Ayya's Accounts

by Anand Pandian, Veena Das (Afterword), M.P. Mariappan

Ayya’s Accounts explores the life of an ordinary man—orphan, refugee, shopkeeper, and grandfather—during a century of tremendous hope and upheaval. Born in colonial India into a despised caste of former tree climbers, Ayya lost his mother as a child and came of age in a small town in lowland Burma. Forced to flee at the outbreak of World War II, he made a treacherous 1,700-mile journey by foot, boat, bullock cart, and rail back to southern India. Becoming a successful fruit merchant, Ayya educated and eventually settled many of his descendants in the United States. Luck, nerve, subterfuge, and sorrow all have their place along the precarious route of his advancement. Emerging out of tales told to his American grandson, Ayya’s Accounts embodies a simple faith—that the story of a place as large and complex as modern India can be told through the life of a single individual.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, India, Memoir

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of an ordinary Indian merchant's life, as told by his grandson. A special book in two ways: it highlights the extraordinary that happens in even an ordinary life, and it captures the chaos and challenges of Indians in Burma during the Japanese invasion during WW2 in a way that I have never seen in print. It is both detailed and heartwarming in its care of the subject.

[Jacq · Rating 4 out of 5]

The part that touched me the most is "But then they would send you a letter from wherever they went: some happiness. Then they would call you by phone: more happiness. Then they would come back to see you: even more happiness."

[Bob Schmitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

While hitting tennis balls with Sanchita Balachandran at Camp Friendship in Palmyra VA. I found out she had done work with my cousin Henry Lie at the Fog in Boston and that her husband Anand Pandian was an anthropologist at Johns Hopkins. I looked him up and saw this book and thought that it might be interesting. It was.

The story of Anands grandfathers growing up in India and Burma was interesting. It was a bit difficult for me to follow at times as it flipped chapter by chapter from Ayya to Anand as narrator.

Ayya's story covers decades but centuries of differences. His family Nadar by caste who were once maligned as "polluting by sight....Unclean tree climbers" Few people remember that now least of all the Nadars. He survived the plague, mistook airplanes for vultures, ran from Japanese bombers and now has childern in


Some beautiful lines from the book:
-Most of us have had grandparents or other elders murmuring from the corners of our lives...
-No life is as small as it might appear from a distance.
- It was no more than a feeling, the feeling of momentum that we sometimes call hope.

[ashmawi · Rating 3 out of 5]

For uni.

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this at a library in California! A bittersweet reminders that people’s experiences and stories get lost in the relics of time if not voiced, heard and recounted.

[Prasanth Manthena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading my brother-in-laws account of his grandfather's life.
The Indian diaspora has experienced many different cultural and political shocks and there is a touch of sadness in the unfulfilled potential that appear in Ayya's thoughts about what his life could have been if not for geopolitical events beyond his control (WWII, India's poverty, etc.).

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and accessible ethnography, this detailed story of the author's grandfather, Ayya, shares a life lived during a time of great change in India. Through that story, the reader considers her own place in the global and universal issues explored here. Detailed reading, but recommended for the depth of consideration.

[Christopher Rahilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing account of an incredible life. If you have any interest in a deeply human story this is a fun read. If you are interested in India and related culture this is something you will enjoy.