From Fiction to Classics: outgrowing books

I recently went back to a book that used to be my favourite, but this time, something felt different. There was a time when I read fiction mainly for escape. I was drawn to stories that pulled me in quickly, where emotions were clear and everything felt a little more intense and certain than real life. Those books gave me comfort. They simplified things. But now, I find myself looking for something else in what I read.

I don’t just want to feel a story, I want to understand it. I’ve become more interested in ideas, in the way people think, and in the deeper meaning behind what I’m reading. Because of that, I’ve gradually found myself moving toward classics.

Classics are different. They’re not always easy to read, and they don’t always offer an immediate connection. They make me think more, question more, and see things from different perspectives. 

I think that’s why my favourite book doesn’t affect me the same way anymore. It belonged to a time when I needed simple, emotionally direct stories. Now, I’m more drawn to books that are complex and a little more demanding. Outgrowing a book feels strange but it also reflects growth.  

Readers do not merely collect books, they evolve through them. Some remain significant, while others gradually lose their relevance. Maybe that’s how reading works.

-Sneha

Using Storytelling to Promote Girls’ Education.

 

Read And Lead

To read Every Last Girl by Safeena Husain and discuss a chapter on using storytelling to promote girls’ education, concluding chapter 3.

Key Takeaways

• Storytelling is the key to mindset change. Educate Girls uses plays and real-life anecdotes to emotionally engage communities, making the consequences of illiteracy and the benefits of education tangible.

• Barriers are complex and require tailored solutions. Poverty (e.g., needing a child for chores) and patriarchy (e.g., safety concerns) must be addressed with practical support (e.g., midday meals, flexible schedules) and empathetic challenge.

• Awareness of government schemes is critically low. Many people, including those in urban areas, are unaware of free services like midday meals or Jan Aushadhi stores, highlighting a major communication gap.

• Gender bias is pervasive, even in urban settings. Anecdotes from Greater Noida and Noida confirm that the preference for sons and the view of daughters as liabilities are not limited to rural areas.

Topics

The Power of Storytelling

• Educate Girls uses storytelling to challenge mindsets and build village-wide commitment to girls’ education.

• Plays performed at evening “Ratri Chaupal” meetings are a key tool for illustrating the perils of illiteracy.

• Example 1: “Aaj mar gaya” vs. “Ajmer gaya”

  • Plot: An illiterate mother misreads her son’s letter, believing he has died (“Aaj mar gaya”) instead of having travelled to Ajmer (“Ajmer gaya”).

  • Impact: A powerful, emotional illustration of how illiteracy can cause extreme distress.

• Example 2: Tire Glue vs. Eye Ointment

  • Plot: An illiterate woman accidentally applies toxic tyre glue to her mother-in-law’s eye instead of ointment, causing blindness.

  • Impact: A shocking, true story that makes the life-or-death stakes of literacy undeniable.

Addressing the “Negative Loop”

• A play dramatised the “negative loop” created by denying girls’ education.

• Scenario: A husband insists his wife see a female doctor, and a father demands a female teacher for his daughter.

• Rebuttal: An Educate Girls team member explains that these professionals will not exist until more girls are allowed to go to school and college.

• Impact: Forces the audience to see how their current actions directly prevent the future they claim to want.

Stories of Solutions: Practical Barriers

• Educate Girls also shares stories of practical solutions to overcome barriers.

• Barrier: Child Labour (Meenu’s Story)

  • Problem: 8-year-old Meenu was a full-time goat herder who walked 5 km daily.

  • Parental Objections: “School is too far” (a 2 km walk) and “It’s not safe” (despite her longer, unsupervised herding route).

  • Solution: A flexible schedule was negotiated, allowing Meenu to attend school part-time while the family adjusted.

  • Outcome: Meenu’s education became a priority, and her father now advocates for other girls.

• Barrier: Extreme Poverty (Shanti’s Story)

  • Problem: A widowed, illiterate mother of five was struggling to feed her family, eating only once a day.

  • Initial Stance: “School is not for families like ours.”

  • Solution: The Educate Girls volunteer informed Shanti about free midday meals and helped her access her widow’s pension.

  • Outcome: Shanti enrolled all five daughters and is now learning to write her name, inspired by a story of another widow who became an Anganwadi worker.

Discussion: Broader Context & Action

• Participants confirmed these issues are not limited to rural Rajasthan.

• Greater Noida: Girls are often married after Grade 12, as their education is seen as sufficient to attract a “proper match.”

• Noida: A participant’s mother was questioned by nurses for being happy about a granddaughter, as most families react with sadness.

• Awareness Gap: Many people are unaware of government schemes such as Jan Aushadhi (generic medicine stores) and Ayushman cards (free medical treatment).

• Call to Action: Educated individuals have a duty to spread awareness of these programs to help those in need.

Next Steps

• All Participants: Spread awareness of government social protection and health schemes (e.g., Ayushman cards, Jan Aushadhi stores) among domestic staff and other community members.

• Group: Meet next Thursday to read the next chapter.

FATHOM AI-generated summary.

When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories

 

Brewing Knowledge

Author Nidhi Thakur discusses her book When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories with Sneha at The English Book Depot.

Key Takeaways

• Book’s Focus: The collection explores the NRI experience in the US from 2000–2010, a period defined by intense isolation (pre-WhatsApp) and suspicion (post-9/11).

• Title Story: “When She Married Dr Patekar and Other Stories” is a fictional biopic of a Bollywood diva who loses her contextual fame upon moving to the US, forcing her to reinvent her identity.

• Unique Structure: The book connects its 11 stories by having at least one character from each appear in another, creating a “small world” feel that reflects the NRI community.

• Upcoming Projects: Thakur is compiling a bilingual poetry coffee table book and writing a historical fiction novel about a lesser-known Mughal-era woman.

Author’s Connection to EBD

• Thakur’s connection to The English Book Depot (EBD) is deeply personal; she grew up in Dehradun and considered EBD her “second home” for non-syllabus books.

• EBD was her source for quiz books, encyclopedias, Enid Blyton, and Agatha Christie, serving as a de facto library.

Book Concept & Cover Design

• Theme: The book explores the NRI experience, inspired by Thakur’s own move to the US in 1999.

• Cover Design: The cover visually represents this theme.

  • Mughal Motif: Represents the author’s Indian roots and a personal connection to Delhi.

  • Aeroplane Window: Added at Thakur’s suggestion to symbolise the NRI journey and the act of flying away.

Thematic Core: The 2000–2010 NRI Experience

• The stories are set in the first decade of the 21st century, a period with two defining characteristics for NRIs:

  • Intense Isolation (Pre-WhatsApp):

    • Expensive calling cards ($5 for 15 mins), limited calls to family in India to once a week.

    • This created a profound sense of loneliness for young immigrants.

  • Post-9/11 Suspicion:

    • A shift in American society led to suspicion of brown-skinned people.

    • This forced NRIs to navigate public spaces differently.

Origin & Writing Process

• The book’s origin was organic, not planned.

• Thakur’s writing process began with journaling reflections on her own and others’ NRI emotions as a form of solace.

• During the pandemic, she compiled these notes and story fragments into the final collection.

• Her writing style is spontaneous, driven by an “itch” to capture ideas, though she aims for a daily 10-minute session.

Key Stories & Themes

• Title Story: “When She Married Dr Pathika”

  • A fictional biopic of a Bollywood diva who marries an NRI doctor and moves to the US.

  • Theme: The contextual nature of fame. In the US, she is an unknown, which forces her to reinvent her identity without the paparazzi’s attention.

• Empowerment of NRI Women

  • The book’s protagonists are often women navigating complex challenges.

  • Example: “Shaadi.com wives” who move to the US on dependent visas, losing their professional identity and financial independence. The stories explore their resilience in making their marriages work.

• Interconnected Narratives

  • At least one character from each story appears in another.

  • Purpose: To create a “small world” feel, reflecting the surprising interconnectedness of the NRI community in a large country.

• Bilingual Elements

  • Each story ends with a Hindustani sher (couplet) or a kavita (poem), along with its English translation.

  • The text also integrates Hindi words to add cultural flavour.

Upcoming Projects

• Poetry Coffee Table Book: Compiling a bilingual collection of poems written over time.

• Historical Fiction Novel: A novel about a lesser-known woman from the Mughal era.

  • Thakur is currently conducting research for this project, which was the primary purpose of her trip to India.

  • Timeline: Expected release in late 2026 or 2027.

Next Steps

• Readers: Purchase signed copies of “When She Married Dr Partekar and Other Stories” at the English Book Depot.

• Nidhi Thakur: Continue research for the historical fiction novel.

FATHOM AI-generated show notes, read with care.