Joo : Aishwarya Patekar

A testament to inner strength and resilience

“Joo”, an autobiographical work by Aishwarya Patekar, a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, has been warmly embraced by a large number of readers. The author,  along with his mother and four sisters, endured a life where even a trace of happiness seemed impossible to find. The word   “Joo” is used symbolically to represent the burdened and sorrow-filled life imposed upon them by circumstances. In the preface,  Nagnath Kottapalle remarks that this autobiography enriches Marathi literature.

Chapter titles such as “Char Gavachya Barava an Mi Madhi Jondhala Hirva,”  “Navi Bahuli,” “Lekurvalan Abhal an Thipkyaevadha Baap,”  “Bhar Unhalyat Hirvya Hirvya Phandya,” “Maylekinchi Dindi,” and  “Modlelya Gharachi Ushi an Bhuyich Antharun” evoke curiosity  about the narrative. Praising the work, noted rural writer R. R. Borade states,  “This may perhaps be the first autobiography in Marathi that narrates life in such depth up to the age of fifteen or sixteen. Filled with numerous incidents and experiences, it leaves the reader astonished—there is no doubt about that.”