The Fortunate Child
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“The Fortunate Child” is a gripping story about Rohini- a girl from India, besotted with a purpose of “Education for All”. A sense of purpose, she inherits while feeding on her grandmother’s account of her grandfather, who was committed to the cause of “Education for all”. the story progresses in the early part, clearly emboldening Rohini’s sense of purpose. But, the reader in the latter part is sensitized to the fact that: “having lofty ideals does not always translate to action.” Rohini dreams to be like her grandfather but, it falls apart when unmindfully yet factually, she starts mirroring the ills of society that her grandfather so stood against. This narrative brings along, a deep rooted prejudice nurtured by Indian society: a once upon a time so called fluid classification for “Division of Labor”, later exploited as a watertight “Caste System” in the literal sense. Child abuse by the caretakers & gender inequality are other issues highlighted in this book. Alongside above, the story also brings up the positive changes catching up in the urban and semi urban pockets of India: Girl child education and encouragement, the fraying walls of caste system among third generation in the story & gender equality. Certain character portrayals are really interesting to note in the story: Rohini’s tallness, right from her childhood when she questions everything that does not fall within her unadulterated fairness, is intriguing! What is heart-rending to note is her ability to make peace with her family, despite enduring violation as a child. Each time she stares at the ceiling her unanswered questions find solace in its highness. It’s also interesting to note the existence of a strong lady-Damayanti (the grandmother of Rohini), in a truly patriarchal society of her time. Her characterization exudes strength, someone who conducts herself with grace and fearlessness, despite her moments of weakness staring at her in the living form. Last but not the least: it’s encouraging to note the depiction of Rohini’s husband- Ajit, who is very caring towards Rohini, his family, and every other person he comes across. He does not preach idealism, yet firms up to every right cause. His realism makes the reader fall in love with his character. To sum up: the book is a simple and unpretentious attempt at- “Fiction writing with a purpose.” An interesting revelation of- what it takes to commit to a cause. What is also, very interesting to note is the looming paradox of being “fortunate” and “unfortunate” at a given time! This narrative gets more consuming as one reads further, to find out if Rohini remains stuck in that deep pit of diverse limitations, or, her ideals & action synthesize, and how.
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About the Book
I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS. But did I? I attempted to hold higher moral grounds, about everything - helping those in need, not judging others based on class, caste, religion, beliefs or values - were just some of them. Lofty ideals only and no action to speak of. With so many issues, small or big, social or moral, which one do I really believe in enough to champion? What has made a difference for me, and would make an impact for others? I juggled with these questions often, but remained a latte sipping intellectual ‘discussing’ the issues affecting our world. It was getting quite apparent that I just complained about those problems and, each time, added more empty words and skepticism. One day, when I was in the world bashing mood for every problem in our society, my husband pointed out that I probably don't even know what I stand for. He asked me to check if there was anything I truly believed in enough to do something about. I paused, and it didn’t take me long to figure it out. I was born in India, and belong to the generation that had seen the shift from the joint to nuclear family structure, as people moved from their rural base to urban centers for jobs. Girls in joint rural families were not encouraged to go outside of the confines of their family compounds, but things changed when they started moving to cities with their husbands. Those women not only began to get an education, but also ensured their next generation had even better opportunities. Quite expectedly, nothing short of revolution took place and continues to strengthen India. Most well-to-do, middle-class (and upwards) Indian households have housekeepers. They are, more often than not, young children from poor, uneducated families who serve in the homes where children’s education is a top priority. These housekeepers, just like the women in rural set up, seldom have the opportunity for education and not much has changed for them. So, I started writing my thoughts and observations which took the shape of a book that I called, 'The Fortunate Child'. The premise is that every child that gets the opportunity for education is a fortunate one. In this work of fiction, I have attempted to use a simple storyline to explore how people find courage to do what they champion. Its main characters believe that education has the power to address a majority of issues in the world today. Writing this book has given me the opportunity to progress from believing in this cause, and doing something about it. A baby step for sure, but a right one I hope. The Fortunate Child is a story of a girl who found the inspiration and courage to champion education for all. She dreams of educating others, but gets distracted by superficial social norms and her own selfish limitations until facing a tragedy that calls her to act. This book explores her journey of treading the complex world of prejudice, unfairness, inspiration, and justice.”
About the Author
Archana Mishra is an Australian citizen, born in India. She currently calls Anchorage, Alaska, home, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She has bachelor degrees in science and law and a master’s degree in business administration. She has been fortunate enough to interact with, and learn from many diverse and global communities, by virtue of her husband’s work assignments. She trained as a lawyer, but due to her love for traveling, she didn’t pursue that career for long. She moved to different countries and cities and worked in advocacy, policy, economic development, and stakeholder engagement areas. Her workplaces have mainly been in India, Australia, and the USA. In Anchorage, she leads a community change initiative that aims to make this city the best in America to live, work and play by 2025. Archana shares her love for photography, travel and cooking on her blog at www.bluelamingtons.com.