Poopparikka Varukirom - Nenjil Niraintha Ninaivugal

About the book

Written by a woman born in the late 60s, this book is a treasure of knowledge to share about the era. It showcases life in South Tamil Nadu, of how people prepared rice, grains and fish, cooking from and storing our food in clay pots and palm leaf baskets. Although the family had enough food, clean water took a lot of work to come by. The essays recall the hardships of living through perpetual drought: having to walk miles with a pot in order to fill it from a well, eating lentils when people couldn't cook adequately due to water scarcity, and scheduling their day around the quantity of water. Other topics include the occupations in the community that either no longer exists or have diminished over time. Childhood games were played with the neighbours, grabbing any items they could find to entertain themselves and find a place in the book.

It also throws light on pop culture from those days. That generation saw the popularity of China silk sarees and international influences like Japanese digitally designed sarees brought from Gulf countries. Several shifts in technology have occurred both during the 60's generation and throughout the author's lifetime, for example, public transportation, changes in the form of entertainment etc. and the book is a soulful account of that era.

About the author

The author is Bharathi. Born and raised in Kallikulam village in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, she married Thilahar, a man from a neighbouring village called Vaddakullam. The family moved to the States for his job and has been here for 16 years. However, Bharathi has never worked in the states. Instead, she spent her time volunteering at her kids' schools, working in senior centres and food drives. In her free time, she listens to songs from her childhood, audiobooks and the news. She also collects stamps, a hobby she has had since her teenage. She is deeply interested in history, specifically India, her local childhood village, and the Bay Area. She also enjoys sharing her experiences with others. This is her maiden book.