Title: Blessings of a Mother to a Son
Author: Kamal Krishna Laha
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 978-1-5434-0108-0
Pages: 234
Genre: Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
Reviewed by: John Murray
Pacific Book Review
At the ripe age of 75, Kamal Krishna Laha was inspired to write about his life. His three- year-old grandson innocently asks Kamal where he comes from. Kamal then set down on paper his entire life from childhood to present day. He covers the trials and tribulations of being poor in India in 1942 and barely surviving typhoid. He and his extended family live in poverty but Kamal was driven. He not only cared for his family but dedicated himself to living the best he can and providing for his loved ones. His life’s journey took him around the globe until settling down in an unlikely spot: Australia.It’s difficult to evaluate a personal memoir as it is by its nature unique to the author. Kamal attempts to thoroughly explain as much as he can about not only what he experienced, but how he struggled or adapted to each circumstance. As the title might indicate, he pays homage to not only his mother but all the maternal figures in his life for their various support and guidance.
The memoir can be a bit difficult to follow as it is a blend of narrative, historical context and lists. The overall effect is a stream of consciousness, as if you were invited in to hear about Kamal’s life over a series of visits. Each chapter might not build upon the previous nor flow chronologically, but each tells Kamal’s story as he recalls it. It is an interesting format for a memoir. As Kamal states in the final chapter, it is up to the reader to judge his life.
According to the stories and facts presented in the memoir, Kamal certainly lived a vibrant life of dedication and love. Sorrow and joy followed each other and he learned to wait out the bad and savor the good. He writes as it seems like he would speak resulting in a friendly tone that asks you to follow as he delves into his memories.
Blessings of a Mother to a Son is more than the myriad of ways mothers and maternal figures affect their children’s life. It is a unique look at one man’s life told by him directly to the reader. It follows his struggles through education and across the globe as an electrical engineer. It may not be the perfect memoir, but it is Kamal Krishna Laha’s life and he tells it well.
