Staunch

by Eleanor Wood

I have to say that I really really enjoyed this book, I didn’t realise that this book was actually a memoir. The synopsis didn’t give you the impression that it was a memoir as it’s classed as Religion, Spirituality and Travel. I don’t really read many memoirs as some of them can be a bit hit and miss for me. This memoir however had me well and truly hooked before I finished the first chapter. The way in which Eleanor Wood has written her memoirs it’s more like an easy read story. There are lots of parts in the book that I think most women can relate to. Except the constant heavy drinking and drug taking, but maybe that just because I’m slightly older than Eleanor Wood.

The other thing I enjoyed was that she told us about how even though she is white British her family are actually white Indian (even though they are classed as British). As they were some of the last colonialists to leave India after the end of the second world war, when the British partitioned India in half to make two independent states. Indian and Pakistan. This partition caused all sorts of problems as people were having pack up their homes and make the long and also very dangerous journey from one side of the country to the other. People were being killed and murdered everywhere. It was also very dangerous for Eleanor’s family while they travelled through the country with being white as everyone blamed the British for such an up-evil.

Eleanor goes to India with her grandma and her grandma’s sisters, as an escort and a younger pair of legs to help them get around. While on this holiday Eleanor goes on her own trip of self discovery. Where she looks back at past relationships, how she didn’t handle rejection and things that she did in consequence of this rejection. Some of the actions she took because of this really aren’t anything to be proud of.

The main reason they all go to India is because for her grandma and her sisters it’s probably the last time they will be able to go back to their roots and see where they came from. They share lots of stories about their lives in India and what they had to go through to leave the county because of the partition.

The thing that Eleanor takes away from these three women is that they are Staunch women. That they have gone though some very tough and frightening times, and that with everything they have gone through they come out even stronger.

Eleanor realises that she wants to be like these women, she wants to be Staunch too. I think that most women will relate a lot to this book as I think we all aspire to being Staunch women. I think while reading this book I also went on a trip of discovery myself. Such a great and captivating read.

Pages: 252, Publication Date: 19 March 2020, My Rating: