Two reviews for Roshani Shay Curtis’ book: one by Veena and one by Chintan. They write: “Very much worth reading.” “This is a story which will enrage, frighten, and at the end leave you cheering. I loved this book.”
Two Souls, Tandem Journeys
Our Adventures with Love, Deafness and Autism
Roshani Shay Curtis, Ph.D.
Austin-Macauley Publishers, New York, 2023
174 pages
Paperback, hardback, ebook
austinmacauley.com – barnesandnoble.com – mightyape.co.nz – amazon.com* – amazon.co.uk* – amazon.de* – amazon.in or in your country, from The Book Depository and from most major online retailers
Limitless courage
Review by Veena
I have just finished reading Roshani’s book Two Souls, Tandem Journeys! It is brilliant, inspiring, touching… Very much worth reading.
Here is my review of it:
To be honest, I don’t really know how to write a review of this book. It touches me so deeply I am not sure I can find the words to convey how I – and, I think, many other readers – feel about it.
But I will try. I know Roshani and her then husband Tom, a little bit, having met them at Rajneeshpuram in Oregon (see page 121) and spent many happy, informative hours with them. They were so intelligent and insightful that I was intrigued to hear their very different perspectives on our ‘city’ and the way we lived in the rather hostile local environment. I later met Matt, who I know as Tarun, when he came to live in our city and, as I went about my daily tasks, I kept an eye out for him and was thrilled to see his transformation into such a happy, more confident, and independent teenager due to living in our loving and accepting environment. Roshani’s intuition that this would be a good move for him was spot on.
For me Roshani’s book has four inter-related themes. The first is her personal life with its somewhat complicated relationships – one ending in appalling tragedy – and awesome academic achievements. The second is her devotion to this little soul who arrived in her world with unique differences which taxed all her devotion and integrity to deal with. The third is her constant heart-breaking dealings with social services who, instead of helping her as they should, stonewalled her at every turn, forcing her to rely more and more on her own efforts to provide the vital independent living situation for her son’s growth. And fourth, her developing spiritual awareness which I am sure gave her the strength to carry on despite so many adversities, and which culminated in her joyfully becoming a disciple of the spiritual mystic, Osho.
These adversities… Reading the book, I am incredulous! How can existence throw so much at one small, slight person and not only not break her, but forge a human being of such unimaginable strength, boundless love, and astonishing integrity? All I can suppose is that it is simply because Roshani is who she is.
She could so easily have abandoned this baby with its unique disabilities of deafness, autism, and a myriad of other emotional and physical difficulties. At just over 12 months, at yet another visit to a doctor, this time a specialist in early childhood behaviour, she got the blunt diagnosis: “Your baby will probably be a vegetable by the time he is three years old.” But she refused to take this onboard and embarked on what she calls a tandem journey to guide her child and herself through a world of incomprehension, prejudice, fear – and unimaginable obstructions by state and federal bureaucracies. On the other hand, her own openness, integrity, intelligence, and exceptional honesty drew out the best in the numerous people she met at grassroots levels, many of whom rallied round her to help her with positive practical and emotional support.
As a university professor with a Ph.D. in Political Science, Roshani of course writes with skill and clarity so her book is a pleasure to read. This is one of those books that one could say about it: once you start reading, you cannot put it down. It is lively and fast-paced yet at times it tugs hard at the reader’s heart strings.
I was often in tears as I turned the pages, not only at the seemingly insurmountable problems Roshani faced, but also at the many humorous and touching interactions she had with people and her joy at so many gestures of support that she received, resulting finally in a happy and fulfilling ending.
We typically laud adventurers for their courage at facing untold obstacles when journeying to the icy poles or the faraway moon, but for me the limitless courage shown by this redoubtable woman is every bit as awesome, and worthy of all the love and respect that we can muster.
Please read Roshani’s book and be inspired!
A rare story about emerging as a conquering hero
Review by Chintan
I can personally attest to Roshani’s experience of dealing with the insane society. My expertise is in the field of insanity. I spent a hefty portion of my life working in the institutions that society creates for those who do not fit the NORMAL criteria, and I can attest that there is absolutely NO HEALING available in these way stations for society’s outcasts. They are places that do little more than warehouse. The inmates are controlled by chemicals, denatured foodstuffs, the droning of TVs in every room, and an environment of meaninglessness.
They are designed that way. It is big business. They have discovered that there is no money in health. Diagnose, prescribe and house a person and much monies can be made for a whole host of providers. The drug companies get rich. The ‘care-givers’, at least those at the top of the heap, get rich.
Roshani is a mother who gives birth to a son who does not fit society’s criteria of NORMAL. There is a Japanese saying, ‘Nail that sticks out gets hammered down.’ When Matt is born, he does not conform. He does not develop in the NORMAL way. The experts in the field of NORMAL are quick to administer tests which determine that the little fellow is one or more of the following:
- Schizophrenic
- Deaf
- Autistic
- Learning Disabled
- Soon to be a vegetable
- Anti-Social
- NOT NORMAL
Prolixin is prescribed along with a host of other poisons. Institutionalization is suggested. The experts can clearly see that Matt has no chance of living a happy, productive life in the society.
The author provides an alternative suggestion. What if I LOVE my son, protect my son, and use my intelligence to find an alternative to the expert’s pronouncements?
It is an exciting, well written, concise account of Matt’s journey from potential vegetable to actualized unique being. Along the way the pair find Osho and his community at Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, USA. Matt embraces and is embraced by a real society of loving, intelligent beings inspired by an enlightened consciousness. There are many other care-givers and institutions who help Matt along the healing path, but it is the brief time in Osho’s energy field that reveals his unique self.
It is one of those rare stories of a being being crushed by an insane society, and somehow rising up, not giving up, and finally emerging as a conquering hero.
This is a story which will enrage, frighten, and at the end leave you cheering.
I loved this book.
Related articles
- Two Souls, Tandem Journeys – An introduction by Roshani Shay Curtis of her newly-lauched book about her life with son Tarun. The book is subtitled: Our Adventures with Love, Deafness and Autism
- Elizabeth the Gatekeeper – A chapter from Roshani Shay Curtis’ newly-published book, Two Souls, Tandem Journeys
- The Rajneeshpuram Experiment: Utopia Found and Lost – A chapter excerpted from Roshani’s book, Two Souls, Tandem Journeys. “I can almost hear him thinking, ‘People around here really like me. Wow.’”
Comments are closed.