A touching personal accounts of people that Sudha Murty came across in her life including her own father,grandmother, friends and other well-wishers.
Being bullied in her Engineering college dominated by Male students and ending up becoming lifelong friends with many. Sacrificing shopping for life whilst pouring the third handful of the holy water of Ganga in Kashi, as a tribute to her late grandmother. Getting stones, chappal, death threats thrown at, during the rehabilitation of Devadasis. She faithfully recounts these experiences while being humble and grounded. Even in the story of
A Day in Infosys Foundation
, there was not a hint of pride or ego in what she and her team is giving back to the society.
Few of the stories were deeply emotional, for eg.,
Three Thousand Stitches
, the namesake in this collection highlighting the history, struggle and rehabilitation of Devadasis,
No Place Like Home
depicting the horrors faced by Indian Immigrant women in Middle East,
A Life Unwritten
which provided a hopeless teenage girl a purpose in life, and
I Can't, We Can
narrating sad stories of people dealing with alcoholism and fighting hard to come out a better person through AA.
We also see her travelogues, her innate love for food and Bollywood, her upbringing in Kannada-Marathi cultures and her take on food diversity among the three sisters which included her mother.
It was a breezy read written in simple English with no over explanation of any kind. Can't wait to read more of her works being a fellow Kannadiga!
Obligatory quotes section:
Who really said India is a country? It is a continent - culturally vibrant, diverse in food and yet, distinctly Indian at heart.
- Author in "Food for Thought"
A language is but a vehicle. it's the person inside who's weaving the story that's more important. you are a storyteller. so just get on with your story and language will fall into place.
- T.J.S George to the Author in "Preface"
Then they all got dressed and went with Krishna (yes, Lord Krishna) to the nearest cafe for a hot chocolate
- Krishna (Sudha Murty's grandson) in "Rasleela and the Swimming Pool"
How'd they get hot chocolate in Dwapara Yuga, read the book to find out ;)