Book
Notes
by Lionel Lumb
It’s very pleasing to see the outpouring of Anglo-Indian
literature in recent years shows no signs of abating. Historically, the
community has suffered from inaccurate and inadequate portrayal in the past, and
that’s putting it mildly. Much of that writing has ranged from the simply
ignorant to the deliberately pejorative. So the more Anglo-Indians write about
ourselves – from our unique, insider point of view –
the better. Setting the record straight is valuable not only for the present
generation, with its memories and documentation reaching back many decades, but
for future ones so they have a treasure trove to dig into and enjoy. At the same
time, while we record the riches of the way we were, it’s probably just as
important to reflect on the way we are: it would be wonderful to see more
written about our present-day roles in both
India and our
new homelands around the world.
Here are some notes about books published in recent
months:
Voices on the Verandah: This anthology of
Anglo-Indian prose and poetry is chock-full of riches. First of all, there’s the
range of voices: 24 contributors from
India, nine from
Australia, eight
from the U.S.A, five from the
U.K., three from
Canada, and one
each from New
Zealand and
Germany. Writing
from the heart, inspired by subject matter unique to each, employing a variety
of styles, together they’ve contributed a fascinating mix of always readable
material. There’s nostalgia, humour, insightful social comment, wrenching human
drama, and haunting scenes or imagery. In every offering there are those special
moments of recognition when a reader can say, with delighted surprise: “Yes,
that’s how it is…that’s what I, too, think…that’s exactly how I
remember it…ah, now I understand, etc.” Another big plus is that the
contributions were professionally edited by Margaret Deefholts and Sylvia W. Staub.
That’s a really important factor because many Anglo-Indian books, especially the
self-published ones, suffer from the lack of a good editor. This one is high
quality all the way.
The book evolved from a world-wide contest sponsored by Blair
Williams of CTR Inc. in 2003. His
object was two-fold: (a) to publish a collection of work showcasing Anglo-Indian
cultural values and way of life; and (b) to raise money for the Community's less
fortunate members in India. Two
prizes of US $500 each were awarded: one for prose and the other for poetry, and
the contest drew an overwhelming response of 230 entries in total. Voices on the Verandah is a
distillation of the best of these submissions: 22 short stories and 29 poems,
and includes, as an added bonus, a “Guest Contributors” section featuring the
work of distinguished Anglo-Indian writers such as Ruskin Bond, William Dalrymple and Russell Lucas.
To order, e-mail Blair Williams at: blairrw@att.net
Hearts Divided in The Raj: This is a delightful family memoir
by Patricia McGready-Buffardi. Its strengths lie in the author’s
undoubted gift for telling a good yarn, her amazing sense of recall that
sprinkles an abundance of lively detail into the events she writes about, and
the diligent research she did with members of her family to round out the
background. Anyone who has ever travelled by train in
India will be
captivated by her railway stories, which reach back to her great-grandfather,
though it was Grandpa Alex who was undoubted “king of the clan”. But she’s
equally good at describing life in convents and hill station schools, her
father’s experiences in the Indian Navy, and the joys and tribulations of the
women in her family. While her pride and love shine through, she doesn’t shirk
from sharing some of the less rosy details, including her maternal grandfather’s
ill-fated foray as a settler in McCluskieganj. The
author also has a sense of humour, and it enlivens many of the chapters.
The book may be purchased from
Authorhouse,
Indiana: www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~23656.aspx
or via http://www.amazon.com/ or from the author
herself: patloubuf@wavecable.com
My Experience – The Anglo-Indian Australian
Story: Compiled and edited
by Zelma Phillips, this is another worthy offering from
Australia, home
now to many Anglo-Indians actively working at
maintaining our heritage. The book’s main strength lies in its broad sweep of
mini-memoirs, from Anglo-Indians whose origins are from the north, east, south
and west of
India. This
enables Ms. Phillips to include a wide variety of region-specific anecdotal
experience, revealing interesting differences in attitudes and backgrounds.
Another strength is that each contributor is asked not
only to look back at
India but also
to talk about their thoughts on immigrating to
Australia. Many
photos add visual interest.
The book concludes with brief biographies of three
Anglo-Indian authors in
Australia who
should already be familiar to readers. The best known is Dr. Gloria Jean Moore
(The Lotus and the Rose, The Anglo-Indian Vision, and Anglo-Indians – The Best
of Both worlds). The others are Esther Lyons (Unwanted, Bitter Sweet Truth, and
The Peacock and the Gum Tree); and Captain Stan Blackford (One Hell of a Life).
My Experience may be purchased from the author (all
profits go to selected charities in
India and
Australia).
E-mail: zelma.w.phillips@gsk.com.
Anglo-Indians – A Life Lived Through Six British Monarchs: This memoir is about
Dolly Dudman and her long, interesting life in
India, written
by her niece, Elizabeth Faithful. The content is more remarkable than the
quality of the writing – the book needed a good editor. Nevertheless, a
determined reader will be rewarded with insights not generally found in other
memoirs. A fascinating chapter about the abduction of Dolly’s half-sister Maude
was published in the Anglo-Indian Wallah last year (./dolly.html).
The book may be bought through the publisher, LPP Originals
at: http://www.lppindia.com/
Other books by the author, writing under her married name,
Elizabeth James: I’ll Send You All My Love in a Letter, Half Caste, and
Chronicles of Anglo-Indian Life.
Footprints on My Heart: Written by Jennifer
Paul. I have not yet received a copy of this book. The author, born in 1943 in
Allahabad,
says it is the story of her life as she graduates from childhood to
adulthood. It follows her journey
through life as a young army officer’s wife faced with wars and separation, and
the final decision to migrate to
Australia
leaving her family behind to start a new life with her husband and three sons.
With the help of her family she gathered material to establish her ancestry and
record her memories of growing up in a family influenced by both western and
eastern cultures. For more information, contact Jennifer Paul at: apau6887@bigpond.net.au