Book review - ‘Shyamchi Aai’

Q. Review of the book ‘Shyamchi Aai’ by Sane Guruji.

Ans: 

Introduction

  Shyamchi Aai,(meaning Shyam's Mother) is an autobiography of Sane Guruji. Sane Guruji, fondly called Shyam during his childhood, is narrating his memories to a group of children in a nightly sitting. Shyamchi Aai has been a Marathi classic by the freedom fighter and social reformer, Sane Guruji. Most Marathi-speaking children must have read this book at home or in school. The book describes about the Mother’s positive figure so the title of the book is Shyamchi Aai,  

Story:

The book is about the author’s childhood in Palgad village in Konkan, which later became famous as Sane Guruji’s birthplace. The book presents a core relationship between Shyam and his mother, a woman both deeply traditional and independent. For Shyam, she is no less than god. Whatever he is, he attributes to her. She teaches him to do what is right, be it helping her in her endless household works or performing her rituals for her. The bond between Shyam and his mother is sometimes unbelievable. One of the episode of this book is very close to heart, shyam fears water so he avoids swimming in water and shyam is teased by his friends as coward boy. How can a mother tolerate it? shyam' mother dragged him to the well where he finally learns swimming.

language :

The language of the book is very simple and  sentimental. Conversational tone has been used in the book which captures the reader to read it in a single sitting. The book is filled with tear-filling conversations between mother and son, like: “Are you disappointed in me?’’ or “When I see the love in your eyes, I feel strengthened?". Due to the language Sane Guruji managed to keep the book in the mind of today’s young readers also.

Message:

‘Shyamchi Aai’ spreads a strong message of humanity, the value of a father’s praise and the fear of his anger, the value of mother and her love as well as benefits of the honesty about childish wrongdoings. ‘Shyamchi Aai’ shows that if love is present in a person's life, the person can be content; no matter how poor he is. Everyone must read this book. My rating will be 10/1