiri ki a ia e Jhumpa Lahiri, Jhumpa Lahiri, i te wa e rua ana tau.
Ko te tau 1989