Made out of Stars


Name of the Book: Made out of Stars
Author: Meera Lee Patel
Publisher: Particular Books

Questions are good because they lead to answers. ‘Made out of Stars’ by Meera Lee Patel is a journal that can take the reader from the path of obscurity to clarity through a series of pithy questions. These questions make the reader introspect and realize that there is magic within each; what prevents it from blooming is the want of self-realization. The questions are myriad and each of them compels the reader to view himself/herself as someone valuable and capable. Perhaps, this power of the book almost makes it a beautiful miracle.

The colorful illustrations that accompany the questions are a treat to the eyes. Made with water-colors, every illustration has a quotation by a renowned author. The quotation forms the basis of the question framed.

One of the purposes of the book is to make the reader feel connected with the universe and realize that one is made up of the same star-stuff. ‘What makes you feel connected to…the human race?’; ‘What makes you connected to… a person you feel distant from?’ Inclusive questions such as these make the reader feel closer to the world around them. They intend to dissolve the shadows of boundaries (within and without). The author says: “Feeling connected to the world begins by nurturing the connection you have with yourself.”

This is a quirky book that could be used to brighten up one in solitude or played with, with a group of people; all the while realizing that there is little that disconnects us from one another and more that connects. “You are connected to me; I am connected to you; we are made out of the moons and stars in the sky.”

The various other themes include those of gratitude, of gaining freedom from the fetters of regret, of becoming fearless and learning to view both the aspects of situations as well as one’s personality. Full of practical miracles, the book is a good way to become more self-aware and clear away the clouds that prevent one from being a brighter shade of self.
                                                                                                                                     -Kriti Malhotra

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

milk and honey

Image
Name of the book         : milk and honey Name of the author        : Rupi Kaur Name of the publisher : Andrews McMeel Publishing No. of pages                   : 204 Genre                              : Poetry As the title of the book implies, this book is therapeutic; not only for the broken heart but also for a fragment of the society. The broken fragment is the battling sisterhood. Milk and honey is boldly feminist and Rupi Kaur has proven how simple words can cause a bigger explosion than ammunitions. How does Kaur attain this? The language is pithy; the metaphors, crystal-clear. Consequently, the book is soft but loud. The loudness elevates female sexuality and biology; it promotes self-love and prefers it to loving another unrequitedly; it extends remedy for a wounded soul: through the embalming thoughts and words that heal. The various poetries touch the different aspects of love-life in their different stages: infatuation, break-up and recovering.
Read more

A Pale View of Hills

Image
Name of the Book:          A Pale View of Hills Name of the Author:       Kazuo Ishiguro Name of the Publisher: Faber and Faber Number of Pages:            183 A Pale View of Hills was the debut novel of the Nobel Prize Laureate, Kazuo Ishiguro. It is primarily set in Japan post the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It does not deal with the historical intricacies but with the personal lives of the characters: the impact of the war on their lives apart from the personal struggles that each one undergoes separately.   The protagonist is a Japanese woman named Etsuko who is living in England but has an over-powering past that keeps seeping through the present. In fact, the reader knows her better only though these flashbacks and can empathize with her consequently especially because she is imporous to even her own family.   This is a tale of nostalgia and remembrance. The sense of loss and mystery echoes in the entire narrative. What happens to Sachiko and her daughte
Read more

Start Where You Are

Image
Book Title: Start Where You Are: a Journal for Self-exploration Author: Meera Lee Patel Publisher: Perigee ISBN: 978-0-399-17482-7 “It’s impossible to follow a dream that has no shape or outline.” This is a powerful book that is magical! It is full of colorful illustrations with quotes written on them along with an exercise for applying every quote. The exercises range from knowing to healing oneself.  There is a quote by Kazuo Ishiguro: “There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one.” This is followed by an exercise on the next page in which one has to find something to be grateful for amidst the darkness. The exercises make it a very practical book. They can be used in different stages of life. One can give a concrete plan to an amorphous dream; dissolve fear when terrorized and even watch the Sun to de-stress. Therefore, it is the practical magic added with beautiful colors that make this book outstanding. This book also encourages a pe
Read more