Book Review: Nagpur to Mumbai via Many Amazing Countries

- By Anamika Mishra

Some books are make you smile, some books make you cry and some books take you on an unforgettable journey. Once such book is Nagpur to Mumbai via Many Amazing Countries : An 80 Year Odyssey by Vijayalaxmi ‘Chandu’ Bhanap. If you follow me on my social media, especially linkedin, you must be aware of the fact that I mentor aspiring authors and help them shape their idea of the book into a reality. But frankly, I have mentored many authors and helped them write their books but the journey with Vijayalaxmi ji was simple forgettable.

Every single word I am writing in this review post is not because I have been a part of this, because you as my readers know, if that would have been the case then I would have mentioned more 100 books by now. This is the first book that I am mentioning here, because its worth.

Book Review: Nagpur to Mumbai via Many Amazing Countries

About the Author:

Vijayalaxmi ‘Chandu’ Bhanap is the author of the book. She is a family-oriented women, who also has hundreds of friends from all across the world. She has travelled from one country to another throughout her life. She is currently 81 years old and moved back to her house in Mumbai, India but still continues to travel with her children. Nagpur to Mumbai via Many Many Amazing Countries is her autobiography which is an honest account of incidents that she experienced from the moment she put her leg outside the country at a very early age.

Book Review: Nagpur to Mumbai via Many Amazing Countries – An 80 year odyssey

As a reader, I really enjoy reading the book. It starts with a conversation between Vijayalaxmi and her son when he tells her about relocating to a new apartment in Mumbai. This conversation makes her recall the first time she moved from Paratwada, a small town in Maharashtra; and then there was no looking back. She got married and moved to UK and kept on shifting from one country to another.

It is really interesting to read how London was in the 50s and 60s. What really intriguied me was how she and her husband Govind manage through the tough times with little to no money with them to manage expenses.

Not just this, but I cried when I read her experience of giving birth to her first Child, all alone in a foreign land with zero contacts. She was just 21. It still gives me chills when I try to imagine the situation.

It was really interesting to read the honest account of her experiences living in different countries like UK, Libya and some of the Gulf countries.

As you will proceed, you will notice how strong Vijayalaxmi have been through every thick and thin. People often give all the credit to the man/husband when he moves to a new country and paves his way to the top, but the wife is that unsung hero whose efforts often go unacknowledged.

She is 81 years old now and moved back to Mumbai; although I had a word with her 2 days back and she was currently in USA. My first reaction was, you won’t stop travelling! Hai na!

And I really hope, she keeps on travelling. It makes her happy and feeds her soul.

I highly recommend you to read this book. After such a long time, I have worked on and read an honest autobiography of a common woman whose life journey is so inspiring.

The book is available on amazon. You may buy it from my Amazon partner link below.