What do you think?
Rate this book
Anu #5
Anu: The Celtic Years
Anu was 74 years old when she crossed deep water to settle on the other side of the world. Embracing Ireland's 'One hundred thousand welcomes', she quickly built an interesting life for herself, adapted to the weather and assembled a large circle of friends, most of them younger than her.
Her insatiable curiosity attracted her to many new situations, all of which were carefully recorded in her writings. She kept her brilliant mind well-oiled until the very end. Anu's story came to an end when she was 93 years old. She left me a wonderful legacy of friends, some of whom I have visited in their homes abroad. Anu's vibrant spirit is everywhere.
Her insatiable curiosity attracted her to many new situations, all of which were carefully recorded in her writings. She kept her brilliant mind well-oiled until the very end. Anu's story came to an end when she was 93 years old. She left me a wonderful legacy of friends, some of whom I have visited in their homes abroad. Anu's vibrant spirit is everywhere.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2018
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 11, 2018
The earlier books in the series followed Anu's life in third party as she studied and married in India, loved and quarrelled, divorced her husband and kept her daughters. Now Shabnam takes up the tale in person to tell us about Anu's later years, mostly in Ireland with some travels.
From her background in higher education and administration, Anu was well able to hold her own in a strange country, wearing eyecatching saris and making friends in the nearby church. But it wasn't until she joined the International Women's Association that she really blossomed and grew away from what was becoming an unhealthy situation - she had become too dependent on Shabnam, and Shabnam needed to work from home. All women who get annoyed by a suddenly retired husband or unemployed offspring around the house all day will identify with the situation. With new friends and activities the lady in her seventies was busy again.
We also follow sisters Priti and Kavita as their families too feel the passing of time. The Vasisht family travelled more than most, out to Dubai or India and around Europe, so ill health could strike in inopportune places.
The final section of Anu's dwindling health over a few years was sad but honest. I think this must have been desperately hard for Shabnam to write. We can learn many lessons - health care in Irish hospitals and doctors' offices, the cultural expectations of someone from India, the effort and stress of the carer. And then we can go back and read The Raj Years and the rest all over again. Anu had an incredible life, chiefly due to her own determination.
What I love about this book is the constant flow of joy from the brightly coloured photos. Even in her nineties, Anu sits in her sunroom happily engaged in newspapers and notebooks, wearing pretty colours and with twinkling eyes. The family and friends who gather are shown celebrating life. From India to Ireland, we should all hope for as many good friends and as much fulfilment.
Note: Shabnam says nobody has noticed that the cover for The Raj Years was the colours of the British flag. I did notice, sure it was intended after the next book was the colours of the Indian flag.
My husband bought me this book as he has bought me all the others, from Amazon. As Ireland is small I have met the author, but I was not asked to review. This is an unbiased review.
From her background in higher education and administration, Anu was well able to hold her own in a strange country, wearing eyecatching saris and making friends in the nearby church. But it wasn't until she joined the International Women's Association that she really blossomed and grew away from what was becoming an unhealthy situation - she had become too dependent on Shabnam, and Shabnam needed to work from home. All women who get annoyed by a suddenly retired husband or unemployed offspring around the house all day will identify with the situation. With new friends and activities the lady in her seventies was busy again.
We also follow sisters Priti and Kavita as their families too feel the passing of time. The Vasisht family travelled more than most, out to Dubai or India and around Europe, so ill health could strike in inopportune places.
The final section of Anu's dwindling health over a few years was sad but honest. I think this must have been desperately hard for Shabnam to write. We can learn many lessons - health care in Irish hospitals and doctors' offices, the cultural expectations of someone from India, the effort and stress of the carer. And then we can go back and read The Raj Years and the rest all over again. Anu had an incredible life, chiefly due to her own determination.
What I love about this book is the constant flow of joy from the brightly coloured photos. Even in her nineties, Anu sits in her sunroom happily engaged in newspapers and notebooks, wearing pretty colours and with twinkling eyes. The family and friends who gather are shown celebrating life. From India to Ireland, we should all hope for as many good friends and as much fulfilment.
Note: Shabnam says nobody has noticed that the cover for The Raj Years was the colours of the British flag. I did notice, sure it was intended after the next book was the colours of the Indian flag.
My husband bought me this book as he has bought me all the others, from Amazon. As Ireland is small I have met the author, but I was not asked to review. This is an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 of 1 review