khepiari's review against another edition
3.0
Non-fiction and not top of that an anthology of memoirs is not for me. And how well my soul sister knows me? She looks at the cover loves it and reads what's in the blurb and buys it for me despite knowing my preference.
I have not read Jerry Pinto's novel. I have read his quirky articles and poetry and I have had the pleasure to see him once.
Its an anthology of people who had an ill relative, or as here it's put loved ones with a different mind. From bi-polar to schizophrenia to depression to autism, it talks about loved ones with mental illness.
Jerry says the experiences are webbed in the upper-middle and middle-class society. And it is so.
It's also a book of confession, learning and coming in terms with the hush-hush attitude towards mental well being.
Not all stories are happy, some end in suicide, some losing the essence of life after taking the dreadful pills, brilliant minds going astray. Overall living with a person who has mental issues is not easy, it takes courage and will-power of a family and support from friends.
Amandeep Sandhu's mother's story touched me the most. Patricia Mukhim's coming in term with her own troubles and constant denial of her daughter's trouble is apt, that's how we deal with mental illness- denial.
Its time we talk about mental health and it's problems.
I have not read Jerry Pinto's novel. I have read his quirky articles and poetry and I have had the pleasure to see him once.
Its an anthology of people who had an ill relative, or as here it's put loved ones with a different mind. From bi-polar to schizophrenia to depression to autism, it talks about loved ones with mental illness.
Jerry says the experiences are webbed in the upper-middle and middle-class society. And it is so.
It's also a book of confession, learning and coming in terms with the hush-hush attitude towards mental well being.
Not all stories are happy, some end in suicide, some losing the essence of life after taking the dreadful pills, brilliant minds going astray. Overall living with a person who has mental issues is not easy, it takes courage and will-power of a family and support from friends.
Amandeep Sandhu's mother's story touched me the most. Patricia Mukhim's coming in term with her own troubles and constant denial of her daughter's trouble is apt, that's how we deal with mental illness- denial.
Its time we talk about mental health and it's problems.
swethamaryann's review against another edition
5.0
It is a unique memoir of its kind.. mental illness is not a topic constantly discussed openly or even acknowledged openly, despite the modern scenario, where we are yet to learn to be accepting about it as it has been in the West.... after all the habits and practises that we pursue now.
It revolves around depression,bipolar disorder and even unexplained suicide... each story a true incident narrated by a relative or spouse...
The compilations are short and thought provoking... that it did make me think twice about every person’s attitude to a relative with mental illness...
It revolves around depression,bipolar disorder and even unexplained suicide... each story a true incident narrated by a relative or spouse...
The compilations are short and thought provoking... that it did make me think twice about every person’s attitude to a relative with mental illness...
amarrymeinbostonacademic's review against another edition
4.0
I happened upon this book by chance at my last trip to the local used book store and it seemed interesting so I picked it up. I was not prepared for how these stories would affect me. I couldn’t really put the book down once I picked it up.
Initially, the idea of the book made me a little wary, fearing that the mentally ill family members might all be demonized. That didn’t exactly happen here, but gave several voices the opportunity to show the personal difficulty of addressing mental health in modern India. It’s even more stigmatized there than in the US. I felt terribly for most of the families in this collection. Most of the tales are heartbreakingly sad and end in the mentally ill family member’s untimely death or disappearance. I think the only light hearted story was the one with the parents of the boy with Autism.
Every story is told by a family member of someone who had lived with a severe mental illness. Most of the mentally ill people had a form of bipolar disorder but there were at least two schizophrenics, a cancer patient, and a boy with autism. These stories all took place between the 1970s and 2016 in India. For some of the families in the story, treatment wasn’t possible or extremely difficult to come by. It’s very sad that the authors had to live with parents, siblings, children, and other relatives who suffered but couldn’t receive treatment due to severe social stigma and lack of access to medicines/treatments.
Some of the stories were more similar to what people would be familiar with in the US. Most of the writers in this collection came from middle class and educated backgrounds so their experiences were similar to what might be experienced by a middle class family with mentally ill members in America. They had accounts of pill regimes, ECT treatments, and facing the various symptoms of an illness together.
I gave this collection 4 stars! This book will tear your heart out but if you are an empathetic person or have been affected by mental illness at all in your life, whether its a family member, dear friend, or yourself, this story collection will speak volumes. Mental health is a global issue and affects people from all nations, races, classes, genders, religions, and sexual orientations. While this gave me some hope, it just clarifies to me that the governments around the globe have to do a better job of providing good mental healthcare their people all around the world.
Initially, the idea of the book made me a little wary, fearing that the mentally ill family members might all be demonized. That didn’t exactly happen here, but gave several voices the opportunity to show the personal difficulty of addressing mental health in modern India. It’s even more stigmatized there than in the US. I felt terribly for most of the families in this collection. Most of the tales are heartbreakingly sad and end in the mentally ill family member’s untimely death or disappearance. I think the only light hearted story was the one with the parents of the boy with Autism.
Every story is told by a family member of someone who had lived with a severe mental illness. Most of the mentally ill people had a form of bipolar disorder but there were at least two schizophrenics, a cancer patient, and a boy with autism. These stories all took place between the 1970s and 2016 in India. For some of the families in the story, treatment wasn’t possible or extremely difficult to come by. It’s very sad that the authors had to live with parents, siblings, children, and other relatives who suffered but couldn’t receive treatment due to severe social stigma and lack of access to medicines/treatments.
Some of the stories were more similar to what people would be familiar with in the US. Most of the writers in this collection came from middle class and educated backgrounds so their experiences were similar to what might be experienced by a middle class family with mentally ill members in America. They had accounts of pill regimes, ECT treatments, and facing the various symptoms of an illness together.
I gave this collection 4 stars! This book will tear your heart out but if you are an empathetic person or have been affected by mental illness at all in your life, whether its a family member, dear friend, or yourself, this story collection will speak volumes. Mental health is a global issue and affects people from all nations, races, classes, genders, religions, and sexual orientations. While this gave me some hope, it just clarifies to me that the governments around the globe have to do a better job of providing good mental healthcare their people all around the world.
santreads's review
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
It's always difficult to rate a book that's about someone's experience - an experience that's so personal to you. So I'm not going to rate it but I am going to say that I am very glad that this short collections of essays exist.
kpuranik's review
4.0
• r e c o m m e n d a t i o n •
When I read Em and the Big Hoom last year, I was visibly shaken. It was darkly humorous but equally heartbreaking to read about Em's mental illness. A majority of the book was autobiographical and to think that a family can go through such hardships was harrowing to read. This year, Jerry Pinto presented to us an anthology of 13 stories curated by a bunch of talented writers one of them being by Amandeep Sandhu whose Sepia Leaves was an interesting read. Although the book spans over just 170 pages, it is in no way an easy read. Because baring the lives of someone we love for thousands to read is a herculean task to do. Most of the stories aren't about the people affected but brings into focus the people who carry the burden of living with them. A Book of Light is an empowering read and one that squeezes your heart every time you see an unfortunate event approaching. But it is also a book of love and endless sacrifices.
I have never lived with nor known a person with a different mind so I can only live through the experience of what the writers had to say. Parents with bi-polar disorders, an uncle who's an alcoholic, a mother who doesn't bat an eye about her daughter's abuse, a beautiful son with autism, a brother who suddenly commits suicide; a lot of unanswered questions and many lives without closure. Jerry cleverly uses the word 'different' because that's what they are. Different. It becomes abundantly clear that our society plays a rather significant yet harsh role in understanding mental health so much so that they seek other ways to deal with it. Few of the stories are extremely hard-hitting making it seem almost impossible that these actually happened. As a reader, you have a responsibility of lending an empathetic ear, to understand where the writers are coming from and to be non judgemental. This book carries a lot of courage and light so it's apt that Jerry chose the subtitle so carefully.
Rating : 4.4/5.
When I read Em and the Big Hoom last year, I was visibly shaken. It was darkly humorous but equally heartbreaking to read about Em's mental illness. A majority of the book was autobiographical and to think that a family can go through such hardships was harrowing to read. This year, Jerry Pinto presented to us an anthology of 13 stories curated by a bunch of talented writers one of them being by Amandeep Sandhu whose Sepia Leaves was an interesting read. Although the book spans over just 170 pages, it is in no way an easy read. Because baring the lives of someone we love for thousands to read is a herculean task to do. Most of the stories aren't about the people affected but brings into focus the people who carry the burden of living with them. A Book of Light is an empowering read and one that squeezes your heart every time you see an unfortunate event approaching. But it is also a book of love and endless sacrifices.
I have never lived with nor known a person with a different mind so I can only live through the experience of what the writers had to say. Parents with bi-polar disorders, an uncle who's an alcoholic, a mother who doesn't bat an eye about her daughter's abuse, a beautiful son with autism, a brother who suddenly commits suicide; a lot of unanswered questions and many lives without closure. Jerry cleverly uses the word 'different' because that's what they are. Different. It becomes abundantly clear that our society plays a rather significant yet harsh role in understanding mental health so much so that they seek other ways to deal with it. Few of the stories are extremely hard-hitting making it seem almost impossible that these actually happened. As a reader, you have a responsibility of lending an empathetic ear, to understand where the writers are coming from and to be non judgemental. This book carries a lot of courage and light so it's apt that Jerry chose the subtitle so carefully.
Rating : 4.4/5.
khepiari's review
3.0
Non-fiction and not top of that an anthology of memoirs is not for me. And how well my soul sister knows me? She looks at the cover loves it and reads what's in the blurb and buys it for me despite knowing my preference.
I have not read Jerry Pinto's novel. I have read his quirky articles and poetry and I have had the pleasure to see him once.
Its an anthology of people who had an ill relative, or as here it's put loved ones with a different mind. From bi-polar to schizophrenia to depression to autism, it talks about loved ones with mental illness.
Jerry says the experiences are webbed in the upper-middle and middle-class society. And it is so.
It's also a book of confession, learning and coming in terms with the hush-hush attitude towards mental well being.
Not all stories are happy, some end in suicide, some losing the essence of life after taking the dreadful pills, brilliant minds going astray. Overall living with a person who has mental issues is not easy, it takes courage and will-power of a family and support from friends.
Amandeep Sandhu's mother's story touched me the most. Patricia Mukhim's coming in term with her own troubles and constant denial of her daughter's trouble is apt, that's how we deal with mental illness- denial.
Its time we talk about mental health and it's problems.
I have not read Jerry Pinto's novel. I have read his quirky articles and poetry and I have had the pleasure to see him once.
Its an anthology of people who had an ill relative, or as here it's put loved ones with a different mind. From bi-polar to schizophrenia to depression to autism, it talks about loved ones with mental illness.
Jerry says the experiences are webbed in the upper-middle and middle-class society. And it is so.
It's also a book of confession, learning and coming in terms with the hush-hush attitude towards mental well being.
Not all stories are happy, some end in suicide, some losing the essence of life after taking the dreadful pills, brilliant minds going astray. Overall living with a person who has mental issues is not easy, it takes courage and will-power of a family and support from friends.
Amandeep Sandhu's mother's story touched me the most. Patricia Mukhim's coming in term with her own troubles and constant denial of her daughter's trouble is apt, that's how we deal with mental illness- denial.
Its time we talk about mental health and it's problems.
paintedverse's review
5.0
A Book of Light is a harbinger of pretense. An anthology of thirteen personal accounts, this book opens up a seemingly large void that we so lovingly nurture. Tears and sadness seems like a luxury after reading this book. The mummification of mental health problems makes life appear to be full of flowers and roses, so much that the inevitable thorns move from our field of sight and lies in waiting. Light is trying to deride us all: the question is, are we going to let it?
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