This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Dr. Venugopal Menon's "My Mother Called me Unni"is an authentic and kaleidoscopic portrayal of eight decades of life, spanning from the British Colonial India in Kerala to the life of a successful immigrant in America. His childhood stories recount the now obsolete joint matrilineal family system, role of grandparents, precious traditions, colorful festivals, festivities and a culture of the past that can bring in nostalgic reminiscence to readers. After becoming a doctor, he served the Indian Army during the Chinese invasion and then the State Health Service and later he left the country in search of a better future. The book poignantly relates to his intense dilemma of forsaking his motherland and dragging his future generations to an alien culture. And the story continues with his establishment in America, earning all the laurels in higher education, serving as the President of a nationally reputable clinic, and being invited by the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine in London. This is the amazing chronicle of an early Indian immigrant to America, a physician who earned a name for himself as well as created a base for his future countrymen in the land of opportunities. It is a must read for all who have an interest in history, culture, migrants and the medical profession.
Writing his memoirs was encouraged by his children who felt the need for such a treatise, to establish a base and trace the roots of the family between continents and cultures. Venugopal Menon and wife live in Texas
Reviewed by Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite
My Mother Called Me Unni: A Doctor's Tale of Migration is a rich and fascinating history, painted fully with culture, personal narrative, and family discoveries. Following the multiple decades of author Dr. Venugopal K Menon's life, you get to experience the nuances of a life well lived from the mind of the man who was there through all of it. From growing up in India, leaving his beloved homeland in search of a better life, to building his own life and family in a new country, this book is a deeply personal and careful narrative explaining how one man has grown into a life that bridges two completely different worlds.
While My Mother Called Me Unni is primarily a poignant memoir about a successful man's early life and travels to start a new life, it also brings to light a lot of societal, economic, and political issues of both the late 20th century and today. I battled along with Dr. Menon as he was caught between his cultural leanings and the more liberal world he had made his home. As someone marrying into another culture, I really related to his experiences; trying to maintain your own culture while also allowing room for outside influences of your own space to flourish at the same time. This book is a testament to the legacy created by Dr. Menon and how that legacy will be passed down though the lives of his three children as well as his extensive family back in India.
