A Hero in the Chair beside me  (English, Hardcover, Mehra Mrinalini Patwardhan)

A gifted boy from a small town in newly independent India dreams of making a life in the big city in the 1950s. Suddenly, misfortune and tragedy beset his family, to which he is dearly attached. As responsibilities fall on his twelve-year old shoulders, he chooses his family's welfare over himself. He does not spare himself as he devotes his energy, attention, focus and time to the two priorities in his life: his family and his ambitions, in that order. Accolades and rewards begin to flow in early, followed by recognition, status and prosperity. Devoted and indebted to his mother, whom he regards as a power-endowed ascetic, Girish Mohan Gupta continues to uphold the family and service to humanity as his highest values. Slowly, he moves from childhood, to his young adult years and then to a full-blooded householder's life, supporting ever-increasing family responsibilities, with an eye on philanthropy. This thought-provoking account by Dr Gupta's daughter points to how success can be achieved, living life with dignity and honesty, and not giving in to despair in the face of great odds.