My Lucky Book – Being Lucky

Books

Madhuri’s review of Deva Kalpana’s memoir.

My Lucky Book coverMy Lucky Book – Being Lucky
by Ma Deva Kalpana
Independently published (27 MaY 2022)
ISBN-13: ‎979-8831857191
274 pages
15.24 x 1.75 x 22.86 cm
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Available as paperback and Kindle from Amazon in your country

A deeply-felt, harrowing and sensate memoir, disguised under a minimalist, deadpan delivery. An abusive childhood in Canberra leads to drug addiction, a baby born, part-raised, and then taken away, and a despairing search for surcease of pain in the spicy grunge of Bangkok. We are thence whisked to seamy dives in Tokyo, and eventually, almost as if by accident, to Poona – where grace descends.

It is a rocky journey this young woman has – including a suicide attempt and troubles with the police – and we feel for her throughout: there is a stoic simplicity in her pain and the way she perceives the crazy goings-on around her. She is enormously sensitive, and all the noise of the world is just too much for her – and yet, because her parents had been so untrustworthy, she tries to handle everything herself.

And then – silence – the silence of the Enlightened Ones. She wraps herself around that blessed silence and doesn’t let go, throughout all the tumultuous and adventurous and wonderful times we all lived through in the various communes. And, slowly slowly, she finds healing.

Illustrated throughout with her own instinctive, somehow-tender line drawings, which add immeasurably to the text. We get the feeling she does not easily share her depth verbally, and we are privileged to be the listeners she finally trusts to hear her.

It is not normally done that someone who helps to edit a book, also writes a review – but I asked to, specially, and was specially asked. I was also, as a Human Design reader, fascinated to see that Kalpana’s design is such that trouble was going to happen, especially in her youth – leading later to real wisdom and grace through all that down-and-dirty experience. I felt much moved by this while reading.

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Madhuri

Madhuri is a healer, artist, poet and author of several books, Mistakes on the Path being her latest memoir. madhurijewel.com

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