Women feel oppressed & suppressed . They are used as doormats & walked over by others .How to overcome so many odds stacked against them ?

Usha Narayanan provides some rare insights to overcome the odds & march on. Her latest offering , Awaken the Durga Within,From Glum to Glam Caged to Carefree deals with the power inherent in women .Only that this power needs to be rekindled. And Usha Narayanan shows the way or rather ways!

The book has a lovely red front cover which depicts a woman wearing a golden crown with a halo around her head. She is wearing white shoes & standing with one leg folded at the knee. This is to convey that she is walking a tightrope. The cover itself, is a tell tale sign of the problems faced by women.

Usha has dedicated the book to her mother who helped her to break free.The book begins with Introduction as the first chapter & ends with Conclusion as the eighth chapter. Introduction states the misgivings a majority of the women have regarding themselves.And the chapter concludes with a story from the Indian mythology about a Goddess. As one reads , the story, the reader is mesmerised by the revealations that the Goddesses are the source of strength .And we as Indian women should take inspiration from them as the Goddess resides in each one of us!

In the next chapters, Usha talks about the three C’s …choice, change & create. She opines that women have to choose , change & create a better world for themselves. She says that women must be assertive not aggressive to get their points across. The change may be stressful initially. And yet after assertiveness is repeated , it becomes second nature & changes & transform us. And as the women are transformed, they create a better world for all!

The uniqueness about this book is that each chapter narrates a story of a female character from the Indian mythology .Some characters are known to us. Some are unfamiliar & yet all are strong female characters who were assertive & stood their ground. They were able to change the tide which were unfathomable even for Gods & the Trinity ! Usha narrates lesser known tales which are revelations & how ! They unveil traits of the personalities of Goddesses which were never made public! And Usha connects the mythological tales to the modern day Indian women.

And the suggestions are practical & simple. The author prods us on gently & states that women can take one step at a time. And these steps will add up to giant strides. And these strides will lead to scintillating metamorphosis !!!!

The author says that Indian Goddesses have shown us the paths on which the Indian women need to embark to affirm themselves .And when women do that , they make this world a much better place .Because as the author rightly opines, a happy person ( more so a happy woman ) reflects her inner happiness on to the world converting the globe into paradise!

A must read for girls as also women. Men can read it too & get insights into how they can assist their women & change for the better ! The title of the book ” Awaken the Durga Within” is embossed in Gold on the cover of the book. Likewise, the book is worth its weight in gold!