Never Sit If You Can Dance: Lessons from My Mother

“But I'm still curious”. This line at age 97 from Babe, the author's mother, probably sums up her entire attitude and zest for life. This book is a tribute to an indefatigable mom from a daughter who over time has realised all those little things that went into making her mother an incredible person.

In another place, Jo says – “Having grown into being Babe's daughter, I adopted a personal mantra: In spite of what's happening, it's okay to be happy today.....People don't like to be around depressed people.” There are a number of such light bulb moments throughout. By themselves they sound clichéd and corny. When put into context of Babe's life, these have much more life and depth.

It's only when we get older that we truly appreciate the trials and tribulations of our parents as they raised us. It's a lot of credit to Jo who saw how her mother evolve from being depressed to a die hard optimist. Most of the times we cannot see our parents for the individuals they are, only for the roles they have played for us. While reading this, I was reminded so many times of my own parents and the life lessons they have passed on to me and my siblings.

I think this is a great book club read. There is so much to talk about and to ponder on that it can make great discussions. I enjoyed the journey in this book – joyous and hopeful.

Note : I got this book as an ARC from Booksirens.