The Boy Called Ambi
My rating
5 / 5
Author
Srividhya Venkatesan, Gayathri Venkatesan
Publisher
Notion Press
Genre
General Fiction
Number of Pages
126
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Summary
This is the story of Ambi. A boy who lived in a small village in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. The book takes us through his journey of how this small boy become a government employee in Delhi and subsequently a prominent astrologer who helped guide people in the right direction. While relaxing at home (now in the north of India) in his rocking chair, Ambi reminisces about his homeland in the South of India.
“Yat Bhavam Tat Bhavati”
– what you think is what you become.
Temples in South India
My Review
The book has 20 small chapters, a prologue, and an epilogue. This book is a delightful read for several reasons. First, the language of the book and the story is straightforward. That makes it an uncomplicated and quick read. Second I loved the book's theme- Talking about our roots, our culture, our traditions, and our family values. I was fortunate enough to have experienced village life due to my grandparents living in the village for a few years after my birth. But those who could not experience the slice of that life are unlucky, I would say. There are a natural charm and beauty to that life that leaves you feeling content, peaceful and happy. This book will take you there.
Ambi’s portrayal of the ideal son was apt. Growing up, he helped his parents, mother in the housework, and his father in business. He respected the elders and his gurus and even mute animals. He was helpful; he was humble and a family man through and through.
All India’s traditions, superstitions, customs, and traditions have been discussed to explain why they were performed. My parents always discussed the values they were brought up with-like; a penny saved is a penny earned. This book serves as a reminder of all these important but now ignored age-old values of our Indian culture system. The book also reminded me of my parents' stories about how they bought a multitude of sweet offerings for a rupee in those times.
The visual tour of all the hundreds of temples in south India will leave you feeling you have to visit them. And on a lighter note, this book had me salivating throughout with the description of various south Indian dishes and delicacies. I will visit a south Indian eatery this weekend just to satisfy my taste buds, which have been triggered by the very descriptive narrative of this story.
I loved the nostalgia that the book evoked. I even loved the numerous pictures taken by Srividhya, displayed in black and white, and village life paintings by Reshika. I rate the book a perfect five stars out of 5 and recommend it to readers looking to appreciate the beauty of village life in India.
The authors mention- “Life is like a bouquet of experiences”- and this book will give you just that.
Happy reading.
Srividhya and Gayathri Venkatesan
Gayathri and Srividhya, brought up in Delhi , are two passionate people on their journey to explore the world. They are two different personalities from the same parents-one likes the north and the other likes the south. One common factor that binds them is their passion for writing. Both of them love travelling, photography and exploring various places and visiting temples, ancient architectures etc. The childhood bedtime stories and storytelling habits inspired them to become writers. This is their first book and many more to follow.
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