Good Innings - The Extraordinary, Ordinary Life of Lily Tharoor by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

 

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“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.

Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.”

Maya Angelou

The above quote sets the tone for the narrative that is to follow. ‘Good Innings’ (Penguin) by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, tells the intriguing journey of her mother, Lily Tharoor, moving beyond her persona as the spouse of the erudite Chandran Tharoor, or the mother of her three offspring, all talented in their own right.

As the author points out, “This book is neither a biography nor simply a self-help text with culled dictums for living… It is, instead, an individual reflection on moments.” Moments which hold together the saga of a strong matriarch, who was born to Karat Theyunni Menon and Jayashankini in the small town of Kollengode in Palakkad district, Kerala, on 2^nd December 1935. Lily, or Sulekha as she was named, was the first of nine children.

The prologue is by Lily’s son, Shashi Tharoor, where he speaks of her myriad talents, her determination and her desire for independence. He describes his life with her, the influence she had on him, “the steel beneath signs of her insecurity brought on by the ill-health of her husband” and the faith in herself that drove her on.

The young Lily bloomed in “an atmosphere of empowerment and affectionate care”,  unspoiled however, by material comforts, mainly due to her mother’s progressive outlook and her father's frugal nature, both of which helped her to think beyond herself. Her parents encouraged their children to stand up for themselves, be strong against bullies and firm against injustice, qualities that would help her make her way in the world with confidence. As a result, she developed a driven and restless spirit that urged her to move outside her comfort zone and make things happen.

What is unusual about this ‘extraordinary ordinary’ story is its style. There are thirteen chapters, each beginning with an inspiring quote, followed by a personal reflection, a literary device used by the author to speak, as it were, in her mother’s voice, as she waxes eloquent on her childhood memories with her siblings and cousins, her school days, her wedding, her new, exciting life in London with an understanding husband where she perfected her English by listening to radio programmes, and the significant moments in her life ahead along with her growing family. 

Every chapter then shifts to the third person narrative where she pieces together the mosaic of her mother’s life, putting together a script that fills in the gaps with precision, and in doing so, creates a warm pen picture of Lily Tharoor’s exciting and exacting life. It is with interest that her readers take in vignettes of Lily in London attending tea, seated at the same table as Lord Mountbatten, eating fish and chips wrapped in greasy newspaper, and being hostess to their numerous friends, despite the chilly weather and the onerous domestic work. This exposure “built the foundation for the self-reliance she would count on later in life.”

Their shift to Bombay saw a new side of Lily emerge, as she began to do voice-overs, dubbing for films and interviews for All India Radio, as she found a new focus in life. While her eldest offspring, Shashi, had already made an appearance, her two girls, Shobha and Smita, were born in Bombay. All three shared the limelight in various fields, were voracious readers and were remarkable in academic and co-curricular activities. The genes were certainly showing, and their parents, Chandran and Lily, spared no opportunity to hone their talents further.

In January 1969, their beautiful Bombay days came to an end as the family moved to Calcutta. “It was a wonderful, colourful life, and it was a life of opportunity and visibility.” The years flew by, the young ones began spreading their wings and began pursuing their own careers. It was then that Chandran and Lily moved back to Bombay for their second stint.

Lily was a firm believer of destiny and karma, and this perhaps was her strength during her greatest tribulations as well. She and Chandran now moved to New Delhi, travelling to America and the UK to visit their children and grandchildren. Their lives had slowed down, and it was Coimbatore they chose live in after retirement. Destiny had other plans and Chandran succumbed to a gentle cardiac arrest at the age of 63. Lily was only 57. Intrepid as ever, she moved on, taking her life into her own hands, putting her affairs in order, and soon created an independent life for herself where she turned into a chatty friend, guide and philosopher to her admiring neighbours.

The book ends with a chapter that is titled ‘Age is Only a Number’. Lily’s words reverberate in the ears of her children – nothing remains young except the spirit.

“And for her, that curious spirit remains undisturbed and perhaps stronger in the slowness of older age.”

The ‘Afterword’ is by Lily’s only granddaughter, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan, the author’s daughter in which she stresses that ‘Good Innings’ is a biography, a work of creative nonfiction and a self-help book all in one. As the reader closes the book, she is left with a feeling of familiarity, an assurance that extraordinary, ordinary women do exist to leave their stamp on those whom they touch. And that Lily Tharoor’s stamp is particularly her own!

 

                                                      Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

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