“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read,” said the witty Groucho Marx.
TORONTO: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read,” said the witty Groucho Marx.
And, taking cue from this anecdote is Anahita, an 11-year-old, who found a novel way to appeal to both dog lovers and book buffs alike by writing a book on her pet golden retriever Brandy.
Besides having a cute beauty spot, it was Brandy’s travel travails that made Anahita want to write the book The Dog who came from India. Anita came to Toronto along with her family almost three years ago along with her dog Brandy.
“The plane trip from New Delhi to Toronto itself was 27 hours. Brandy had to travel by herself on another part of the plane and went without food or water the whole journey, not knowing where she was going or why,” laments Anahita. While, people at the New Delhi airport told her to leave her dog behind, the family would not hear of it.
Launched last November, the book explores Brandy’s journey to Canada. It reveals glimpses of India and also Anahita’s world as seen through a puppy’s eyes. The book is unique because it has a dog for a hero and kids saw a real dog as their role model. “It’s perhaps one of the few stories from a dog’s point of view which makes it all so different,” points out Anahita’s mum Anjali, who helped publish the book.
The young writer first dabbled with words while getting bored two summers ago and has not looked back since. A few lines turned into an experience of a lifetime. Impulsive, creative and a wiz with words, all she has to do is a grab a paper and pen and give shape to her ideas. The words could shape into a book or a scribble, depending on her mood.
While, writing is only part of the game — getting the book published is what really maketh a book. Once the final draft of the book was complete, Anahita banged on the doors of pricy publishers to get her book published.
After receiving a lukewarm response from publishers like Penguin and Random, some of whom pointed to a few minor editorial errors — it broke mum Anjali’s heart to see her little girl get frustrated over publishing pangs. She promised Anahita to publish the book herself if they found no takers.
The book ends in India before the family and Brandy begin their journey to Canada. After the official launch of her book, Anahita was busy with book readings, classroom visits and shared anecdotes with other school kids on what it was like to come to a new country.
The Consul General of India in Toronto, Mr Satish C Mehta, joined others at the launch. So far 150 copies of the book have been sold. The book launch was covered by extensively by the media.
Anahita formed a unique plan whereby 25 percent of the proceeds of book sales would go to charity of the buyer’s choice. Funds have been donated to Toronto Humane Society, the Hospital for Sick Children, Cherish India and Heart and Stroke Foundation. Anahita also managed to donate some funds to her school.
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