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A review by flawedpoetry
Sepia Leaves by Amandeep Sandhu
5.0
"Sepia Leaves" is a walk down the memory lane of Appu who lives in Bangalore. The first few pages introduce us to Appu's father who is sixty six years old and is loosing his grip on reality. His disorientation prepares us for his death which follows soon after. The novel is a reminisce of Appu's life in Rourkela, a small industrial town. Appu's childhood in the 1970s is anything but normal. His parents, who are from Punjab don't have a sense of belonging in Rourkela, their marriage has massive problems and to top it all, his mother suffers from schizophrenia. Referred to as 'Mamman' throughout the novel, she is the central character of the book.
Mental health issues are highly stereotyped even in today's society. Since there wasn't any proper medical help available, Mamman's condition keeps deteriorating. When Appu's father brings a house help to stay with them and look after Appu, his mother's condition takes a turn for the worst. Mando, the house help for no fault of hers, acts as a catalyst and Mamman's schizophrenia makes her a classic stereotypical definition of a mad woman.
The book is about Appu and his life with his schizophrenic mother. Schizophrenia is not an easy condition to live with. The book gives a moving account of how life becomes a constant struggle when your loved ones suffer in unfathomable ways and you can't even begin to comprehend it or extend them any help. We need much more awareness about mental health. It is only after that that we can expect acceptability and finally help.
Mental health issues are highly stereotyped even in today's society. Since there wasn't any proper medical help available, Mamman's condition keeps deteriorating. When Appu's father brings a house help to stay with them and look after Appu, his mother's condition takes a turn for the worst. Mando, the house help for no fault of hers, acts as a catalyst and Mamman's schizophrenia makes her a classic stereotypical definition of a mad woman.
The book is about Appu and his life with his schizophrenic mother. Schizophrenia is not an easy condition to live with. The book gives a moving account of how life becomes a constant struggle when your loved ones suffer in unfathomable ways and you can't even begin to comprehend it or extend them any help. We need much more awareness about mental health. It is only after that that we can expect acceptability and finally help.