" To Sir With Love " - E R Braithwaite

E R Braithwaite was born in British Guyana in 1920. Born to oxford educated parents Braithwaite was blessed with a happy childhood and got good education. In the time of Second World War he joined the Royal Air Force of British Army which he later recalls to be the only place where his black skin was not a matter of prejudice.

After war, he was unable to find a profession in his field though he was a doctorate in Physics. Though different authorities and organizations made different reasons for not employing him, it was his skin color that mattered to all who rejected his application.

Reluctantly, he takes up teaching as a profession in Greenslade School, in East end of London. Many of his students were from very poor family background, most of them being back outs from other schools. Semi autobiographical in nature, the book is an account of how an intimate and deep relation builds between Braithwaite and his students. Charismatic and sincere, Braithwaite wins the hearts of his students whom he later addresses as his children.

Excerpts:

A passage from the book that describes Braithwaite’s feelings on being refused work at Mayfair:

I reflected on my life in the USA. There , when prejudice is felt, it is open , obvious, blatant ; the white man makes his position very clear, and the black man fight those prejudices with equal openness and fervour, using every constitutional device available to him……In Britain, I found things to be very different. I have yet to meet a single English person who has actually admitted to anti-Negro prejudice; it is even generally believed that no such thing exists here. A Negro is free to board any bus or train and sit anywhere, provided he has paid the appropriate fare; the fact that many people might pointedly avoid sitting next to him is casually overlooked. He is free to seek accommodation in any licensed hotel or boarding house – the courteous refusal which frequently follows is never ascribed to prejudice. The betrayal I now felt was greater because it had been perpetrated with the greatest of charm and courtesy.

One of the best books that I have read, “To Sir with Love” lingers in mind posing varied questions to the reader. Autobiographic, the book speaks against prejudices of all hues.

Unaccostomed Earth

“Unaccustomed Earth” by Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of short stories. Identity Crisis of Immigrants to an unknown land leaving their ancestral land is the needle that knits the stories together in a book. Most of the stories bring out the negative side of human nature when confronted with varied crisis in life, overpowered with determination or at times chance.

Skipped few of the stories and took a long time to complete!
( Probably because the book was not pulling enough !)

Lajja ( Shame ) - Taslima Nasrin

Written in less than 10 days, Taslima Nasrin’s ‘Lajja’ portrays the torture, humiliation and man-hunting that Hindus in Bangladesh were subjected to after the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Precise and poignant the book throws light on religious fundamentalism and communalism and how its repercussions are felt in human relationships.

Storyline:
The story revolves around the lives of a four member family, who had to sell their land in Mymensingh on the banks of Brahmaputra and move out to Dhaka in search of security.

Sudhamoy, a medical practitioner by profession, simple, honest, idealistic and a great humanitarian at heart, detested communalism in all its shades. So, they decided to stay back in Bangladesh, when many of their friends and relatives migrated to India for a secure and safe future. Kironmoyee, his wife, is portrayed as a courageous and enduring woman who stands by her husband through all the hardships that they encountered. Suranjan, their elder son, though brilliant and studious , being a Hindu is unable to find himself work and stays back home. His relationship with Parveen, a Muslim girl breaks up when he refuses to accept her plea to convert to Islam. The family is emotionally shattered when their younger daughter, Maya is abducted and does not return.

Hastily written and unimaginative the book leaves several ends open. But it hooks the reader to the end and qualifies for a good one time read.

Amen - Autobiography of a nun - Sister Jesmi

Written in Malayalam and published by DC Books , Sister Jesmi’s ‘Amen’ is an autobiographical narration of incidents in her convent-life. Open and sharp, the book is a courageous effort towards bringing to light the little known dark world of convent life. Already reeling under issues like the ‘Sister Abhaya Murder Case’ and suicide of nuns, the book poses a big question in front of the Church to seriously reconsider the security that it provides to its sisters.

The incidents of homo and hetero sexual behaviors in the convent and jealousy and feuds among sisters, ignites any civilized mind to seriously consider the need for such an institution. I feel women outside are safer than sisters inside the walls of the convent, where they are not bound by the vow of obedience to at least scream when subjected to injustice and sexual abuses.

Confronted with numerous issues ranging from backstabs from co-sisters to attempts to treat her for mental instability, sister Jesmi finally leaves the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC), an institution of which she was a part for more than 33 years.

A truly Courageous attempt at autobiography.

City of Joy- Dominique Lapierre

Is a book on Calcutta, a city on the banks of river Hoogly in West Bengal, India. Lapierre successfully captures the spirit of Calcutta in descriptive yet pleasing language. Written in little more than 500 pages, the book tries to answer the mystery of happiness that overflows the lives of ordinary people living in severely deplorable conditions in the slums of Calcutta.

The City is presented as seen through the lives of Stephen Kovalski, the polish priest who dedicated his life to the service of lepers and other dwellers of ‘Anathnager’ as Calcutta is otherwise known. Other important characters in the book are Hasari Pal and Max Leob. Hasari Pal, is a peasant who migrated to the streets of Calcutta with his wife and kids to earn a living for his family awaiting the amount that he sends back home every month. The hardships that follows Hasari who manages his livelihood pulling rickshaws is heart rending. Max Leob , is an American doctor that Kovalski gets to treat the slum dwellers. Leob’s perception of life and happiness undergoes a dramatic change after his life in the slums .

Hats off to the effort, dedication and research that has gone into creating such a masterpiece…!!!

Discovery Of India - Jawaharlal Nehru

( Here is the review of a book ....which I've not yet completed. Shall add on to it once I complete )

With passionate and erudite narration of the rich and diverse cultural heritage and stabilised civilisation of India, Discovery Of India , by Jawaharlal Nehru , stands out as a must read for anyone who is genuinely interested in India. The book gives a clear picture of the cultural,religious and philosophical tradition of India.With the description of Hinduism more as a culture , than a religion and how it absorbed other religions ;history of India's relationship with China ,Iran and Europe the book elucidates the glorious past of Indian art, architecture,sculpture mathematics,trade and a lot more.

Background
The book was written in five months in 1944 , while Nehru was imprisoned in Ahmednagar Fort for participating in the Quit India movement.First published in 1946 , a year before independence, the book is widely regarded as a Classic by most historians. As Nehru says in the Preface to the first edition of the book , his stay in the prison brought him close to people speaking different languages from the length and breadth of India , like Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad . The contents of book took shape largely from the long discussions that he had with them and was spell checked and reviewed by his daughter Indira .