Glorious Sixty Year Olds

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book could have been very depressing but it is not. You know how it is going to end, yet you read it and feel his pain and his sorrow, and realize that he lived and loved life. The tears come unbidden, be prepared for that. But also be prepared for a beautifully written life story, be prepared to be touched by his courage and faith, by his fluency as he describes the progress of his cancer and the inevitable ending. Do not miss this book, it is one of the finest I have read in a long, long while. View all my reviews

If You Can Walk, You Can Dance by Marion Molteno My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you can walk, you can dance By Marion Molteno A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading." William Styron Music is such an essential part of my life, it surrounds me, it makes the world seem gentle and rollicking (based upon what I am listening to!) and when I find that music is the main theme of a book, it makes that book even more interesting and enticing. It is easy to relate to the book, fascinating to connect with the people in the book and to live the story as it unfolds through the pages. Marion Molteno’s book “If you can walk, you can dance” is one such book. Music is the binding theme of the book and as we follow Jennie’s life from South Africa to Zambia and London and back again, we realise that there are many more who believe that music is an important part of their lives too! Sounds simplistic doesn’t it, but ...

Turning 70 – is it really such a great milestone? Last year I entered the 7th decade of my life and was very excited about it. Somehow it seemed such a great occasion. A friend of mine had SIX birthday parties – held by her friends and family. I was determined to really have a birthday in style – in Rome with some close friends. But as luck would have it, our program got cancelled a day earlier and I spent my birthday on a flight from Delhi to New York! So much for best laid plans.  But today as I come close to my 71st birthday, I wonder – am I any different? Oh, the bones do ache, there is a reluctance to do work in any form and like most of my friends we make a beeline for the nearest chairs when we go somewhere. Physically, a lot has changed, not for the better, I can assure you! But am I mentally any different? I am a little more tolerant – my children and husband may not agree with me, but I have become more accepting of people. I do not keep trying to change them...

All Eyes on Her by Poonam Sharma My rating: 3 of 5 stars All Eyes On Her Authored by Poonam Sharma ‘Revenge is sweet but sabotage is more entertaining’ With a blurb like this, you pick up this book, and look forward to an entertaining tale of revenge and mischief – a bit like a ‘chick-lit’ novel. This is definitely a light, airy novel, dealing with the life of a young girl of Indian origin, living in Los Angeles and working with a law firm which deals with celebrity clients. Somehow it reminds you of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, for there are many references to brand names, and high society going-ons, even though it is based on the legal fraternity rather than the fashion writing industry. This is Poonam Sharma’s second novel. She acknowledges it ‘To the females who have made my difficult, because you taught me how to protect myself and, incidentally, gave me another idea for a book’. With an acknowledgement like that she strikes a chord with most women, and specially the ones who...

That Woman You See by Sujata Parashar My rating: 4 of 5 stars Look around you; you are surrounded by fascinating women, women who will charm you, women who will rebuff you, smiling women and some who look like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. Maybe you are one of these fascinating women, maybe you are one of the men who are fascinated by these women, whosoever you may be, That Woman You See is somewhere connected to your life and home. Sujata Parashar has ventured into the field of short story writing with a glimpse into the lives of these women who are a part of our world. Her book That Woman You See attempts to fathom the complexities of women in India, complexities which are a part of women worldwide. Frankly I am not a short story fan, somehow I am often left with a feeling that there must be more to this story – the author maybe needs to elaborate upon it more. But while reading Sujata’s book I soon realised that her exploration of the various facets of women in...

The Saga of Muziris by A Sethumadhavan and Prema Jayakumar My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Saga of Muziris Lost in this land of myriad cultures and communities there are some stories which carry within them a narrative of an era which is similar to our present day yet different in so many ways. They show us a mirror image of what our country truly was – a collage of religions and beliefs and a nation that had lived in harmony with communities with different identities through centuries. I have often wondered where did those communities disappear to ? Is it possible that we only visit them in our books or do we find remnants of their buildings and artefacts around us – something that we can touch and feel and maybe hear voices from many generations ago. The Saga of Muziris, written by Sethu in Malayalam under the name Marupiravi, and beautifully translated into English by Prema Jayakumar is a book that delves into a lost civilisation in Kerala, a maritime port which drowned under the s...