‘I Am Tamana’ by Tamana Chona with Aditi Mehrotra – Inspiring True Story of a Girl Born with Cerebral Palsy!

They say, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going!‘

‘I Am Tamana’ book is all about braving life, challenging the situations and rising up against the setbacks. Right from the time when a mother conceives the child, many hopes start to weave around the soon to arrive bundle of joy. As the child develops inside the womb so do these hopes and eagerness for the baby increases. These very feelings are what we call ‘Tamana‘ (in Hindi) of the new parents.

This book is primarily an autobiography written by an extraordinary achiever, Tamana Chona. At a very early stage of childhood, she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy which affected her muscle aided activities like maintaining posture, swallowing food and more.

What Didn’t Work?

Barring little, totally forgettable editing errors, there is practically nothing in the book that didn’t work.

Book Title – I Am Tamana
Authors – Tamana Chona with Aditi Mehrotra
Genre – Memoir/Auto-Biography
Publisher – Hay House India
Published in – July 2019
Pages – 246
Available Formats – Paperback
Price – Rs. 399 for Paperback Edition
Available Online at –  Flipkart.com

What Worked:

• The book is written in simple words as if the author is conversing with you on a one-on-one basis.
• Despite the fact that ‘I Am Tamana’ is based on real-life events of Tamana Chona who has Cerebral Palsy, still the book is not very heavy to read.
• The fact that Tamana’s achievements have been detailed out equally like the struggle part of her life’s journey makes the book a great motivational book to read for all.
• The use of photographs makes the book furthermore engaging.
• The bond of friendship and how valuable it is to have good friends in this era has been beautifully captured in the book. The true friendship, Tamana and Aditi (co-author) share is one of the major takeaway points for kids & young adults.
• The use of quotes and poems by famous personalities make the book even more impactful.
• The book also celebrates the undying, limitless extent to which a mother (in this book Mrs. Shyama Chona who is a Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan awarded educationist) can go to nurture her children and make them stand on their own feet.. against the storm.

About the Author:

Tamana Chona currently works as a Nursery teacher in DPS, Gurgaon. She was born with Cerebral Palsy but defying all the odds that life threw upon her today she stands as a winner. Her achievements include being a National Award recipient, a Marathon Runner, a TEDx Talks speaker and the heart & soul behind Tamana, a Non-Profit Voluntary Organization for helping mentally challenged, multiply disabled and autistic people.

Verdict:

As one reads in the book these famous lines by Catherine Pulsifer,

‘Each day we wake up, We have another chance. We could just keep on moving, Or we could decide to dance.’

Every second of one’s life is but a chance to celebrate and rejoice no matter what. This book and Tamana Chona’s life are exemplary proof of the same. This book shines with positivity and barring the medical conditions there is utterly no space for negativity in ‘I Am Tamana.’ The book is in fact not so much about the disability but more about the ‘ability’ to rise above it.