A review by kpuranik
A Book of Light: When a Loved One Has a Different Mind by Jerry Pinto
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.