“An amputated past not only starves the present but poisons it”, lines by D.R. Wallace have literally set me thinking.

I am surprised by the fact that how one Greeting Card has inspired Sam to write this novel that runs over 500 pages!  He has appreciated Birute Putrius for the card.  This is something beyond imagination.  The book looks like reading memoirs of his childhood, and growing up and where he talks about his father who is an American soldier and his mother, a Nun.  Basically, this book talks about his life and his perceptions towards life.

“An amputated past not only starves the present but poisons it”, lines by D.R. Wallace have literally set me thinking.  Most of us trouble ourselves visiting our past from time to time.  So true are these lines!

Sam’s response to a birthday card from Sonya and Oscard and his interpretation of it is much evident in his lines where he thinks that he himself could be that little boy, “The card carries no legend, only the picture of a little boy playing violin, with two dogs and a cat in attendance.  The whole picture, I am satisfied to inform you, dear, is fiction, inside a fiction.  The set-up is phony, the peacefulness an illusion”.  His entire book is built around this very greeting card which includes the violin, two dogs and a cat around whom he has woven his stories.  This indeed is a noteworthy creativity for any Writer.

This book, in the form of letters to his love, Sonya, talk about the Author’s travel to Romania, his stay at the Convent in Sinaia, his ordeals, his equation with Lina and his search for her later, his stay with Dr Mihail, war time tales, life of Sisters and Nuns including the pathetic rapes, Nazi camps, Catholicism, his fears, on how he becomes a Stalker, his life in totality, and one more important aspect which has come to my notice is that he is trying to help Sonya understand a particular pattern through his lines because of his love for Sonya.

“Sonya, does the pattern begin to form around you?  How everything comes together randomly, purely by accident, but in hindsight you see in operation the iron jaws of causality?”

 “O, Sonya, can you imagine the soul-searching and nights on knees before the Virgin, praying for guidance?”

“Sonya, try to imagine the scene, fraught with fear and glory!”

 “When I arrived like an unwanted bundle, they didn’t care enough but later while it wasn’t certain whether I would live or die, they couldn’t bear to name me.  Finally, after much study, I became Joseph, the closest to Jesus they dared to go, because of their fear of adoring me too much.  The stern name of Joseph held them back a little.  Here he is narrating to her how he got a name for himself living with the Sisters.

“People take off their clothes in front of a stranger for two reasons; when they have nothing to lose, or when hope to sell something.  The real pornographers are people who make war or steal so much that children go hungry and homeless.  Not a lot of difference between those two groups”, I found these lines very thoughtful which have come through Sam’s experiences in life.  His description on the porn industry and kiddie porn seems very vivid, and true in every sense because it has happened and it is happening today, as well.  “That war was pornography on a scale like you can’t believe.  Children in pieces is much worse than naked ones.  I want everybody to bite down on that fact, even if it is like a cyanide pill.  Whoever reads this can make up their own minds what was the best thing to do”.  These lines have left a big question mark in my mind, and I am sure, the readers too will have questions on this.

His questions on his life seem very genuine to me as I read the lines, “I was born a joke, a living monstrosity that should have been born dead and then pickled, if I couldn’t be cut off by accident,  I wonder if my mother couldn’t face the living fact of me, and so she sickened and died.  Did her Christ reply to her rejection of him by exaggerating the instrument of her fall from grace?”

Readers, you will need to read the entire book to find out the mystery on who is Agatha, Madame Gheorghe, Joey, Oscar, Elynor Rudnick Marguerite, Joanna, Waffle, Dr Loewenberg.  Honestly, I cannot let out the secret here and so, I am leaving this unsaid here!  Guys; read the book to find out for yourself.  This is an intriguing book which has the capacity to hold your interest until the last page.

They say true Writers and Poets can find their inspiration anywhere, and that is how their writing becomes flawless.  This book also entails the horrors of war, Naxi camps, etc. which seem very true and written with every perfection.  Every word though seems to have pitched-in to give a meaningful outlook to this book.  Therefore, I will urge the Readers to go through it and Sam will be evident all through the entire book taking you to all the places he visited.  Indeed, a worth reading one!  Sam, I wish your book crosses all the marks and travels across continents to attain fame and glory.  Hope to look forward to one of your next edition.   All the best to you.

Regards,

Shubhaangi Kundalkar

Author – Justaju-In Search of Life