Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Recommended: 11 and up

I chose this book for my next Throwback Tuesday because it shares the amazing stories of one woman’s encounters with people all over India. “The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk” is a book full of heartwarming experiences of the author, Sudha Murty, written as she walks the roads of rural and urban India and aspires to become the voice that many never had. She confronts the issues of child marriage and gender inequality in the workplace through eloquently written tales. She weaves the everyday life of men and women in India into short stories and each story has a unique takeaway that you’ll never forget.

My favorite one: The three ponds- Bhagavathi

There is an empty pond in a village and the people of the village are suffering from dehydration with no foreseeable change in their future. The pond will never have water unless a daughter-in-law of some family goes into the water and prays to a goddess.

A wealthy man in the village has three sons, who have married but gone off to war shortly after. The people of the village come to him and ask that he let one of his daughter-in-laws walk into the pond so that they may have water. The wealthy man is infuriated at the audacity of their proposal and refuses immediately.

None of the people notice his youngest daughter-in-law, Bhagavathi, listening to their every word. Who will save her from making the ultimate sacrifice to save her village?
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If you are captivated by this book, you can buy it here: The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk: Life Stories from Here and There