IN A WAY THIS IS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY; THOUGH IT MAINLY REVEALS AROUND THE MEMORIES OF IN-LAWS OF THE AUTHOR AND MAINLY HER FATHER IN LAW. SHOBHA, DAUGHTER OF MRS. AND MR. PRADHAN, A TYPICAL MIDDLE CLASS MAHARASHTRIAN COUPLE WAS MARRIED TO DILIP CHITRE. SOON AFTER MARRIAGE SHE REALIZED THAT A GIRL DOES NOT MARRY TO A BOY. IN FACT, SHE MARRIES TO A FAMILY AND IS TIED UP WITH MANY PEOPLE WITH MANY RELATIONS. ONE OF SUCH RELATIONS IS THAT OF A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, WE COME ACROSS THE VALUES AND MORALS THAT WE OURSELVES HAVE BEEN TAUGHT AND HAVE ADOPTED AS WELL. THOUGH SHE SETTLED DOWN IN FAR AWAY COUNTRIES LIKE ENGLAND AND AMERICA, HER CULTURAL BASE KEPT HER STRONG AND INTACT, COME WHAT MAY. THE LOVE FROM HER FAMILY GAVE HER ENERGY TO KEEP GOING EVERY DAY. AFTER A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF HER LIFE AFTER MARRIAGE, SHOBHA ELABORATES HER TIME WITH HER IN-LAWS. NO ONE NOTICES THE CHANGE IN APPA, HER FATHER-IN-LAW. SLOWLY, HE STARTS BEING MORE AND MORE FORGETFUL. INITIALLY, EVERYONE PUTS THE BLAME ON HIS AGEING. BUT WHEN HE IS DIAGNOSED, IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT HE IS SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER. AND THEN HIS HEALTH KEEPS ON DETERIORATING MORE AND MORE. EACH LINE TELLS US MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DISEASE, YET IN NO WAY THIS NARRATION IS INFORMATIVE. IT REACHES THE DEPTH OF OUR HEARTS. IT CASTS A SPELL ON OUR MINDS. IT REVEALS THE FACETS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS. IT MAKES US APPRECIATE THE FEELINGS OF A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW FOR HER FATHER-IN-LAW. IT MAKES US PONDER OVER OUR TIES WITH OUR FAMILY MEMBERS. IT NOURISHES THE INDIAN CULTURE WITH ALL ITS GOOD QUALITIES. EVERY LINE IS WORTH READING AND THEN MUSING OVER.
म्हटलं तर हे आत्मकथन आहे. मध्यमवर्गात जन्मलेली लेखिका अमेरिकेतल्या जीवनाचा स्वीकार करून जगत असताना, बदलत्या काळाबरोबर विविध अनुभवांना तोंड देत असताना बदलली नाही ती फक्त एकच गोष्ट, ती म्हणजे मनावरचे मध्यमवर्गीय संस्कार.
लग्नानंतरच्या आयुष्यात निर्माण झालेले नवे भावबंध, नाती-गोती, मनावरचे मध्यमवर्गीय संस्कार जोपासताना परदेशातील आयुष्यात वाट्याला आलेली अटळ धडपड ही त्यांची वैयक्तिक जरी असली, तरी ती वाचकाला प्रातिनिधिक वाटेल. पण त्याही पलीकडे जीवनातल्या एका विशिष्ट अनुभवावर लिहिता-लिहिता त्यांचे भावविश्व इतके विस्तारले जाते की, तो सीमित अनुभव जणू सर्वस्पर्शी बनतो आणि वाचकाला अंतर्मुख करून टाकतो.
‘पानगळीच्या आठवणी’ ही भावनाप्रधान साहित्यकृती, जीवघेण्या विलक्षण अनुभवाचा वेध घेत सांगितली जाणारी ही प्रांजळ कथा हृदय हेलावून सोडते हे नि:संशय.