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Tanya Mendonsa’s The Book Of Joshua, is a simple and heart-warming tale that will charm you – animal lover or not!
Review by Anne John
I started reading Tanya Mendonsa’s The Book Of Joshua on a flight, not realizing that I was seated next to two Catholic nuns. Soon, the book grabbed their attention and they asked me about it – only to find out that it had nothing really, to do with religion! Joshua, is in fact, a bouncy and energetic cocker spaniel, the apple of the author’s eye and the star of the book.
The book revolves around the author Tanya Mendonsa’s life – which in turn revolves completely around her pets, especially her beloved Joshua; so much so that even her husband seems to be a secondary character. I suppose every dog lover views their pet almost like their own baby; Mendonsa is no different, often referring to them as “the boys”. The book is replete with Joshua’s antics – sometimes adorable and sometime outrageous. But the pampering, the indulgence and not to mention the gourmet food (boeuf bourguignon anyone?) that Mendonsa’s dogs enjoy, makes the phrase “It’s a dog’s life” totally pointless! It’s quite hard not to feel jealous of Joshua and his blissful existence!
Mendonsa has a light and breezy style of writing, peppered with self-deprecating humour: “It is an indisputable fact for dog-lovers that they are nice people – open, generous, creative and unconventional; but our unkinder critics would label these qualities as ‘foolishly trusting’, ‘spendthrift’, ‘lazy’, and ‘not quite all there’, respectively.” The story takes us to different parts of the world – from Paris to Bangalore, Goa and then finally the Nilgiris. It is not a book which is particularly rich in imagery – it doesn’t quite invoke striking visuals of all the locales that are mentioned; but the book cover does make one go “Awww!”
Although I don’t hate dogs, one wouldn’t say that I am an animal lover. For one thing, I love my meat, but more than that I tend to agree with Chandler Bing’s philosophy on dogs, namely: “They are needy, they are jumpy, and you can’t tell what they are thinking, and that scares me a little bit.” Sure, they are cute but the huge responsibility of taking care of another living being simply puts too much pressure on a supremely lazy individual like yours truly. But despite all that, The Book Of Joshua, kindled a tiny spark within me that made me wonder dreamily, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a dog?”
Publisher: Harper Collins
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Anne John loves to play with words and calls herself a reader, writer, explorer & dreamer. She has a wide range of interests and has recently jumped onto the Mommy Vlogger bandwagon! read more...
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Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia.
It is amazing when a person turns personal adversity into a calling, and extends empathy to make a significant impact in the lives of other people. This has been the life’s journey of Dr Nalini Parthasarathi.
April 17 is World Hemophilia Day. Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
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