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Thanks to all who commented. I have made a donation of $250 to The Miracle Foundation. I hope you will take the time to read this review – and more importantly, Shelley Seale’s book.
Today I’m dreaming about something a little different than my usual fare. In fact, instead of longing what I’m feeling is lucky. Lucky that I have two healthy children. Lucky that I get to travel with them. Lucky that I have the time and resources to share our adventures on this blog. That’s because today what I’m dreaming of is a better world for everyone’s children, especially the children in India.
The reason for this is that I just finished reading The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India by Shelley Seale. This book, which is both a personal narrative and a journalistic document, follows Seale’s journey over the past four years into the streets, orphanages and slums of India. The book is a thoroughly researched, well-documented account of a very large and complex problem. Lack of access to food and water, let alone education; the AIDs epidemic; drug use, prostitution, and rape; and the inequities created by an illegal but thriving caste system are all factors that add up to a reality of 25 million children who have been orphaned, abandoned, or exploited in India.
If this seems like a daunting prospect, that’s because it is. To describe this situation coherently in a short number of pages would be a feat in itself, but Seale does more than that. She humanizes the problem by describing her own visits to India and her conflicting emotions about whether she is doing enough to help. In under 300 pages she tells a compelling story by showing us who these children are and why they matter. In her own words:
I became immersed in their world, a witness to [the children's] struggles – but also their joys, their incredible hope and resilience that amazed me time and time again. The ability of their spirits to overcome crippling challenges inspired me. My sole purpose in writing this book was to give these millions of children a voice that could be heard by others in the world who, I was convinced, would be as moved by their plights as I was.
Seale explains that she was first drawn to help after she read an article about Caroline Boudreaux, who abandoned a career as a television executive to help start The Miracle Foundation, which raises money in support of orphaned Indian children. Seale’s involvement with this organization led her to eventually visit India, where she saw first-hand how these children’s inherent human rights are routinely violated through indifference and neglect. They are invisible, both in their own country and to the rest of the world.
- Shelley Seale, author of The Weight of Silence
In The Weight of Silence, Seale brings a light to bear on these children both collectively and as individuals, describing her relationship with the children she meets including Daina, the child she sponsors, and Santosh, a teenage boy whom she encourages to stay in school. She also describes many of the adults who are working to help these children and what a struggle it is for them to staunch the vast tide of human need that washes daily up on their doorsteps. And she talks about her own reactions to these people and the world they inhabit, recognizing always that even though she is a privileged Westerner, she has much to learn from their generosity and humility.
One of the more moving passages in the book has to do with Seale’s decision to bring her teenage daughter to India to meet some of the children she herself is helping. Full of doubt about whether or not bringing her daughter was the right decision Seale worries that the experience will be overwhelming and negative:
I had tried to prepare her for it – the mass of humanity, the filth and smell of garbage, even the beggars; but it was an impossible task, like describing a painting to a blind person. I remembered well the culture shock of arriving in India for the first time the complete differentness of it. I was afraid I had made a huge mistake in bringing her. That she hated everything about this crazy, chaotic, often maddening country and was wishing she had never come.
Seale then describes how her daughter meets some of the children at an ashram sponsored by The Miracle Foundation and is immediately drawn into their world. They welcome her as a sister, caressing her and braiding her hair. She shares holidays and food with them and by the time she leaves the country is sobbing because she does not want to go.
I talk a great deal on this site about how travel makes my children global citizens, about how it takes them out of their own comfort zones and challenges them to see that not everyone lives as they do. I have not yet taken them on a volunteering vacation or into a situation so full of desperate poverty as this. Reading this book made me think long and hard about what I might do to begin sharing not only the wonders but the problems of the world with them. I haven’t figured it out altogether, but Seale definitely offers a road map of how to do so with grace and honesty
And although I have been to India, where I did see some of the poverty described in this book first-hand, I did not fully grasp the enormity of the problem, as indeed, Seale herself admits it is difficult to do.
Seale is serious and earnest, but not sanctimonious. The strength of the book is that even as she reveals her own internal struggles with despair, the overwhelming message is one of hope. By offering many concrete examples of how individuals can make a difference, Seale inspires her readers to look the problem square in the eyes and bring whatever resources they have to bear, just as she herself has done.
Therefore, as a tribute to the faith and optimism shown within the pages of The Weight of Silence, I’d like to make my own small contribution to the cause. For every comment that is made on this post I will donate 5 dollars to The Miracle Foundation, up to a total sum of $250. It’s a drop in the bucket, I know, but one thing this book has shown me is that small gestures do make a difference. As Seale says, quoting Mother Teresa, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.”
And please run, don’t walk, to the bookstore to buy this book. Or order it online. Because truly all of us should be dreaming – should be acting – to create a world where these children are as well cared for and loved as our own.
You can learn more about The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India and order an autographed copy of the book at http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/.
And I hope you’ll feel inspired to share your own Monday Dreaming link. If you’ve got questions about how this works, please see About Monday Dreaming.
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59 Responses to “Mondays are for dreaming: The children of India”
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Wow – this book sounds like a real eye opener. I am off to check it out.
What you are doing here is so generous!
Kristen´s last blog ..Through My Lens (Recipe: Black Pepper Shrimp)
I’m adding this to my book list, and heading over to Miracle Foundation to learn more.
This does help us realize how incredibly lucky we are. Thanks for opening our eyes to what is going on, and to leading an effort to make a difference.
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Great review of the book. I couldn’t put it down and was totally impressed with how Seale captured the very essence of the people she was describing.
Thank you for being their voice. They need us and I believe we need them.
Thanks for sharing this important book. I will try to find it at the library. Have you read Greg Morgenstern’s book? That one affected me profoundly as well.
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Really nice, thoughtful and provocative post. This is what travel is all about, the realisation that things happen. I learnt a lot from the four women who spoke at the BlogHer conference one of the them Annie Zaidi from India had things to say about street sexual harassement on females both adults and children.
Like Bridget suggested – try reading Greg Mortensens Book, “Three Cups of Tea”, thats a good read and inspirational.
Thanks for sharing and more importantly caring enough to write about it.
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I certainly want to help you contribute your maximum amount to the Miracle Foundation! I interviewed Shelley for my blog, A Traveler’s Library, and was very impressed with the way she presented this problem to the world.
I have seen the poverty myself first-hand. I just bought Shelley’s book and will read it on my long airplane flight next week. We are giving back: we started a greeting card company and we give a portion of our proceeds back to charity. We have an agreement with India’s Akanksha Foundation to sell greeting cards using artwork made by their kids. We will have Diwali cards available in mid-September, and holiday cards sometime later in the fall. We hope to raise money by selling cards, and raise awareness by getting people to mail out the cards with Akanksha’s logo on the back! More money to help educate these children so they can lift themselves out of poverty. Help us spread the word! http://www.sceneeast.com.
One of the wonderful things about Shelley is that she’s a genuine, caring women who’s truly motivated to change the world. That comes across in her beautiful writing and in face-to-face conversations. We would all be in good shape if we follow her elegant examples.
Melissa Joulwan´s last blog ..Team Ninja
adding my comment for your donation! Shelley does great work!
LindaSama´s last blog ..“you are all Gandhis” (2008)
[...] writer Mara Gorman features a book review of The Weight of Silence on her site, The Mother of all Trips, geared toward traveling with children. Mara writes the review for her “Mondays are for [...]
Thank you for your profile, your donation for comments and your lovely site.
Shelley is a fine writer who wrote a regular column our magazine, The Good Life, right up till we put out the final edition in January and folded due to the economy. I can certainly attest to the fact she’s a fine writer and look forward to working with her again someday. Thanks for giving her the spotlight on your blog, and your generous donation to The Miracle Foundation.
I have never met anyone who was unchanged by one of these precious children of India. I have never been. The change for me has been second hand, but no less profound. I do not believe anyone could sit with Caroline Boudreaux and listen as she pours out her heart or watch as she pours out her life for these children and remain unmoved.
Thank you for this review and for such a generous offer of support to the Miracle Foundation. I am so glad you are here.
James Chambless
I have also been to India with The Miracle Foundation and am so overjoyed that Shelley has been able to put the experience in words (incredible words!) and share the enormity and depth of the children’s situation. Hopefully the book will inspire others to make the trip, make a donation, or make a difference somehow.
I wish there were more people like you and Shelly in the world. India is one of the countries on my list to visit and or volunteer. I will certainly look into getting this book but since I am in China, it may be a bit difficult.
Kudos to you for traveling with your kids. That is the best way for them to learn about themselves, others and the world we live in.
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I think helping children is always a worthwhile endeavor, where-ever they are! Thank you for caring about these children in India!
i love this book. i’ve read it twice already. thank you for your incredible gift to the miracle foundation. it seems that we CAN make a difference!
Jessie Voigts´s last blog ..Top 3 Places Not To Go On Holiday
Thank you so much for taking action to be a part of the solution. I heard about your generous offer to donate to the Miracle Foundation and rushed over here to leave a comment. I’m so glad I did. I love your writing and your blog. I hope to be a regular visitor and will be buying the book. (I love the photo in your post – those children are beautiful!)
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Thanks so much for the review. I am going to add it to my reading list. What an awesome thing you are doing!
Jen´s last blog ..Alfred B. Maclay Gardens – Tallahassee, Florida
I can’t thank you enough for your beautiful review of The Weight of Silence and for your generous offer of the donation. I have cross-posted a link to your review on FB and Twitter. Beautiful!
I reviewed this book on Amazon as well. I have been to India three times and I still felt like Shelley had been to a different India than me! I could not put it down…read it in almost one sitting! MUST READ! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
Thank you for sharing your review. It definitely sounds like a “must read.” I have a young friend with cerebral palsy who has been on a few mission trips to help the children in Romanian orphanages. There are so many children in the world who are casually tossed aside by their own governments and fellow countrymen. Blessed are those who go into the world and minister to these children, and bring their plight to our attention. Thank you for sharing your faith in this project and book.
It’s terrific that you’re spreading the word about the book, the cause, and the children…not to mention your generous contribution! …
With gratitude and admiration…
Wow, what an awesome forum to get the word out about Shelley Seale’s book and to raise money for an incredible cause.
I am fortunate to have traveled to India several times with The Miracle Foundation and with writer, Shelley Seale.
As soon as I could, I ordered her book and devoured every word of it!
She has such a way with words in capturing the beauty of India and its people and the problems it faces with its orphan population. The problem is enormous. However, each and every one of us CAN help make a difference in some way.
Read this book. It will hurt your heart. And then it will help you to take action. And then it will warm your heart. I promise!
Kathleen Evans´s last blog ..Rick Perry’s Never Looked So Good
I read a lot of books and a lot of travel books — this is both a terrific “read” and an informative text on the orphans in India and the country of India itself.
My advice: Read it. You won’t regret it.
I have seen first hand what the Miracle Foundation is doing to help children in India. It was a life changing experience for me. But more important, the work they do is life changing for children that would otherwise have no hope and no future.
It’s against this backdrop that Ms. Seale delivers a compelling, objective, yet intensively personal narrative that captures the enormity of the problem while relating it it’s effect on individual children.
Get the book. You won’t be able to put it down until you’ve read the last page. And you won’t be able to forget the children after you do.
Thank you for helping to spread the word of Shelley’s book! The Weight of Silence is a wonderful book, although sad at times, there is also joy & hope in it. And it does move the heart to want to work harder to make a difference.
What a wonderful generous soul you have!!!! I lived in Thailand for 3 years, so I know a bit more than most Americans might know about poverty and children who lack even the most basic things for life.
God Bless you!!!
Ruth Ann
Thank you for the review which is evidently written from the heart. No gesture is too small or too futile – you have listened, opened your eyes, become aware, tried to understand and thought about the situation here in India and in many, many other countries too. And you have spread the word. The conspiracy is broken.
Kudos to the author and the blogger. It does us all good to be reminded that these are real children in need, as real and precious as our own.
Debra Moffitt´s last blog ..Talking to Mom/Mum about your period
This book is absolutely on my need-to-read list – now more so because of your review. Good for you for spinning this fund-raiser to raise awareness and raise money for a great cause!
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I would like to thank Mara for her comments and the help she is offering. Like
Shelley, you have so much love and compassion for people. I thank you for
this opportunity to once more tell Shelley how proud I am of her and the depth
of her concern for the precious children who need all of us working together
to give them their right tolive and have the opportunities they deserve. Shelley
has such a wonderful way of expressing herself in a way that makes one want
to know more and more about her subjects. She makes one feel her desire for
this book to reach others to the extent they will want to be a part of making a
difference in another’s life. As she said, “Yes, her love is India and its lost child-
ren; but she is also concernced about the needs all over the world”. Shelley I
am so grateful that your book is b eing so well received. I know you and it and
those who read your book will make a difference. You have opened many eyes
and hearts. Mimi
What a great book. It’s atrocious that this problem isn’t one that we are all aware of and combating.
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As an American of Indian origin, I see the dichotomy of extreme wealth and extreme poverty every time I go to India, and yes, many of us in India have become desensitized to this situation. Reluctant though I am to admit to it, this is a reality and perhaps the generosity of people like Shelley and Caroline will bring about a widespread awakening.
I look forward to reading this book.
As someone who works with children in India – where I run homes and HIV projects and a slum night school – I know the value of the dollar and how far it goes – it costs us $30 a month to keep a child in one of our homes, fed, watered, clothed, schooled and loved – and so every dollar has weight !!
As to the Weight of Silence by Shelley – what moves me most is her commitment – she seems to have enormous energy for her cause and it is this which makes a difference – the personal voice of experience – combined with conviction – rather than be one of the many that simply shake their heads, overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem – Shelley has waded in and become embroiled in the reality of trying to do something……and every drop in the ocean – is, as Mother Theresa said – as it seems popular to quote her: ” a drop in the ocean”. Five dollars more……
Now that Hat’s on the job – it won’t be long….
Shelley has had many people tell her what a “special” person she is for giving these children her time, money, & love. She is only embarrassed by this as she feels they have given her so much more than she could ever give them. The experiences she has shared with the children of India has had a lasting impact on her lfe & her priorities. Most of us see these injustices & horrors & “think” something should be done; maybe send a few dollars to help. Shelley, however, makes true sacrifices, although she’d never feel it a sacrifice, to try to do ALL she possibly can. She has a compassion many of us possess but most fail to put into action. Please spread the word about her book & the children she so dearly loves. Through her book her greatest desire is to make a difference in at least as many of their lives as possible. As she so eloquently states, it is the inalienable right of these children, as those all over the world, to have certain needs met. ….not because they want it but because they need & deserve it. We all should have a right to a chance at a happy & productive life & to be loved & cared for. Spread the word…tell others about this amazing book & author. “If you can’t feed a hundred people (children), then feed one”. Mother Teresa If you haven’t bought the book, run don’t walk or order online today.
What a wonderful thing to do! May God bless all involved!
“Poverty” is a much misunderstood word. Here’s an anecdote from my personal experience – I run a sightseeing tour company called Mumbai Magic, and we had an American lady on one of our city tours.
On the tour went to Sassoon Docks where the day’s fish catch comes in. The fishing community in Mumbai has a culture where the women take the fish to the market and are therefore the ones with the money. Our fisherwomen are very fierce, they have a sharp tongue and an equally sharp fish knife, and nobody messes with them, all locals know they are independent and proud.
Now at the docks, there was a fisherwoman sitting on the ground with a basket of fish, and next to her was her young girl child. My American visitor saw them and started weeping. Oh god, she wept, why do people have to be so poor? Why does that woman have to sit on the ground like this? Why is that child not in school and playing? The lady was inconsolable and retired to her palatial hotel room.
Whereas I looked at the fisherwoman and was proud of her financial independence, of the fact that she was supporting her family, that nobody in their right minds would ever mess with her, that the tradesmen treated her as an equal and haggled as hard with her as they could. As for her child, that child would always have a full belly, she would learn the fish trade and be as smart as a button soon. The docks are open early in the morning, that child probably went to school later as well, but I don’t know that. After the fish were sold, she would most certainly go home and play.
Now this is not a perfect scenario – their home is a tiny village without amenities – but the thing is, my visitor and I looked at them and saw two entirely different realities. To me this was not a scenario with a deprived mother or child. This was a happy family, and I strongly felt that the sympathies of my weepy tourist were entirely misplaced.
Shelley is not a weepy tourist. She has immersed herself in the country she is writing about. She has invested time, effort and – I know this is really basic – but she has invested sweat. In the heat and dust, she has given of her body and mind to be with the children she writes about. Shelley’s kids – orphaned and homeless – are truly deserving of our attention. Shelley is tireless in her campaign to ensure they get what they deserve. I wish her luck.
I’m glad to see the support she is getting from you, Mara.
Shelley , I know that you are writing about the children in India . But the passion with which you have written the Book is AWESOME.
Keep the noble work moving.
And Thanks to Mara for this small but touching gesture.
Thank you Mara for the nice review, your support for the Miracle Foundation, and your website. I have visited one of the orphanages with Caroline and have done some translation for Shelly. I grew up in India and make annual visits to India. Needs are in plenty and whatever one can do seems like a drop in an ocean. We can get desensitized to things we see everyday, whether it is violence or poverty; we may skip over things that are painful to see; and our interpretation of what we see may be different from the reality. But it is important to tell our stories for our own sake, for the sake of the people in the stories, and for the sake of our readers. Thank you Shelly for your story and merging your story with those of the children, telling it as you see it.
Knowing Shelley this book will be filled with the right mix of empathy, sweetness and perhaps even laughs. Shelley has the unique gift of looking at a situation as both an insider and an outsider–which involves and informs her audience. I look forward to spending time with her book.
Great review ! I’ve read The Weight of Silence cover to cover. It is a beautiful and heartfelt story of the children of India. The book opens with Shelley’s visit to an orphanage in Chowdwar, India. Wonderful memories of my visits to Chowdwar, India ( where Pinky, my precious sponsored child lives) would flood into my mind and heart. I would, at times, laugh and then find tears streaming down my face as I remembered my times with Pinky and all of her friends at Chowdwar. I have visited Pinky 3 times so far and Lord willing I will see her again soon. Please read the book, go to India and sponsor a child through the Miracle Foundation. It will change your life !
What you’re doing is fantastic.
Mara, many thanks for writing such a wonderful review and for your support of The Miracle Foundation. I have been to India twice with The Miracle Foundation and Shelley’s book reflects the thoughts and feelings I have but could never articulate. Thank you, Shelley, for writing such an amazing book and letting the world know about the kids and their stores. We can make a difference one child at a time. I can’t wait to see our kids and their beautiful faces again soon!!
Fantastic review. We’re looking forward to having Shelley on our radio show, Travel’n On, this fall to share this amazing book.
What a beautiful post. Your writing is so moving. Thank you for a great review and what you are doing!
Amy @ The Q Family (Dreaming of: Cruising)´s last blog ..5 More Fun Kids-Friendly Scenic Train Trips
I have just finished reading The Weight of Silence and I concur with Mara; the book holds a message of hope.
Before I read the book, I paged through it looking for pictures, chapter headings and the like. Each of the major sections began with a quotation from a famous person. The one that struck me and was in my head the entire time I read was from Mother Teresa ” If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one”.
As I read the mind-numbing numbers and facts that Shelley recounts, the statement stayed with me. The facts I tended to glance over after a while, but I avidly read every story and update about the individuals that she illuminates so beautifully.
For me, the perfect summation of the hope and the gift of the children came on page 286 – “India simply cannot be approached with anything but fully opened arms and a willing heart”.
My thought as I leave – Find the “one” that calls to you, and help. Find the “one” that finds your heart, and volunteer. Find that “one” that draws you in, and feed that one.
Travel in Safety.
Jane Stanfield
Mara, What a wonderful post and gesture. The book sounds so inspiring– I’ll have to hunt it down.
I haven’t finished the book yet but you can feel the love that Shelley has for these children. They say that actions speak louder than words but in Shelley’s case she took action by going to India to see the suffering first hand and then through her words led us into the lives of these little children. You can feel Shelley’s love for these children and I can promise you that it will tug at your heart and weigh on your mind.
Its a wonderful mission…God Bless
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I cannot wait to read this important book. I feel lucky to have Shelley’s experiences become part of the MyWorkButterfly.com community – continuing to bring focus around the children that need us the most. Five more…
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Thanks for the wonderful and inspring book.
Dear Shelly,
Great Review. Can I ask for a permission to repost partial of the article to our blog site at: http://karmatrekkerstv.typepad.com/
We will credit you (in About the Author section).
Very nice article, it speaks very well of both you and the book, which I now plan to read. I’ve traveled to India several times and it is an enchanting place and inspires so many emotions. Not the least of which are the ones related to the plight of the poverty-stricken. Yet somehow the country manages to have such high spiritual goals and achievements regardless of the problems.
Thank you for sharing us the review of the book! I will buy and can not wait to read it!
I have been out of the country so I have not been able to read the book yet but I can attest to Shelley’s compassion and sincere desire to help the children of India. I have been on 3 trips with Shelley and The Miracle Foundation and they have been truly life changing and we are fortunate that someone with Shelley’s talent has taken up the call and doing everything she can to give those kids the basic human rights that we take for granted most of the time.
Thank you Shelley and I can’t wait to read the book.
i will read this book