| Title | : | Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published January 24, 2015 |
Two decades ago, when Sudha Murty approached a group of devadasis for the first time, determined to make a difference to their lives, they threw a chappal at her.
Undeterred, she went back, telling herself she must talk to the devadasis about the dangers of AIDS. This time, they threw tomatoes.
But she refused to give up. The Infosys Foundation worked hard to make the devadasis self-reliant, to help educate their children, and to rid the label of the social stigma that had become attached to it. Today, there are no temple prostitutes left in the state of Karnataka.
This is the powerful, inspirational story of that change initiative that has transformed thousands of lives.
Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives Reviews
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[Originally appeared here (with edits):
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/l...]
The book, ‘Three Thousand Stitches’ is much like its title – a couple of events of the same canvas (read Sudha Murty’s life), each adding some value to the canvas that it has helped weave and in the end, giving a texture that is fine and coarse, in parts.
Snippets from the journey traversed by the Chairperson of
Infosys Foundation, is scattered across 11 stories, each having a message or two to give. The titular story, which is also the opening one, is about the lives of devadasis, or sex workers as they ended up being called by, in northern belt of Karnataka, who became the first subject of work for the young Sudha.Young girls were initially dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple in good faith, but eventually, the word devadasi became synonymous with sex worker. Some were born into the life, while others were ‘sacrificed’ to the temples by their parents due to various reasons, or simply because they caught a hair infection like the ringworm of the scalp, assumed to be indicative that the girl was destined to be a 'devadasi'.
A heartwarming story, of her humiliation, her ouster and ultimately, her acceptance among these oppressed and violated women, is one of the highpoints of this collection. Equally numbing is the instance she recollects from her father’s young days as a doctor, whose one deed of duty and kindness, returns with life-altering interest many years hence. The full circle of life, and its latent gifts, comes to fore with these two lovely stories.
While in another of the stories, Murty takes a road down the memory lane, fondly remembering the testing, albeit enriching days, of her engineering college where she was the only female student of her batch, in yet another, she fast forwards to the present day where she is appalled and amused, in equal parts,
at being judged by her attire and being anointed to a ‘cattle class’ by a fellow traveller at the Heathrow Airport.
The stories are mostly warm and simple; and in turn, trigger slivers of thought as she broaches the issues of alcoholism, conservatism, exploitation and discrimination. From being a little girl to being a grandmother, from being a naiveté to a professional achiever, she chronicles her trials and travails, and offers advice, sometimes way too bluntly and sometimes, in garbs of conversation. One is likely to learn something new, like the origin of indigenous vegetables, and frown at her firm assumptions, especially in relation to long-standing traditions and religious tenets. The writing, though, aids the reading and the unvarnished prose tempted me to finish this book in one go. A good read, with plenty to chew and some humor to ease the occasional tension.
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Also on my blog. -
I have a very good friend whose husband worked in Infosys. She was the one who told me about Sudha Murthy and her philanthropy and also about the fact that Sudha Murthy was also a very simple, genuine and inspiring personality. I forgot all about it and the years passed until a month back ,I happened to watch a video of her speech at a function in an educational institution. Her speech was clear, simple, to the point and motivating. My interest was piqued and I decided to start reading her books starting with this one.
The book is a collection of stories about Mrs. Murthy's experiences and the people she meets as part of her job as chairperson of the Infosys Foundation.Each story has a lesson in it and my favorite was the one which described her work with the devadasis of the Renuka temple in Karnataka.
A truly inspiring and motivating read. -
Looking to the list of recent reviews, I'm inclined to think that I might be one of the few readers/reviewers who isn't Indian and doesn't have a clue who Sudha Murty is. I suspect it's a disadvantage. This woman seems to be held in high esteem but she's not well known internationally. I picked this up at Delhi Airport, hoping for the tales of 'ordinary people, extraordinary lives' but found that misleading since the book is mostly about the author.
From what I gathered, she's the head of an important charity. That's nice. But she's also rather judgemental seeming to adore the recipients of her charitable work, and to knock her peers. There's a very scathing attack on some women at the airport who don't realise she's travelling business class (Frankly, my dear, if you dress down to fly, don't be surprised if people don't realise you're heading for the front of the plane. Frequent travellers really don't care) but this tale contrasts rather badly with her claims of great poverty for her organisation and how that stopped them building their HQ for many years.
The opening story about the devadasis is a wasted opportunity to tell people more about their lives - but I guess for the home market that education isn't required. For the rest of us, it would be useful.
I'm not a religious person but I was brought up on the New Testament adage "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing," so for me, this "Hey, look how important I am and what amazing work my foundation is doing" sits rather uncomfortably.
Great work by her group, no doubt, but all a bit too boasty and preachy for my liking. -
☑️Nonfiction
☑️Short stories
☑️Experiences and valuable life lessons
Also, get a chance to know about the different origins of some particular food items through one story in this collection.
A collection of eleven short stories written from the author’s experiences from work, family and interactions with other people. I find this collection to be quite worthwhile as it provides noteworthy life lessons which I feel we should learn through real life experiences or through books like this!
You will get to know both the beautiful and the ugly sides of human nature. Some stories will make you feel happier than you were and some stories will make you angry with the human race. But at the end of the day, all the book provides is the valuable food for thought and take home messages which I will carry with me forever. -
My first read of Sudha Murthy. Could not get the purpose of writing this book? Too preachy. Is it an attempt to capture some anecdotes from her life? Hardly any story has any takeaway for me as a reader. At a lot of places, the author brags without any reason. The author does not make one visualize, nor does any story touch one's heart.
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I've heard a lot about Sudha Murty, as a writer, as a social worker, as a fantastic human. I have been seeing her videos on Youtube sharing bits of her tremendously magnanimous personality. I have also seen people raving about her writing and that how truly a humble person she is. I am happy that I finally read her now :)
Three Thousand Stitches by Sudha Murty is a collection of 11 short stories inspired by the author's life. Through these stories, the author shared bits from her life when she exhibited a remarkable attitude and positivity. Those anecdotes also display her grounded nature and give us insightful lessons.
The story that inspired the title of this book was my favourite where Sudha Murty had her first experience as someone who'd be stepping out of her comfort zone. That story shows that nobody is exceptional. In fact, all of us go through a series of discomforting moments when doing something unconventional, and our will to do it regardless of difficulties makes us a winner.
I loved how simplistic but engaging her writing is which, according to me, is a mark of an able storyteller. Her stories connect with you on a personal level and that, probably, is the reason why the author is loved by the readers' community. In all, this is a wonderful read and someone who'd want to start with a non-fiction book might opt for this one. -
I picked this up for reading on the recommendation of a friend. What an awesome, inspiring story!
Driven by a strong conviction to making a difference in the lives of Devadasis in Karnataka, Sudha Murty embarks on her mission. Initially she is spurned and insulted. Undeterred by these setbacks, she changes her approach, perseveres and earns the trust of the Devadasis. Slowly, and surely the changes occur at the grassroots. The women march towards a sense of financial independence by starting a bank, and send the children to be educated.
The highlight of this inspiring story is the straight-from-the-heart storytelling style of Sudha Murty. No attempt at weaving together complex and pretentious sentences. Just simple and effective storytelling! I love this! Must read her other books!
Buy this book and read it! You will not be disappointed! -
This was my first short stories book. Three thousand stitches by Sudha Murty ma'am. It has 11 short stories revolving around her professional and personal life. The last story named "I can't, we can" was touching; and harsh reality of alcoholism. And I noticed that's the only one that conforms to the book title: 'Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives.'
The first story name is the title of the book: Three Thousand Stitches. It was about the devadasi community who were forced by their situation to continue to be prostitutes. And how Infosys Foundation helped them come out of it. I feel it had a lot of potential untapped. Written rather apathetically, omitting so many important things that readers would have liked to know. And ended abruptly. Only focused on the fact that her organisation helped them.
Some stories I really liked. For instance, the Kashi and her father's 1943 story one. Some were okayish, one time read. Some were useless (the Bollywood one for instance), had no takeaway, made no point at all.
And the airport business class one, I had read it at so many places. And you might have come across it as well. That was so unnecessary. To be honest, it looked so fake. Also, it didn't contrast well with lack of funds and living in a rented office for many years, the issue she had mentioned in another story.
Many of the stories talked about how her organisation helped. That may sound boasting attitude to some. But IMO, that was necessary because then wouldn't we think: "She just listened to stories, wrote it in her book, and that's it?". And it was nice to know about the philanthropic work by the foundation.
Overall, I found it decent and might pick one of her works again whenever I'm up for light reading.
I may recommend it, depending on your taste. -
Beautiful.
I never thought I'd like a short story book, no clue why! It had all kinds of stories... Sad, funny, motivating, thought-provoking. A wholesome book. Go for it, it's a super quick read but I'd suggest to read just one story in one sitting. Absorb all of it slowly :)
Sudha Murty ji turned out exactly how I had envisioned her. Simple and kind, yet stern and upfront. Would love to read her other works. This one was so simple and yet so powerful. She indeed has led a full life. The diversity of experiences she's had... wow! Loved it! -
The book is a collection of short stories, inspired from life of author. Some are inspiring, some are entertaining and some impart you important knowledge and wisdom.
I loved them all. -
This book includes 11 stories; all stories are influenced by the life of the writer.
Read more book review on
http://www.haloofbooks.com/
The first story, ‘Three thousand stitches’ is a story where the author wanted to eradicate devadasi system and for this, she tried hard. However, the success doesn’t come until her father gives her a practical piece of advice. In the end, she received a unique gift from them.
In ‘How to beat the boys’, the author narrated story of her engineering college, where she was the only girl and how she tackled this situation and later this experience helped her in many ways.
‘Food for thought’ is a story, where the author went to her friend’s place for lunch. Her father is a botanist and further, she gets to know the origin of various vegetables and fruits and how they come to India.
‘Three handful of water’ narrates the writer’s early introduction to the place Kashi and how it is important to visit Kashi.
‘Cattle class’ story is featured in many news reports. In this story, the author is called as cattle class on the airport just because of her simple attire. However, in the end, it has a great twist.
‘A life unwritten’ depicts a story of writer’s father. He was on duty in the remote area where he was forced to deliver a child of an unmarried girl. Years later, this girl meets him. This story is absolutely amazing.
In ‘No place like home’ the author meets some women who are the housemaid in the Middle East and they all are going through with the bad experience.
‘A powerful ambassador’ says a story about Bollywood and how it famous across the globe.
‘Rasleela and the swimming pool’ is the story where the author narrates mythological stories to her grandchildren but their reenactment of this story was totally amusing.
Next story is ‘A day in Infosys foundation’. Writer’s old friend complains her that she is very busy and she doesn’t have time for her close friend. On this, the author invited her to be with her the whole day and see her schedule.
‘I can’t we can’ is the story where the author came to know about the impressive organization of ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’. She attended their meetings and totally loved their determination to reform their habit.
Writing style:
The language is super easy and the narration is smooth making you finish this book in two to three sitting.
My perception:
Without any doubt, I loved this story. This book reminded me of author’s previous book ‘Wise and otherwise’. The stories are so amazing and you will find yourselves immersed in them. I can’t choose a single favorite story as all the stories are totally worth to read. From each story, you are going to learn something and this is the reason I love Sudha Murthy’s book. A very impressive collection of short stories! Do not miss it! -
Another beautiful book of Sudha Murthy - One of my favourite authors!
There are certain books that make us feel so warm and leave us inspired.Sudha murthy's books are of that kind,most of them - where she puts together inspiring stories of humble people that she comes across along various facets of her life as a philanthropist. The language is so simple that makes us feel connected.
In this book,she has put together 11 truely inspiring and heart warming stories from her life.
So touching is the first one where she narrates her experience in having worked to raise the lives of 3000 devadasis, having helped them leave their jobs and lead a life of dignity by setting up their own bank. All the other stories are equally inspiring and I would definitely recommend reading this book. -
Given the connection that Sudha Murty and I have (I worked at Infosys for 5 years), it's always a pleasure to read her works. This one is no different! Sweet and innocent, this book reminded me of home, of my childhood, of everything in Kannadiga culture that I'm so familiar with, and filled me with longing. Loved it!
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Three thousand stitches by Sudha Murthy. .
I generally don't read such short reads but I got this as a gift by a friend of mine.
I read it as a part of #indianauthoreadathon .
Sudha Murthy is A role model to many.Having worked in an IT industry ,I knew about her already.She is such an inspiring lady. But my respect for her increased a tad more after reading this book.
@sudha_murthy_followers
In this book sudha Murthy shares Some of her anecdotes like her impactful work in devdasi community, her experience as the only female student in an engineering college and about her days in infosys foundation.
She writes in such a simple and clear-eyed way that even beginners won't face any problem while reading and Also, the way stories are written ,one will be tempted to finish the whole book in one go!
This book is so positive. Each story in this book is soothing ,heart warming and full of positivity.It shows that it's the simplest acts of courage and kindness that touch the lives of others.
It is a book recommended for all-for beginners,for children ,for adults ,for the readers who wants to get rid of the reading slump! Everyone!There is a lot to learn from this.
Do give it a try. -
There are some valuable lessons in this book. I liked "I can't, we can" the most of all.
Overall, a nice book. -
"Confidence doesn't mean that everything will go our way. It simply gives us the ability to accept failures that we will inevitably meet on our path and move forward with hope"
What does it mean to struggle? Has any instance in life gone by without one? People often say, struggle for so-and-so period of time and you'll be happy for the rest of your life. It took me a long time to know that this is a cold-faced lie. Life is filled with struggles; it only matters who you face it with and why you do so.
'Three Thousand Stitches' is a short story collection, with stories from various phases of the author's life. From facing sexism on her first day of college to becoming one of the most influential people in the country, Sudha Murthy's journey is one that puts our life into perspective and rediscover our purpose and passion. In the first story, 'Three Thousand Stitches', the author talks about how she, a person with a modernist mindset had to change her appearance and attitude while consorting with Devadasis to eventually change their lives and that of their children's. Towards the end of the story, they gifted her a saree made by hand with three thousand stitches. The author's wordplay definitely makes an impact here and the significance of the title of every story that follows this is seen as the reader progresses through the pages of the book.
Complete and full of love, reading this book felt like a warm hug from a mother. Sudha Murthy's words can be considered as a list of life-advices a mother would tell her daughter or son, through her life experiences and struggles which she would not want us to endure. For all those missing home, this book is definitely for you and thank me later -
Three thousand stitches.
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"I can give you many examples of people who may not have studied much but have done well for themselves because they believed they could." - Sudha Murty.
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I remember reading Wise and Otherwise last year and thinking how humble Sudha Murty truly is. Three thousand stitches caught my eye soon after that and I finsihed reading it in a single day. A collection of 11 short stories that revolve around Sudha Murty's life, this book is like a breath of fresh air. The stories are simple which is expected considering how the author herself doesn't like anything extravagant. But it's often the simplest stories that create an impact on the readers.
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There are many reasons why I liked this book. It might have something to do with the reality of it or perhaps due to the humbleness of the stories. The author writes about her experiences which range from her college days to the days of her being The Chairman of Infosys foundation. She sets examples with each story about how one should not give up during tough times or the teaching that you should not let money rule your heart. Her stories are sweet, practical and extremely relatable. We often judge people by the clothes that they wear or language that they speak while we shouldn't be carrying out such inconsiderate acts. This book is an inspiring and motivational read. It strikes a chord with those who really want to implement changes in their lives and what better way to do it than by listening to one of the kindest and grounded person in the World.
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A beautiful read to clear your head and count your blessings.
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Rating -4.5/5. -
"𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑰𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍��� 𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆."
🧶When the author Sudha Murthy reached out to 'Devadasis' to help out, to make them understand that there are many better work options than prostitution, in return she was humiliated with throwing chappals(slippers) and tomatoes at her. But she was determined to make a change, no matter what.
🧶It's a collection of stories that Sudha Murthy has encountered in her life as a young girl, as a college student and as a chairperson of Infosys foundation.
🧶The book will grip you from the very first chapter itself. After reading a decent amount of chapters I realized that every chapter has a different story to teach and a great lesson to learn.
🧶I was fascinated by the way she was decisive and insuppressible about doing engineering even though everyone was telling her to 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 like teaching, medical etc. Because engineering is a male-dominated industry, right?
She proved that the belief 'engineering is a man's domain' is a complete myth.
🧶She has put events that will remain with every reader's mind. It's a book beautifully written. I completed it in one sitting and was enchanted at the end.
🧶I would definitely recommend everyone to read it!🙌🏻
Rating :- 4.5/5 -
Days of life of Sudha Murthy narrated (by herself) in the form of short stories. Super easy read.
What I like about the book - An un-wearying approach to apprehend to (South) Indian culture and the lives in mid 1950s.
What I didn't like about the book - The writing style is too text book (ish), not intriguing. There is nothing to hold on to and go to the next chapter.
Book Cover - 4/5
Plot of stories - 3.5/5
Writing Style - 2.5/5
Overall - 3/5 -
Feels more like a bunch of blog articles than like an inspiring set of essays that could form a complete book. An okay-ish read!
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Collection of stories made me live the moments. I found it informative as it is collection of real life stories depicting morality. Author is Gem.
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Though Sudha Murty is a renowned name in India, for her social work, her life story and even as the wife of founder of Infosys, Narayana Murty; this was the first book I read written by her.
I appreciate the fact that she is a self-made woman, starting from the education she chose, profession she fought for and then the name she has made for herself. She has made an identity for herself, which is not just dependent on her husband's name and fame.
This book is a mix collection of 11 stories derived from her personal life experiences and honestly I don't understand the flow or the significance of all of them. As an auto-biography, it lacked the flow and depth I would have prefer. Some of the stories even lacked any message.
Maybe my expectations were higher. Nevertheless, I did come to know her more closely with these 11 stories from her life. -
A collection of short stories with lessons for life 👌
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This book is a compilation of 11 short storirs about Sudha Murthy’s life as a young girl, stories about her father, her story as a college student and also as Chairperson of Infosys foundation.
If you have read any of her book before, you already know how beautiful and heart warming the stories are. And the fact that they all are true incidents makes me very emotional. I connect at a different level while reading Sudha Murty.
The first story itself tells a tale which explains the title of the book. It's story of how Sudha Murty changed lives of 3000 Devdasis even though she received backslashes in the beginning. It is one of my very favourite tales.
There were 3/4 stories in this book which I didn't personally liked nor felt connected. I didn't understand why were those stories in the book. But non-the-less, apart from those 3/4 tales, the other tales won my heart. The language was simple and direct. I must say, Sudha Murty has excellent storytelling skills!
The other stories tells about her relation with her father, grand parents too which are absolutely amazing. The stories bought tears in my eyes.
She also has a story where you will find out why she gave up/sacrificed shopping.
Over and all, beautiful book with beautiful stories. Totally worth investing out time reading this book. If you have never read a book before and want to start with something, pick any books by Sudha Murty, NonFiction (short stories).
This book is a compilation of 11 short storirs about Sudha Murthy’s life as a young girl, stories about her father, her story as a college student and also as Chairperson of Infosys foundation.
If you have read any of her book before, you already know how beautiful and heart warming the stories are. And the fact that they all are true incidents makes me very emotional. I connect at a different level while reading Sudha Murty.
The first story itself tells a tale which explains the title of the book. It's story of how Sudha Murty changed lives of 3000 Devdasis even though she received backslashes in the beginning. It is one of my very favourite tales.
There were 3/4 stories in this book which I didn't personally liked nor felt connected. I didn't understand why were those stories in the book. But non-the-less, apart from those 3/4 tales, the other tales won my heart. The language was simple and direct. I must say, Sudha Murty has excellent storytelling skills!
The other stories tells about her relation with her father, grand parents too which are absolutely amazing. The stories bought tears in my eyes.
She also has a story where you will find out why she gave up/sacrificed shopping.
Over and all, beautiful book with beautiful stories. Totally worth investing out time reading this book. If you have never read a book before and want to start with something, pick any books by Sudha Murty, NonFiction (short stories).
[IG (books) - @runawaywithme98 ] -
Three Thousand Stitches is one of my favourite books by Sudha Murthy.
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This one is also compilation of short stories by sudha murthy. All of these are her personal experiences which not only inspires us but also shows us how be happy and make other happy.
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Following are the synopsis of few of the stories included in this book :
➡ Devdasi means servant of Gods, in earlier times they used to be singers and dancers in the Temple. But the modern day definition of Devdasi is changed. Sudha murthy recalls her experience with the modern day Devdasis which was her very first project.
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➡ she talks about how she entered into the male dominated field of Engineering in 1968 that too with the college which had no facilities for women.
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➡ story tells us that something in vegetables like tomatoes, chilli and deserts like Gulabjamun, Gulkhand have in common. Also there is an interesting story of origination of Bananas.
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➡ there is a story of how she gave up the thing she loved most "Sarees".
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➡ is a short story about how ppl judge you if you wear simple clothes and not some fancy ones.
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➡ Sudha Murthy had a bet with her friend that she will see 365 movies in next one year (one movie a day). This bet itself sounds interesting but more than the bet I was fascinated by this women who we admire so much.
And many more.
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If you find this interesting then do read the book. It's very small book. You will complete it in couple of hours. It is really good book to read as a light reading after reading some bulky mind grilling books. -
Another beautiful book of Sudha Murthy - One of my favourite authors!
There are certain books that make us feel so warm and leave us inspired.Sudha murthy's books are of that kind,most of them - where she puts together inspiring stories of humble people that she comes across along various facets of her life as a philanthropist. The language is so simple that makes us feel connected.
In this book,she has put together 11 truely inspiring and heart warming stories from her life.
So touching is the first one where she narrates her experience in having worked to raise the lives of 3000 devadasis, having helped them leave their jobs and lead a life of dignity by setting up their own bank. All the other stories are equally inspiring and I would definitely recommend reading this book. -
There is always so much to learn from Sudha Murthy's storytelling and narration. A book laced with trivia and emotion. Tomatoes are not indigenous and neither are our spicy chillies! The fact that "Rang de tu mohe gerua" resonates more with Irish than Indians. The lost significance of Kashi samaradhane. And why she didn't have the guts to narrate the story of Draupadi's disrobing in the royal court to her granddaughters. Spent three hours reading this in a bookstore while it rained outside. :)
