Daily Recco, January 19: Three thousand stitches of extraordinary experiences
Sudha Murty's book, comprising 11 gems, is what you need to traverse the vagaries of life in these difficult times.
Simplicity and little acts of kindness often go a long way in making an impact than a pompous show. And who better to lead this by example than chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murty?
In her book Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, the author narrates 11 stories — all of them influenced by her life.
The book opens with her story of wanting to eradicate the devadasi system. She is despondent and left in tears after her unsuccessful efforts and being abused and called exploitative. However, a simple practical advice from her father completely turns the tables. In the end, her reward for the work graduates from chappals and tomatoes to something she still cherishes, we are sure.
Each story, be it how she was the only girl in the engineering college and how the experience shaped her outlook in many other situations, or the story of her friend’s botanist father making her realise what we consider “Indian” vegetables are barely native along with the mythological sagas of veggies, is a gem in itself. And each of these gems come together organically to form this garland of a book.
A personal favourite in this wonderful land of experiences is the story ‘Cattle Class’. The author is called “cattle class” at the airport, thanks to her very simple attire. However, the story ends in a classic O Henry style with a surprising twist in the end.
The author of Wise and otherwise has a compelling narration style and believe us you, you will not be able to put it down when you start. The simple language, easy narration and impactful stories make this book a rather special collectible. It demands a place for posterity in your library. Each story has a lesson without coming across as didactic. Do read this book for the simple narration that leads to imparting the most impactful (and life-changing) lessons.