RUKHMABAI (The Life and Times of a Child Bride Turned Rebel Doctor) BY SUDHIR CHANDRA

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BOOK NAME: RUKHMABAI (The Life and Times of a Child Bride Turned Rebel Doctor)

AUTHOR NAME: SUDHIR CHANDRA

GENRE: BIOGRAPHY 

PUBLISHER: PANMACMILLAN INDIA

BOOK BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.in/Rukhmabai-Times-Child-Turned-Rebel-Doctor-ebook/dp/B0CSYXY8N1



BOOK COVER IMAGE




BOOK REVIEW

Who would have thought that this serene-looking saree-clad woman would revolutionise the world of medicine and fight patriarchy one day? An eleven-year-old Rukhmabai was married to a 19-year-old Dadaji as a child bride. She later refused to cohabit with him after coming of age, which was against the norms of the olden days. What started as a personal divorce proceeding turned into a full-blown struggle against the entire orthodoxical society. She had to take down each and every one and lose everything along her path to divorce, as she was feared to be a revolutionary and a trendsetter for the otherwise “naive” women.


Later, phase two of her struggle began as she took up medical education in a foreign country and strived to finish her exams. Even after doing the unimaginable, she had to struggle as a doctor to practise in India because Indian men wouldn’t trust a lady doctor who was once a “Hindu rebel woman”. From a child bride to a divorcee to a lady doctor, Rukhmabai had come a long way during her time. 


The book portrays her life and struggles very precisely and systematically. The research in the book was intense and sincere. As we know that we are all villains in someone else’s story, Rukhmabai’s story, too, had a few shocking revelations, bringing certain famous personalities like Balagangadhar Tilak and Florence Nightingale under scrutiny. 


Except for the repetitive narration about Rukhmabai and her stepfather, Sakharam’s relationship, the book was an easy read. I have read about her life journey earlier in anthologies and through multiple articles, but this was the first elaborate account of her life—one of the must-read biographies of all time.


MY REVIEW: 4/5 

This is a part of Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge

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Comments

  1. Elevating BrandsMarch 18, 2024 at 12:51 AM

    This review paints a picture of "Rukhmabai" as a captivating biography that sheds light on a remarkable woman's fight for personal and professional liberation. It offers a well-researched and engaging narrative that will appeal to readers interested in Indian history, feminism, and social justice.

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