Book review: The Other- Stories of Difference by Paro Anand

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The Other clearly asks us to stop treating people as if they were invisible, whatever their flaws might be.
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Paro Anand is an award winning writer who has written for children- big and small. Her book The Other- Stories of Difference, is a collection of short stories though written for the young adults in our society but, I presume, intended for us all.

The protagnists in The Other are generally children standing on the threshold of adulthood, those who are on a journey of discovery: on a journey, discovering their otherness. There is a story about a girl dealing with grief; another who witnesses a woman being assaulted in broad daylight; a handicapped boy who falls for a girl and learns to see himself with new eyes and yet another girl who comes to terms with her best friend's discovery of his sexuality.

The book has a range of emotions owing to the varied subjects that the author has chosen. The stories often left me moist eyed by the end, though I would say more because of the subject matter than the writing. I am sure there aren't many Indian authors who would broach these subjects that Anand has chosen to broach eith adults, let alone the teens, and for that alone we must congratulate the author and the publishers, Speaking Tiger.

Some of the stories have been written passionately and you can feel thay maybe these are the ones that are closer to the author's heart. Some stories made me wonder why are we so apathetic to our young and their feelings. The stories made me sit up and take notice of what the 10-year-old going-on- 25, in the house, had to say as well as her random observations about our world and society.

The Other should be by no means treated lightly. In fact we should make sure that we discuss the subjects of this book here, there and everywhere, and learn and teach everyone to deal with our and others' flaws and differences a bit more compassionately, a bit more kindly.

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