"Moss-Green Judgy-Eyed People on Their Roof Catalyze a Daughter and Sister’s Caregiving Journey Fraught with Absent Father, Amatory Turbulence, and a Quest for Catharsis"
People on Our Roof by Shefali Tripathi Mehta
Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi
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| People on Our Roof by Shefali Tripathi Mehta |
Authors: Shefali Tripathi Mehta
ISBN: 978-9389136708
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 228 Pages
Publication Date: 14th December
2020
Publisher: Niyogi Books India
Cover Designer: Misha Oberoi | Instagram: @misha.oberoi
Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/3yJWSm8
About the Author: Shefali Tripathi Mehta’s most recent book is Ek Koshish: The Story of Arushi (2019). This is her fifth book and the second work of fiction after Stuck Like Lint (2017). She has published short stories and poems in anthologies and online. She writes on disability awareness, social issues, travel and parenting. For close to ten years, Shefali wrote the cover story for the Sunday supplement of the Deccan Herald. She lives in Bangalore and works at the Azim Premji University. Shefali volunteers with the disability organization, Arushi, and curates Gond art to support tribal artists.
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| Shefali Tripathi Mehta |
Instagram: @shefalitripathimehta
Disclaimer: This review is only intended to initiate discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author.
REVIEW
In 1.7 billion strong India, 197.3 million people, or nearly 15% of the population, were battling mental disorders in 2017. In a country where nearly 1 in 7 people struggle unseen, People on Our Roof sheds light on the realities of living with and caring for those affected. Since numbers can't capture the human cost of mental disorders, this novel offers a poignant look at the emotional toll.
We've all encountered those in our communities grappling with mental illness, who wander the streets and markets of our neighbourhoods, perhaps engaging in seemingly nonsensical behaviour in a desperate plea for recognition or brandishing a stick, lost in solitary conversations. These quite conspicuous figures become invisible when it comes to understanding their psychiatric disability, their needs, and providing care. The stigma and lack of awareness render these realistic experiences as surreal. Still, this book validates these experiences by reflecting on the real world where knowing people with mental disorders is not uncommon.
People on Our Roof addresses this issue with refreshing candour. The protagonist's once-prosperous Delhi-based family, blessed with well-heeled privilege, circumvents the conventional "faith healing, crystal healing, exorcism" circuit by accessing a qualified medical expert. This subtle nod underscores the importance of modern psychiatric treatment, coupled with social support and compassionate care, as the dignified path toward healing.
However, family caregiving can be emotionally exhausting, and frustrating, and at times, it can strip one of identity and strain relationships, even beyond the family circle. Shefali Tripathi Mehta offers a refreshingly optimistic portrayal, grounded in realism, that avoids romanticizing the situation. She expertly straddles the fine line between depicting the challenges of caregiving and showcasing the unexpected pockets of joy within the quotidian chaos and the profound strength discovered within the caregiver.
There is the fear of the unknown, and greater still is the fear of the unknown within the minds of loved ones, which can weaken you even in the face of strangers. Yet, once you find the courage to overcome this fear and accept it for what it is, you conquer the world. This is the hope the book delivers, concluding with a delightful and uplifting ending.
Despite Naina’s struggles to make peace with her personal history, her mother’s psychotic episodes, the family's ostracism under the whispers of ‘pagalkhana,’ harrowing nightmares, the plight of independent women taking tough life decisions for themselves under the watchful, often disapproving eyes of society, and society's pitiless math deeming Naina fit only for a spouse branded by madness, People on Our Roof is enveloped in the warm embrace of the late 1990s. The narrative delights in the little things—crossword puzzles, childhood anecdotes, the Madhukamini bush, and chats over chai, all rendered in a soothing writing style imbued with penetrating empathy. A few male characters with sunny dispositions provide a safe haven, adding another vibrant thread to the fabric of this powerful tale.
Happy Reading!
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