Product Description

Dear Popples is a simple book. It has no clever sentences. No literary tricks. Not even a trailblazing plot. What is has - is Truth. In good measure. An honest confession of love, goodness and humanity. Told with the hope that it will resonate with some forgotten abyss of our heart where we could discover love in its truest wonder. Written in the form of letters to her beloved Popples, whom she helped save from one of the most heartbreaking traumas, Anouradha Bakshi has written a book that will defy the way we look at stories - just the way she defies all odds every day to bring smiles to the most unfortunate of children. Here is the story of four lives intersected by time and others - a true story of love, compassion, bitterness, anger, poverty and redemption. told in almost childlike simplicity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1273978 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-05
• Released on: 2008-05-05
• Binding: Paperback
• 196 pages

Customer Reviews

LETTERS THAT HEAL
Dear Popples, Fiction: Inspirational
By Anouradha Bakshi, Undercover Utopia, 196 pages

Reviewed by Pallavi Bhattacharya
(Pallavi Bhattacharya is a freelance journalist with published articles in Outlook, Rave, Readers' Digest, India Today Plus, Hindustan Times etc. Pallavi relishes the freedom of expression through her journalistic pursuits, which to her is means of self-discovery and understanding life.)

Rating: *** And ½ stars

LETTERS WHICH HEAL

Sometimes written words can convey better than oral communication, especially if the message to be communicated is highly sensitive. When Popples, an adorable child from the immense slums of Delhi - not yet an year old, sustained third degree burns and the hospitals turned him out to die on the streets, Anouradha Bakshi defied all odds to bring him back from the jaws of death. Scarred he was. But he lived. And this is his tale. From a stranger-saviour to now unchristened godmother to him, Anouradha has suffered through each of Popples' scars. These letters are written with the hope that they will heal all the scars - the most reluctant and deep ones on the child's skin and the even deeper ones engraved on his psyche.

Each letter is addressed to Popples and signed off as Maam'ji. Maam'ji is the fond nickname Popples used for Anouradha. Each letter comes with a touching title.

This story in the guise of compiled letters have become an epistolary novel titled Dear Popples meant to be read by Popples when he comes of age. Considering the fact that Anouradha and Popples have an age difference of almost fifty years, Dear Popples- `love letters from an unlikely mother' will keep afresh in Popple's mind the memories of his beloved benefactor Anouradha when she is no more. And what memories they are. An absolute zinger of a fairytale the kinds of which we have all given up on...right in the dust and grime of outer Delhi. When he is old enough to read this book, Popples will remember far more than his Maam'ji! He will discover the best face of mankind one can ever hope to gaze on as knight after shining knight answers Anouradha's call and comes to fight on Popples' side - from all corners of the Earth.

What makes Dear Popples different from other epistolary novels is that it is a series of undated letters. The author has decided to follow her heart rather than a bland account of events following the strict chronology of dates. Rather she pens her memorable moments with Popples lucidly following her stream of consciousness.

Dear Popples is in fact a story of survival against all odds. Popples hailing from a dysfunctional, downtrodden and alcoholic family; bravely fights and wards off an almost imminent death after having fallen into a boiling cauldron. He emerges as a child hero whereas Anouradha, a genuine philanthropist who takes care of his treatment, recovery and healing emerges as the heroine. In fact the author Anouradha is the recipient of the Red and White Silver medal for social bravery.

People often try to cover up or sugar-coat harsh realistic facts. But Anouradha is courageous enough to tell Popples the truth about his family, social background and the accident. She writes, "There are some things about your life which are not beautiful but yet they need to be addressed and healed. I have always held that children should be told the truth about their past."

The way she delivers the truth to him is admirable. She narrates every harsh realistic fact with deep sensitivity. She makes sure that Popples doesn't curse God for the misfortune that has befallen him. In fact she fondly refers to God as Godji. She feels that Popples went through so much of pain not because God was vindictive but indeed He had a greater plan for him. Godji had after all ensured that there were people to nurse Popples back to health from the jaws of death when he met with the accident. Indeed Godji had brought together philanthropic benefactors who sponsored Popple's education in an expensive boarding school. Anouradha ensures that Popple's faith in the Almighty remains strong and he doesn't feel embittered while thinking of his past.

Even while telling Popples about his alcoholic mentally ill mother who had to be sent to a rehabilitation centre, never does the author make Popples feel any resentment whatsoever for a mother who could hardly be there for him. In fact she speaks of Popple's mother with deep empathy explaining the traumatic episodes of her life which unfortunately gave rise to her mental illness and alcoholism. She emphasises on the need of forgiving his parents for the hurt they may have caused him.

While reading Dear Popples some may be reminded of Letters from a Father to his Daughter written by the late Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru had written a series of letters to his 10-year-old daughter Indira while he was serving a prison sentence during the British rule. Though Dear Popples doesn't go into topics like history, geography, literature, science and politics as Nehru did in his letters to Indira, both the books do have a major thing in common.

Because of his frequent incarcerations in various jails and political work Nehru had to stay away from his daughter for prolonged phases. The letters are therefore clearly indicative of the pain of separation from Indira (Priyadrashani) that Nehru went through. He writes, "Priyadarshini, dear to my sight, but dearer still when sight is denied.......I think of the day when we shall all three meet again, and the thought of it will lighten and cheer my heart."

Similarly Dear Popples echoes of the pain of separation Anouradha went through when she had to send Popples to boarding school. She writes, "Many and most of all you, will ask the question: why did they send you away, you who are so tiny, so small and who have been hurt so many times and dealt with so many closures." Anouradha in her letter titled `confessions- closures' explains to Popples that she had no choice but to send him to a boarding school as she was growing old and therefore felt that she wouldn't be able to take proper care of him single-handedly. She carefully selected a good school that offered sound education for him. She goes on to say how greatly Popple's presence was missed by everyone who knew him.

Anouradha often refers to the children's classic The Little Prince while writing to Popples. She feels that Popples was her Little Prince from the day he came into her life. The author writes, "I just hope that this book becomes to you the anchor the Little Prince was to me as I often opened it haphazardly when sad or hurting and fell on the right page where an answer waited." She asks Popples to read The Little Prince and contemplate on its myriad symbolisms which will help him better to grasp the thought content of Dear Popples as both often echo the same philosophy.

Dear Popples unexpectedly delves into the biographies of Anouradha's parents in the middle of the book. This interpolation in the novel was however necessary. To explain the situation Popple's mother Jhunnu is in, the author refers to similar life challenges her mother Kamala went through. Though Jhunnu and Kamala came from radically different backgrounds, both had to fight an illness. Kamala at the end of her life lost her memory and succumbed to cancer. Similarly Jhunnu is fighting alcoholism and mental illness. Like Kamala, Popple's mother also needed love and unconditional support from her child.

While talking about Kamala, Anouradha goes on an intriguing trip down memory lane enfolding the enigmatic personality of her mother. The daughter of a freedom fighter, Kamala refused to marry until India was independent of British rule as she `didn't want to give birth to a slave child'. At an age when child marriage was common Kamala married at 30. She went on to become the Ambassador's wife. She completed her Doctorate. She was an active social worker and took up the challenging task of driving a truck into the interiors of Uttar Pradesh to make sure that the widows of the Second World War were given pensions as the money was often usurped by unscrupulous male relatives. Kamala stands out as truly inspirational to even contemporary young women.

Dear Popples is not just an inspirational book, it can be termed as a spiritual book. That's because it encourages Popples to undergo an inward quest. Moreover with its positive message of love, compassion and kindness it truly nurtures the body, mind and soul. Leafing through the book may uplift the spirit of even a hard-core pessimist. It reminds its readers never to lose faith even on the darkest days.

All that I expected
I met Anouradha Bakshi whilst working at Project Why in New Delhi last year. I knew there must be many incredible stories involving this remarkable woman, and this book confirmed it. If the whole world met Anou and/or read this book, the world would be a better place.

inspirational work
heartfelt, touching story, provides a great deal of food for thought.
A must read for those who find comfort and solace through reading an inspired and inspirational work.

Inspiring work, happy to recommend.