Books from My Shelves
By Ratna Manucha
Before I go any further, I would like to mention that today’s article is all due to Mr. Napalchyal’s generosity and magnanimity. I have been out of town for some time now and if this article sees the light of day, I have only him to thank – for gently nudging me to submit my piece.
Being an only child, my relationship with books has been deeply personal, intimate, warm, comforting and all encompassing. The relationship of course, has evolved over the years, yet one constant remains. I am surrounded by them, still. So, from a bibliophile or a bookworm, who would devour a book a day, I find myself still buying books (albeit with toned down fervour), with a genuine desire and plan to read them. But, due to an affliction called dry eyes, where the reverse happens (the eyes water extensively!) my reading has slowed down and so the half read and sometimes unread books pile up on my bedside table…a classic example of tsundoku (the practice of buying books and piling them up with the intention of reading them…some day).
My early years were spent with my nose buried in books by Enid Blyton (I don’t think I missed out on a single one), graduating to the Mystery series and adventures of the Famous Five and The Secret Seven, along with the St. Clare’s and Mallory Tower series.
The Amar Chitra Kathas were a top favourite. What an amazing and effortless way it was to teach children about our mythology and history. The fact that I am writing about all this today speaks volumes about what an impact these comics must have had on young, impressionable minds in those days. Unlike the cartoons or movies of today, where the scenes just flash by in an instant.
The teenage years were spent mooning over Mills and Boons, Barbara Cartland and Denise Robins. Who needed friends when we had these wonderful books as our companions! Romance took centre stage as the books transported me to faraway lands. Fiction by Danielle Steel, Nicholas Sparks, Jeffery Archer made a delightful potpourri on my shelves …the former two bringing romance and a touch of adventure, while the latter added to the mystery and suspense. Of course, Loisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Good Wives, Little Men and Jo’s Boys were devoured with equal fervour and that was the time that dreams about romance underwent a subtle shift.
As a young army wife and a mother, I would source bookshops at each little station we were posted to. Sometimes, there would be tiny nondescript bookshops and at other times there would be just newspaper stands. Needless to say, I befriended the owners and they would be my suppliers for all my book needs, till we moved to the next station!
The books that find a mention in this page, have held me in thrall at various stages of my life.
As the years roll by, I have come to understand and accept that my relationship with books has evolved. In the 1990s, Jean Sassoon was a great favourite. Three of her books, Princess, Daughters of Arabia and Desert Royal (Bantam Books) were riveting reads. Not having any experience of travelling outside India, in those days, books were my window to the outside world and it was fascinating to read about the gripping and true accounts of the lives of the royal women behind the veil in Saudi Arabia.
My desire to know what went on in the minds of women outside India led me to Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Vintage Books). An exceptional and engrossing account of a young girl who transforms into one of Kyoto’s most celebrated geishas. Set against the backdrop of 20th century Japan and the upheaval of the Second World War, it is a historical fiction that transported me into another time and another place in a time when there weren’t many options of knowing what went on in the world beyond.
Slowly but steadily, I began noticing that there was a subtle shift in my reading habits as I found myself shifting from fiction and nonfiction towards self-help, inspirational books that encouraged personal growth and development.
A series that hit the stands in the nineties was, Chicken Soup for the Soul and was an instant hit. Compiled by Jack Canfield and Victor Hansen, the series was published by Westland Books in India. With over 275 titles under various sub-headings, each featuring 101 inspiring, true short stories about ordinary people overcoming life’s challenges. These were the books that slowly and steadily began taking over my life and before I knew it, I was hooked. Though I think I have most of the books in the series, some of the ones that I treasure are, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul.
I picked up Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Omnibus, by Richard Carlson (Hachette), many years ago at the Chennai airport, and it grew on me. It wasn’t a eureka moment, but as I read through it, I realised how much importance we give to things that really do not matter in the larger scheme of things. With 100 short articles, the book helps us to understand life by looking at things from the other person’s perspective, learning to accept blame and praise equally and to lighten up!
Of course, I hadn’t given up on fiction altogether. The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Harper Collins) which is Sita’s version of the Ramayana, is a powerful comment on duty, betrayal, infidelity and honour and talks about women’s struggle to attain autonomy in a world that privileges men, as she transforms an ancient story into a gripping contemporary battle of wills. Makes me wonder whether these questions are still relevant today. Are women today, really emancipated or are they hiding behind the garb of emancipation?
Biographies hold a deep fascination for me and though I have read quite a few of them, one that stands out is Michelle Obama’s memoir, titled, Becoming. Published by Penguin, it is a compelling story of a young girl from a modest background who is catapulted into fame. What stood out in the entire book was Michelle’s honesty, resilience and humour and how she went through life with grace, dignity and a touch of humour. Each page is gripping and at the end of it one is left with a profound question: who are we and who do we want to become?
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra (Excel Printers) is a book I have gifted many of my friends. Filled with timeless wisdom and practical steps, this book is a keeper. It offers a life altering perspective on the attainment of success.
Like I said earlier, my relationship with books changes according to the life changes I experience. Hence, there came a time in my life when I was engulfed with grief and grappling with the pain of immense loss, it was Donna Ashworth who came to my rescue. Her poetry comforted me and brought some rhythm into the emotional chaos of my life. It taught me that I could go on living with grief walking beside me. On my bedside table, are, Growing Brave and Loss, both by Donna Ashworth.
A recent book that I read at least four times and each time I loved it more and more, was Firat Sunel’s The Lighthouse Family. Originally written in Turkish it has been translated into English and published by Penguin. Again, set against the backdrop of the Second World War, it is a poignant and compelling journey that talks about displacement and the indomitable human spirit that shines like the beam of a lighthouse even in the darkest hours. My love for the book obviously shone through as our session at the Valley of Words LitFest in 2024, was a huge success!
Of late, I find myself enjoying James Norbury’s Big Panda and Tiny Dragon (Penguin Books). Simple illustrations. Simple words that pack a punch.
Two friends, Big Panda and Tiny Dragon journey through the different seasons together and explore hardships and happiness that connect us all.
They learn how to live in the moment, how to be at peace with uncertainty and how to find the strength to overcome life’s obstacles together.
I wouldn’t be true to myself if I didn’t end this piece on a lighter note. According to me, books make the perfect gift. With this in view, a couple of months ago I gifted my book, Unfiltered – The Little Things, to a new friend on her birthday. Cut to a few weeks ago, when we were again invited, this time for their anniversary. As I handed over my gift, she remarked, ‘I hope it’s not another book!’
There are book lovers and then there are those who have somehow managed to live without one!
And in case you are wondering…no, it wasn’t another book!
(Ratna Manucha, educator, author and columnist, lives, dreams and writes in Dehradun, her happy place).
