Nardagani: A Memoir - Finding Light in the Shadow of a Brother's Disappearance

by Narda Pitkethly

This is a true story. From the first sentence, we are in the grip of a narrative that will not let us go. Narda Pitkethly’s brother vanishes amid several clues, in September 2001, near Sun Valley, Idaho. In the search for Jay, the family undertakes extreme measures to find him. This plunges Narda into a prolonged period of searching, not only for her brother, but for inspiration and meaning in her life, which ultimately leads her back to a world that makes sense.
​
Narda’s journey takes us on a roller coaster of emotional survival, through the chaos of her childhood and adolescence to the liberating adventures of foreign travel in her twenties; from the legacy of addiction and depression to a hard-won life of calm sobriety. Woven throughout are the often-colorful strands of a broken family, shattered relationships, creative inspiration, hope and adventure, resilience and recovery. What she discovers along the way is the brother she loved and lost, and a priceless gift she can offer the Nardagani, an innovative reading program for students who struggle to read.

ebook

Published December 11, 2019

Reviews

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely read memoirs, and I never listen to books on Audible...but in this case, I did both. I'm so glad I did.

Narda Pitkethly has a beautiful, calming, soothing voice and it was a joy listening to her narrate her own life story. A story which is, at times, jubilant, funny, awe-inspiring, and also heartbreaking. Narda quickly envelops her readers into the mystery of her brother, Jay's, disappearance, and then travels back in time to their childhoods, to explain how they got from Point A to Point B. Narda's father was a neurosurgeon in the military, so the family moved frequently. Being the only daughter and the middle child out of five children...she often felt unseen and, sometimes, even unloved.

I was genuinely engrossed listening to Narda's story unfold. I loved her brutal honesty, regarding both herself and her family members. Yet, despite it all, Narda's sense of humor was felt throughout, within the undercurrent of her words. It really is a dynamic, inspirational book, especially when you realize that, from all the tragedy, a miracle was born - Nardagani. Nardagani is a program Narda developed to help reverse illiteracy around the world. And it's working!

You can watch Narda's TEDx speech here (and I suggest you do...I had tears of unsuppressed joy running down my cheeks):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0o3u...

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Available now!

My sincere thanks to Narda Pitkethly for my review copy.

[kristin gearhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narda's easy to read memoir is a lovely story of heartbreak (through a brother's tragic disappearance), addiction and finding light on the other side. She writes with raw emotion, and by the end of the book, you feel as if you have followed her through her life's journeys. I was lucky enough to be invited to a local book club event where Narda spoke. It was such a pleasure to chat with the actual author!

[Emily Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narda is so strong to share her story. It is a beautiful story of hardship but of the battle keep believing and keep fighting for what you love. I think anyone who reads her story can find a piece that resonates with them. Wonderful reminder to follow your dreams and believe in your path. Thank you Narda!

[Dave Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest account of a life story with childhood memories of sadness and sorrow, good times, family times, traveling the world as a wonderful learning experience, tragedy, and other life events that shaped her life. Enter triumph over tragedy with her experiences in Japan and learning to read and write what many would consider a difficult language. Then, using amazing insights into how learning Japanese through their system of teaching people to read could transfer to the English language, to help not only challenged readers learn to read, but also help many people around the world learning English as a second language to read and pronounce, and ultimately understand what a student is reading, thereby opening doors to the greatest skill a person can possess in life.

[Scott "Joticle" Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book managed to stir every single emotion I am capable of feeling.  I think the strength in words is the honesty and the authenticity about some very traumatizing and impactful events.  The vulnerability is inspiring; it is remarkable and had quite honestly unearthed a lot of emotions along the way that I am pretty good at confining to their little boxes unless the correct key is used, primarily through parallels I have experienced, but also in wrapping my mind around certain events unfamiliar to me that occur throughout the read.  It ends on a dream and a statement of faith and leaves you having consumed her journey, left to decipher your own.

[Chad Matteson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating true story of a Brother gone missing. The haunting questions of what happened. Who is telling the truth, conflicting stories about what happened and who saw him last. It is bad enough to lose a brother and know what happened, but to get wrapped up in mysterious disappearance... and to open up her heart in the search, that lasts for years.
I kept saying to my self I can't believe she wrote that... I felt that at times I knew more about Narda than I was supposed to know. Anger, frustration, love for her brother and what happened.
A good read.

[Haley Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nardagani is a deeply moving story about love, hardship, family, growth, and finding your purpose in a world that often seems to be actively working against you. Narda writes with such vulnerablility that the reader feels as though they too are traveling the world, experiencing heartbreak, stepping out of their comfort zone, and finding their passion. An inspirational and non-stop story of tragedy and triumph, Nardagani is an absolute must read.

[John W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This captivating story is for any and all of us who need a booster shot mix of inspiration, perseverance, resilience and truth finding. It’s a memoir of a non-academic loving sister who discovers through her own family tragedy the root cause of anyone believing they are a failure in life; and then dedicates her life to finding a simple non-traditional solution for the up to 20% of the U.S. adult population afflicted with illiteracy.

[Lisa Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Narda!!!! I listened to your book on a road trip last week!!! You are gifted beyond words…. I was moved, touched inspired and amazed by your journey, you’re memoir and your narrative, nothing short of incredible!!! It touched me beyond description!!!! Truly the BEST piece I have experienced in years!!!

[Aaron B]

This story takes you on a journey. You evolve with characters in your belief about rediscovery and resilience. It is a quick read that will change paradigms about people and they're experiences that you may not even know about. As soon as I read it, I shared it with my spouse to read, knowing it was the perfect message of strength, empowerment and rediscovery he also needed to experience.

[John Pitkethly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read! This book is a clearly written/narrated, interesting true story about the amazing life and resilience of the author. I was planning on reading one chapter a day but finished the entire book in less than 72 hours. I couldn't stop reading because if I did I would keep reviewing the story in my mind and wanted to know more.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling story!! Very gripping read right from the start! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a very interesting memoir written with emotion and heart. Narda openly invites you into her life and shares her intimate story passionately!!

[Paweena French · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why Narda wrote this memoir, her life has been filled with lots of interesting experiences. Although the book starts out with tragedy Narda goes on to tell us about her enjoyable times as well. It was hard for me to put this book down once I opened it. Very enjoyable read for me.

[Cheryl Painter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read

I knew Jay in high school. Absolutely loved him. He was such a fun loving person. Knowing Jay made this book more interesting. I think Narda wrote this book for everyone to read though. Whether you have lost a loved one or not.

[Hoyt Masur]

Great book about the struggle of loss especially when the loss is uncertain. Very short, engaging and intriguing book.

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one you start to read and hate to stop reading - yes a page burner. My wife and I read Nardagani at the same time and discussed it whenever we had a moment together. I mean A LOT of DISCUSSION. This is a story of a life with great creativity, great sadness, and amazing resilience. This book made me question my life choices and also feel blessed that my life was so mundane. Read it you will want to do better for the world!!

[Wiliam C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring hopefulness

Really enjoyed this one. Like a beautiful painting, we all will enjoy it in our own way. I connected with this book...this story. It spoke to me in a very personal way and I felt motivated during and feel more motivated after reading it. Hope for my own past, present and future. I’m inspired. Thanks Narda. Well done.

[Narda Pitkethly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed writing this gripping story, which begins with my brother's disappearance and draws you in quickly to this mystery. This is a true story filled with adversity, inspiration and a modicum of humor along the way.

[Gina Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many twists and turns

This book will capture your interest, with many twists and turns, a mystery, and finding what we all yearn for, finding our life's work and passion.