MonkOnALotus

Tag: Publishing

  • Cry, Heart, But Never Break

    Written by Glenn Ringtved, Illustrated by Charlotte Pardi, Translated by Robert Moulthrop

    WARNING: This book and review deals with the topic of death of a loved one.

    Thank you for reading my first book review! I am writing these reviews as a part of my exploration of illustrated and picture books and their potential to make a positive impact in the lives of children and young adults. And I guess, adults too. As I embark on this journey, I welcome constructive feedback. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Till then, happy reading!

    The publisher, Enchanted Lion Books, shares this blurb on the inside cover of the book:

    A sensitive story about learning to say goodbye to those we love, Cry, Heart, But Never Break shows us death as a natural part of life – both necessary and inevitable.

    This gentle story found me while I was doing an art course. In many ways, it spoke to me and comforted me when I needed it most. Immediately, I was drawn in by the expressive illustrations in the book. The use of colours, both dark and bright, and the mix of acrylic with water colours make for a unique world. They come together to lend a whimsical touch to the often sombre tone of the story. I loved the playfully drawn cat, crow and sparrow interspersed in the story.

    As the story unfolds, we meet four siblings sitting at a table with Death, who’s come for their beloved grandmother. The children, trying to dissuade Death from taking their grandmother away, come up with a clever ploy to save their grandmother by delaying Death till day break but Death, after resting for a short while, decides that it is time. Leah, the youngest of the siblings, grabs hold of Death and asks him why does their grandmother need to die.

    It is at this point that, as a reader and aspiring writer, I felt my focus sharpen. I grew up in a house filled with children and have often wondered how to talk to them about death. To my unfolding wonder, I marvelled at the author’s gentle yet masterful touch, when Death begins to tell the children a story. He tells them about two brothers, named Grief and Sorrow, who lived in a gloomy valley and lived sad and melancholic lives. On top of the hills, lived two sisters, Joy and Delight, whose days were filled with happiness but were yet incomplete. When the brothers meet the sisters, they fall in love and decide to get married and live together in the middle of the hills. When they grow old and die, they die together because they couldn’t live without each other.

    Through this story, Death shows how life and death are just like day and night, where one cannot exist without the other. The children do not fully understand him but are yet comforted by his words. We see this in action when the eldest brother, Nels, holds back the youngest, Casper, from stopping Death and tells him that this is how life must be.

    When the children gather at their grandmother’s deathbed, Death intones, “cry, heart, but never break. Let your tears of grief and sadness help begin new life.” Ever since then, the caress of a gentle breeze from an open window would remind the children of their grandmother’s touch. As the book ends, we are left with a sense that it is alright to mourn the loss of our loved ones and that it need not break us. It’s only when we accept both sides of life that we truly become whole too.

    I would recommend this book to anyone who has experienced death closely but also to anyone who is having a hard time finding joy and delight after a period of sorrow and grief. I bought this book from Bookswagon.com at X price. Money well spent!

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  • #2: A Career In Publishing

    Recently, I applied and got selected for a publishing course at Seagull Books. In the application form, we were asked to write why we wanted to pursue a career in publishing in 500 words. This activity felt quite clarifying and I would like to share it because it really captures some key themes of my life.

    Growing up in a Marwadi joint-family in Kolkata, I spent most of my childhood sitting in front of the television, enamoured by American cartoons, Chinese martial arts shows and English movies. I was fascinated by the kaleidoscope of stories in this world. In 8th Grade, one fateful afternoon, I found myself wandering in our school’s library. Running my fingers across the spines of books, I stumbled upon an entire row of pristine white, hard-bound books with bold lettering and colourful illustrations on the cover. I hadn’t really read any books up until then and picked one up at random whose title seemed vaguely familiar – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I flipped through the pages and was immediately drawn to the black and white illustrations in the book. So, I took the book to the nearest bench and started reading. And to my everlasting gratitude, a whole new world of stories opened up for me! Later, I discovered that the book was part of the Great Illustrated Classics and there were over 60 titles in the series! Over the course of that year, I read them all.

    After 10th grade, two momentous events occurred simultaneously that went on to shape my life. One, I was told I was adopted and second, our joint-family business was splitting up. These events shook the very foundation of my being and sent me down a spiral of self-sabotage. I spent the next 10 years of my life suffocating my dreams, destroying my health and squandering every chance at happiness. In the chaotic storm of life, my only faithful companions were books and I clung to them for dear life. Through sheer good luck and sporadic effort, I managed to secure an Under Graduation degree in Management Studies and a Masters in Business Administration. Over the course of the next 8 years, I worked in various roles in the family business ranging from manufacturing and warehousing of shirting fabrics in Mumbai to wholesale of women’s wear in Kolkata. I had convinced myself that the “right” thing to do was to shoulder my responsibilities and run the family business. But no matter how much I tried, my heart just wasn’t in it. I spent most of my time escaping into books and getting lost in stories. 

    Finally, in October of 2023, I mustered up the courage and left the family business. Since then, with the support of my family and friends, I have explored various interests ranging from scuba diving to mental health. And through this journey, I have found myself repeatedly drawn back into the world of books and stories. They have been a constant source of light in my life and I would like to help spread their light further. I would like to walk alongside fellow writers, artists and dreamers. I would like to understand what goes on behind the scenes at a publishing house, the many steps involved in publishing a book and bringing it into the hands of readers around the world.