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I enjoyed reading the strong love for nature, encounters with wildlife and the innate wisdom of our ancestors and how they revered our connection with Earth. This love reverberates throughout the narration.
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the subtitle that read – “The amazing story behind the creation of a private forest sanctuary in India”. Being an organic farmer and a nature enthusiast, this line drew me instantly.
The author Pamela Gale-Malhotra and her husband Anil Malhotra together recreated a 300 acres for forest sanctuary – SAI Sanctuary, that they replanted and grew together.
The book is their story, but goes into much more than that.
As I dove into the book, the narration traced the author’s Native American lineage and the connection with the Osage tribe going way back to 1853. She takes us through the exploitation of the Native American tribes and the horrific ethnic cleansing. The book also delves into strategic abolition, and mass eviction of native people across the globe; whether it was the plight of the Native Americans or annihilation of people of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Gale passionately writes about the American political scenario and how each government had impacted the course of events in the history of mankind.
While I strongly believe that the background of the author and her experiences that shaped her thought process, strengthened her connection with nature is very crucial to the story, I felt it meandered way too much into historical references, cultural anthropology, socio-economical structures and world politics. Descriptions of historical events like Vietnam War, the effects of World War II, genocides in human history went into excruciating details.
As important as these references were, the topics could have been kept brief, just enough to give the readers a context and focused more on what the book actually promises to deliver. Because of this, the book reads more like an autobiography and a chronicle for most part than a memoir tracing a specific event. Honestly, I found myself feeling restless to get to the part where they create the forest sanctuary. But it isn’t until the last quarter of the book that the author gets to it.
While the author takes us through the American history, what also finds equal footage in the narration are the accounts of her stay in the Himalayas, the sages and their prophecies and predictions, spiritual encounters and raising human consciousness. Throughout the book, spirituality forms the core of narration along with nature being the anchor for spiritual evolution. Pick up the book if you wouldn’t mind delving into all these areas apart from what the title suggests.
Discounting the wanderings into other areas, I enjoyed reading the strong love for nature, encounters with wildlife and the innate wisdom of our ancestors and how they revered our connection with Earth. This love reverberates throughout the narration.
As a science student I could relate greatly to the biological and atmospheric phenomena that are described in depth giving the readers an insight into how devastating human activities are in disturbing the delicate balance of nature. Through various political events the author highlights how the connection between the possession and control of natural resources effects further degradation and even conflicts among countries. Greed and power leading to mindless exploitation and ultimately putting the whole planet at risk is presented through many personal experiences, making for a compelling read.
The intent of the book to awaken humanity from its delusive nightmare before we plunge into the abyss of extinction, surely comes through strongly and is hard hitting.
If you’d like to pick up From The Heart of Nature by Pamela Gale-Malhotra, use our affiliate links at Amazon India, and at Amazon US.
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Image source: YouTube and book cover Amazon
A mother of two amazing kids and a teacher by profession, I have varied interests. Apart from being an avid reader, I dabble in gardening. My love for painting, cooking, travelling and jotting down my read more...
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