Book Thoughts: The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter by Shilpa Raj

This is an autobiography of Shilpa Raj. Born in one of the most disadvantaged, and oppressed communities of South India, Shilpa gets a life changing opportunity at the age of 4 years, to study in a residential school called Shanti Bhavan.

From being brought up in a world that subjects women to mere servitude of husbands, and rearing of children; to finding a voice of her own through the metamorphic journey of seeking education.

It is a story of resilience, of how a young girl learns to break the age-old barbed wires of poverty, prejudice and discrimination, to finally treading on seeking her place in the modern world.

It undoubtedly highlights the transformative power of education, how that becomes a torch bearer for Shilpa, to find her footing in a world that seldom permits the light of choice or opportunity.

Hard to believe that this is the debut work of the author, given the narrative accounts, and the detailing of her life are so artistic, give it a definite touch of a seasoned writer.

If this isn’t a story of resilience, I don’t know what is.

I would recommend all readers to read this book at least once in their lifetime, and also watch Daughters of Destiny on Netflix.

This comes in the likes of autobiographies like Becoming by Michelle Obama, Educated by Tara Westover.

A Tale of Living My Life’s Shade Card

As a child, I always used to see life in happy colours. These colours, now that I tend to reflect on them in retrospect, had always been shades of bright yellow, pink, lilac. The bright yellow and pink-brought back memories of the summer days I spent playing and giggling with my childhood friend, munching on snacks, finding new corners for hide-and-seek in the afternoon sun. And then, the shade of lilac-evoking the tranquillity of my childhood home where I was aware of my mother’s presence in the periphery- who was taking up the daily chores for my well-being, doting upon me and my siblings. The lilac was also felt whenever I opened up the pages of my favourite books, revering their woody redolence. 

Life, as I saw it then, only seemed to be composed of this shade card. Anything that fell beyond this spectrum, was of course distressing, but also very fleeting. Somehow, even after minor uphills, the abundance of childhood always brought me back to the primary colours of my ‘happiness shade card’. 

But then, at some point, which has no particular date, life was not a ride of all comfort, smiles and warmth. This may have been the time when I grew up! I witnessed my shade card shifting, transitioning into never seen before shades. I came to picture them as a vivid blue, a dull, storm-like grey. 

I could not fathom what was happening, let alone accept the colours. The blue felt like an aching pain, a gloom that would never go away. The grey brought in a whirlwind of thoughts. The thoughts were making me fear everything- my friends, my neighbours, stepping out for a walk; and the worst thing was-they never seemed to stop-as if they were put up on a running treadmill with a failed system!

In hindsight, I realise, this was perhaps for the very first time in my life, I started to experience anxiety and sadness. I went into a cocoon-hiding from anyone and everyone. I tried to make it go away-all by myself, suffering in silence. I became even more restless. I pushed myself to any limit to bring the shades back to merry, but to no respite. I grieved for the older, brighter shade card. I became agitated towards my failed efforts in bringing it back. I cried in nostalgia. Dismay grew even further. And, it seemed like this was the new reality, a new shade card- of the cold blue and the dull grey. 

Days passed, weeks passed, and possibly a few months passed. 

Until, one day, I stopped trying. I let the shades be. I stopped resisting. And, I let a dear friend comfort me, even when I was frightened by the idea of it. I let my story out, through tears of sorrow and the unbearable misery of my unstoppable thoughts- I let it all out. To my surprise, my dear friend acknowledged my thoughts, and shared a similar tale of her being in a rickety boat of emotions. Things started to shift. 

Through letting my story out, talking about my pain and not holding it within, I witnessed my shade card transitioning, once again. This transition was not a restoration to the happiness shade card. But, it seemed to appear like a new shade card altogether. Initially, a blur, but then, a comforting, peaceful white, with spots of yellow and pink here and there, but also with the vivid blue in vicinity. A blotch of grey there, but also with the background of lilac. I seemed to grow!

I started to accept the new shade card. It brought with it, a new vision and an array of hope! I let my story out to a few more trusted ones-my parents, my siblings, my teachers and even a doctor. My shade card seemed to become more authentic, more Lifelike!

I learnt that the more I talked about my shade card to my loved ones and the more I listened to their story, the more I found my solace with this new palette. I could finally come to accept all the colours! 

I realised that the cheer of bright yellow was often followed by a melancholy of the blue. I came to live through the acute and intense roller-ride of the grey, yet all the while knowing that through some effort of my own and help from others, I can always bring back the serenity of the lilac. 

Life seemed to make sense again. The power of sharing my story not just gave me the acceptance of the new shade card, but also blessed me with the strength to Live My Life’s Shade Card! 

—An article I curated for a pre-work writing sample for a research related job opportunity. It’s part fiction, and part drawn from my own experiences.

Book Thoughts: I Came Upon A Lighthouse, Shantanu Naidu

I Came Upon A Lighthouse is a memoir by a millennial-Shantanu Naidu, on anecdotes of his journey, which through a ‘shared concern’ for animal welfare aligns with the philanthropist – Mr. Ratan Tata’s life; chronicling their endearing inter-generational bond.

The book, with its thoughtfully named chapters and heartening illustrations is a delight for bibliophiles, dog-lovers and readers wanting to know the warmer, sunnier side of the revered industrialist.

And, whilst the book adoringly brings the light-hearted bond between the two, Shantanu as a debut writer deftly connects his readers to the ‘millennial’ life too.

From chapters unfolding his empathetic endeavour, his brain child- ‘Motopaws’, to the ones where there are the jitters of initial meetings with Mr. Tata, and to some that recount his venturing into a new land far away from the warm cocoon of family-experiencing loneliness, self-doubt; yet making efforts to thrive amidst and despite that. (Not without his adorbs companion-Winter!)

I see it as a story of our times because the pages, not only bring the ‘sparks’ and the bright sides, but the vulnerability of the challenges that life brings to a ‘twenty-something’; and that perhaps is something every millennial would connect to!

Even though, its the beginning of the year, and this is my first book, I am truly confident in saying that it is one of the best books I have read in 2021. (Yes, I know this, for sure 🙂

And, lastly, time for my Personal Award System for favorite books (yes, it exists), I would say that I call this little memoir as a ‘Mug Brownie’ read–warm, sweet, amiable, and just melts your heart 🙂

Also, cannot appreciate enough how much I love the cover and joyous vibe of the book.

Kindle Reads: The Choice, Edith Eger

“the biggest prison is in your own mind, and in your pocket you already hold the key….”

‘The Choice’ is a memoir and an inspiring chronicle of Dr.Edith Eger’s life who is a holocaust survivor and now an acclaimed psychologist.

The book was listed in Bill Gates’ reading recommendations, and what drew me most to this book was how a holocaust survivor metamorphosed her traumatic stress by becoming a doctor of psychology- from experiencing scarring trauma, to facilitating scientific healing.

It is a book that introduces you to a spectrum of life–from Darkness to Light. Where one extreme end of darkness takes you to the brutal, inexplicable horrors of the Holocaust carried out by Hitler; the other end of the spectrum-the Light, subtly, gradually soars you to the legacy of hope, healing and discovering through the accounts of Dr Edith’s patients and Dr.Edith herself.

This was the first book I read about the Holocaust-of and about the systematic dissemination of prejudice, war; the enslavement and unfathomable destruction-physical, psychological, communal. It is a book that brings you to the epoch of the Nazis, of struggles and destruction of the past, unbeknownst, but grievously factual.

Yet, it is also a book that unveils the timeless wisdom: that only we hold the key to the prisons of our mind, and that “suffering is universal…but victimhood is optional”

Needless to say, it is a memoir that’s going to live with me for a long time, the pages of which I am going to reopen in moments of despair, and of hope..

Thank You Dr.Edith Eger, this story was needed for the times of existential crisis we are living in.

Thank you for acknowledging that “there is no hierarchy of suffering”.

Thank you for nudging all of us to look for meaning in our lives, to find the ability to maintain hope, amidst and despite what’s happening in the outside world.

“ALL YOUR ECSTASY in life is going to come from the inside…”

Book Thoughts | The Secret Life of Debbie G. | Vibha Batra & Kalyani Ganpathy | HarperChildren’sFestivalList

‘Storm and Stress’ is the term used by Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, connoting the whirlwind of emotions a tween and teen go through. And I couldn’t agree more, given the roller-ride I went into back in the day.

Bombarded with like a gazillion things- doing well in academics, dealing with heartbreaks and body-shaming, staying ‘relevant ‘ in the fancy school group, ritualized weekly/daily conflicts with parents, because ‘HEY, they don’t get me!!!’ –All this and more whilst Mr.Impulsive-Highly Volatile and Sentimental becomes the puppeteer of the teenage mind. And, you add the current perils of the social-media-age- KABOOM!

Evincing the struggles and journey of today’s teens, The Secret Life of Debbie.G is a truly ‘unputdownable’ graphic novel, weaved around the story of a 16 year old teen Saundarya, sort of an ‘Invisible’ in a top-shot school, who builds an alter-ego through social media to give back to all the ‘super-brats’ and the ‘geeks’. Yes, there existed such hierarchies of ‘coolness’ in our school too, didn’t they?

The tale is a witty and warm saga of the life of today’s teens, and how turbulent family dynamics, along with all the existing pressures of social media, body-shaming, and just being a Millennial or Gen-Z kid can take a toll on one’s mental and emotional health.

Being a graphic novel, it is through and through illustrated with the cutest graphics, and I must add I learnt a lot many ‘cool-tween-terminologies’.

This book, is so far my most engaging read of the year. Seldom does it happen that I ‘pull an all-nighter’ to read a book. It did happen with this one.

A 10 on 10 kind of a read that gives you a ride of the rollercoaster (of quirky emotions)!

Big thank you to Harper Collins India for recommending and sending the advanced review copy of this endearing book.

Book Thoughts | How To Be A Writer, Ruskin Bond | HarperCollins Children’s Books

For every reader at some point hopes to write a book someday. For every person who often retires in their room with a pen and journal, might have aspired to make something ‘literary’ out of it. And, for every person who is observant of their habitat, the familiarity of the sounds of the vendors passing by the alley on a lazy afternoon, might have had a day-dream of putting all those verbal portrayals in the form of a book, a story, a satire.

And, as Sir #RuskinBond rightly quotes, “Writing, for me, is the simplest and greatest pleasure in the world”.

‘How To Be A Writer’ is an artful, cheery delight for young readers (you may choose to call yourself ‘young’, like I do) dreaming to not just read, but to be read too; and to hold their literary trophy– a book having their name on the cover.

The little book, which is a part of #HarperChildrensFestivalList has seven chapters imparting ‘little’ lessons to beginners on the qualities of a reader, finding a familiar setting to write about, to creating a writing routine, to building characters, overcoming writer’s block and to finally getting published.

Even though its a ‘guidance’ sort of a book, one can be sure of the simplicity, light-hearted, amiable tone of Ruskin Bond throughout.

From the cover of the book, to each and every illustration at the beginning and amidst the chapters is so eye-catching, fun and admirable.

Its safe for me to say that the book feels like ‘sunshine’ in hands!

A ‘weekend-afternoon’ kind of a read with a sprinkle of inspiration for the budding writer.

Thank You HarperCollins India for sending across this little balmy book to me!

I’d Rather be Reading | The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life; Anne Bogel

“But I am still growing, changing—not the kind of growth you can measure against a door frame, but the kind you can see measured against the books I’ve read”

‘I’d Rather be Reading’ by Anne Bogel is a literary solitaire I found on my Kindle Unlimited. Chronicling her own journey of becoming a reader, it is a book that harmonizes with the thoughts of every reader.

From reflecting on one’s early bonding with books, to finding a sanctum in a library and to seeking nostalgic serendipity in the old books that a reader continually finds comfort in…the chapters of the book vividly cover the ardour around books, and reading.

There are so many phrases and lines that one feels like highlighting while reading this one, because so many of them are like a *literary hug* as they resonate so well.

It was a like a ‘mug-brownie’ read for me… sprightly, merry, delighting and full of warmth.

And having spilled my little share of thoughts, I would just say: Dear bookstagrammers and fellow readers, this book belongs to you and your lifelong friendship with reading…

“Just as I’m all the ages I have been, I’m all the readers I have been”

Learning to Read and Reading to Learn | Reading for Beginners

Reading is a learned skill unique to all humans, and that most of us are privileged to acquire in our early developmental years. Though, in those early years, we learn ‘how to read’, eventually, we reverse that process and ‘read’ in order to ‘learn’ academic concepts, fulfill educational requirements, understand the world we live in, etc.

Some of us continue to practice this life skill further in life and then come to identify ourselves as ‘Readers’

Despite being convinced of the benefits and wanting to give space to reading in our lives, many of us feel overwhelmed and confused as to where to start, and to find the right book. Here are a few pointers that I have summarized which may get you started to the magic of reading.

1. Start Simple and Start Small: You don’t have to run for that ‘bestseller’ book, or a book that you know may be a little tough for you to start. Start with any genre, and any book you like. Pick up the smallest book or even a comic book. For me inculcating reading in my life has been like a series of thread, each connected to another. Often an end of a book, suggests midway or by the end, another book to me.
2. Goal To Books, and not Books to Goals: For reading non-fiction or scientific books, may be try visualizing what is your goal? Like for example, my goal is to be more thorough with therapeutic interventions for my practice, so now that I have a goal in mind, I can just go in reverse and look for books around that. And there are always books waiting for you 🙂
3. Inspiring Biographies: A good and engaging way to begin reading is to pick up a book written by or around a public figure who is your inspiration. It is a good way to know them up close, learn about their lifestyle, and what attributes they practiced to actually become your inspiration today.
4. Ask Your Reader Friends: Your friends know you well. And if they know you well, a reader friend would be able to suggest a good book to get you started on the reading journey.

Prognosis, A Memoir of My Brain | Sarah Vallance | Book Thoughts

What happens when in your mid-to-late twenties, post an exhilarating adventure, you realise that you have damaged an important part of your brain? ⁣
⁣
⁣That, you are soon losing basic cognitive functions like memory, reading, comprehension, navigation—all the one’s you always took for granted because they were so automatic and natural.⁣
⁣
⁣And what feelings would follow, when, just in a span of days, you can’t decipher the meaning of your own Ph.D research topic, let alone accomplish it? ⁣
⁣
Prognosis, A Memoir of My Brain 💐 by Sarah Vallance is a story that explores loss, grief, post-traumatic growth not just in the ‘resilience’ sense but in the #neural and anatomical sense 🧠
⁣
⁣What especially interested me in this book was how our brain has the capacity to develop new neurons and neural connections when given the right stimulation, a concept I am deeply interested in- #neuroplasticity ⁣✨
⁣
And, though I’ve never been a lover of dogs (yet, admirer of dogs and dog lovers @teople_poo ), this book brought me closer to how they may be your truest companions; even when you fear that the world of humans may be mocking at you, and when you give yourself ‘labels’, the companionship and love of a dog can be, after all, a safe haven- of acceptance, and warmth ☀️
⁣
A book that was in my @goodreads TBR shelf for long, which I rediscovered in my #kindleunlimited catalogue. ⁣

Daughters of Destiny | Shanti Bhavan | Netflix Limited Series

This time it’s not a book that has inspired me, but a limited series on Netflix called ‘Daughters of Destiny’.

The series takes us to ‘Shanti Bhavan’, a philanthropic institution built by Abraham George, where children come from some of the most impoverished families, that are deprived from not only umpteen tangible reservoirs of life but also the substantial needs like social equality, justice, peace.

Shanti Bhavan as a residential school admits one child from such families. These children, from a very young age, although face separation from their brood and natural haven, live in SB where they gain access to competent education in English-medium, exposure to vocations and artistic pursuits-the potential of which may have gone untapped otherwise, awareness about social issues, alongside encouragement towards inculcating values and character strengths.

The hope behind taking on just one child per family is that, that ‘one child’ would conceivably become the bearer of light for the others in his/her family and community, and once educated and financially independent, would break the centuries old cycle of poverty, illiteracy, destitute living; by becoming the change maker of tomorrow.

The episodes of the series, through the longitudinal narrative of the life of five students presented over a span of 7 years, chronicles the significant transformation these children go through, the struggles they face while gearing between being the beneficiary of striking upbringing at the residential school, and coming to terms with their ancestral and social reality – only to ignite a will within to build an equitable, just, and worthwhile world.

Hence, it was only fulfilling to see how Karthikeya, a girl born into a community of miners, goes on to become a lawyer and aspires to work for human rights. And, how Shilpa, a daughter of an elephant chaser who is curious and inquisitive since her growing years, chooses journalism as her path towards upliftment… (also wrote a memoir which is in my TBR)

What touched and inspired me most was how all the SB students were so eloquent, deeply aware and grounded of the realities they have come from and yet aiming for the sky (a sky ‘just’ for all..)

Needless to say, Daughters of Destiny is a story of hope, the metamorphic power of education, bringing an inspiring promise for a better world.