Tuesday, February 3, 2015

So disturbing and so true....and it is not just in India

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I just finished reading "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo.  I received this book as part of the Books&Bloggers Swap in which I participated.  My swap partner, Tracy, of Pleasurable Pursuits sent me this as the book she loved and wanted to share with me.  

I am very glad she did.  It was a very well written, well documented and disturbing portrait of the trials and tribulations of the poor slum dwellers in Annawadi.  A slum village of squatters outside of one of India's richest areas, adjacent to the airport.  It follows the lives of several families who live in this slum and try to make do each day with what little they have.  It tells of the derision and disdain with which they are treated by those who, ignorantly, percieve that they could rise above their life circumstances if they were not lazy and chose to work hard.  It tells of the unfair treatment at the hands of those in positions of power over them.  It tells of the attitude of those who hold themselves over another, believing that they are better simply for being born in better circumstances.

And this is not just a problem in India or Africa or on the Islands.  There are poor everywhere even in this great and rich nation that I call home.  It shames me.  It should shame you too.  It shamed Katherine Boo so she chose to do something about it.  That something is this book.  You should read it, if for no other reason than to bow your head at your dinner table and thank the good Lord that you were born to different circumstances.

I am now starting a book written by one of my blogger friends called "Catch Me" by Terra Kelly.  It is the first book in a series, the second of which will be published shortly.  I will let you know what I think....stay tuned folks!!

These books are available below through an affiliate link.  Should you choose to buy one of them using this link, I will receive a small stipend.


        

4 comments:

  1. This book sounds good. I will add it to my TBR pile which is growing by leaps and bounds!

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  2. I'm glad you liked it! It's not historical fiction, but I chose it anyway because it reads like a novel.

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