Three Thousand Stitches- book Review

Three Thousand Stitches is a collection of real stories from the life of the author, Sudha Murthy. Whatever she has encountered throughout her journey through life, she has tried to portray it. This book is small yet rich. She has brought to us eleven such stories of helping others, the ugliness of the human race as well as the beauty of it.

Author- Sudha Murthy

Overall- 4.5/5

Outline of my favorite chapters

I will briefly outline a few of my favorite stories from this book.

Three Thousand Stitches

The book is named after the first chapter, Three Thousand Stitches. In this chapter, the author brings to light how she helped the community of Devdaasi’s to have a better life. She dressed like them on the advice of her father in order to fit in, so that the women might trust her. Helped their kids to secure scholarships and study ahead. She helped them start a bank of their own with three thousand women. It was these women who gave her a gift of an embroidered bedspread with three thousand stitches that they themselves had made.

How to Beat the Boys

How to Beat the Boys is the second chapter that narrates the story of the author who studied among boys in the engineering college. At that time, it wasn’t common for a girl to take up engineering and hence she was the only woman in her class. It was difficult because the college didn’t even have a female washroom.

The boys tried to tease her but she remained adamant and did not bend. She got very good scores and also managed to be friends with some of the boys who are still like brothers to her. This story speaks of bravery and dedication. It’s the passion for engineering that drives the author to finally succeed in the field. However, it is important here to realise that the author had the required support from her family which not many women seem to get in reality.

A Life Unwritten

The next story that I read was about the author’s father who was practising as a doctor in a small clinic in Maharashtra. One night, he was taken to a house to save a patient’s life. Upon realizing that it was a woman who was about to deliver, he recalled all of his theoretical knowledge from medical school and somehow managed to deliver the baby safely. He then realised that the mother and child were in danger and decided to hand over the money he got for the delivery, to help them.

Years later, he comes face to face with the child who is all grown up and the mother who has accomplished a lot in life. They tried to search for him and were waiting all these years to meet him again. This story makes us realize that a single act of kindness can eventually change the course of someone else’s life.

Apart from these, there are also other stories. The stories of the struggle faced by women who are taken to another country to work by agents and are trapped there. The story of Alcoholics and other addicts who constantly struggle to leave their habit and lead a normal, fulfilling life. There are many more heart-touching stories that paint a realistic picture of humanity.

My Thoughts on Three Thousand Stitches

Sudha Murthy’s style of writing is very easy to read. She does not complicate her words or the message. She writes with a simplicity that even teenagers can read. Hence, this book seems suitable for anyone above the age of thirteen. Yet in its simplicity, it still unearths deep emotions. It gives unique moral messages and depicts the human mentality and vices. Every story is short and can be read as one story per day. It would be an excellent book to gift teenagers to start the habit of reading.  

This book gives hope. It shows us that the human race can be cruel and yet there are good people around. There are blessings around and no matter how trapped one feels, there is always a way out. One has to just have faith.