My column on my mother and Gulshan Ewing, When Life Gave Amma Lemons, She Grew Lemon Trees (April 26), received an avalanche of over 600 responses, more than any other article I have written. Clearly, it touched a deep chord. In addition to heart-warming responses on social media, a journalist I barely know, called and talked for an hour, saying she was overwhelmed after reading my column, as she remembered her own sacrifices, raising her daughter as a single mother. I was very touched.

This is why it can be so enjoyable and comforting to read other women's stories. I highly recommend, especially when locked down with the family during COVID-19, that children —especially boys—as well as men, interview their mothers and write about them: it will be a revelation. Most women have low self-esteem and don't think they're worthy of a book. But, even 'ordinary' lives can be fascinating. That is why I really appreciate Asha Anand's memoir, 1959: A Love Story: a tribute to joint and extended families (R350, available on Amazon and Kindle, published by Becomeshakespeare.com, 2018). Ashajee, as she is called, is the very accomplished wife of
Dr RK Anand, famous paediatrician and author of Dr RK Anand's Guide to Child Care, and she's now 80. She has been his solid support lifelong—taking care of the family, a symbol of national integration, working alongside him at his clinic for years, and backing several health campaigns.