#430 - Cadet No.1 and Other Amazing Women in The Armed Forces

by Maya Chandrasekaran and illustrated by Meera Naidu

“Cadet No 1 and Other Amazing Women in the Armed Forces” by Maya Chandrasekaran and illustrated by Meera Naidu. Published by Harper Collins. An extraordinary book of some of the incredible women who have proved to be trailblazers in several ways across different capacities of the Indian armed forces.

The book has three stories featuring women from all divisions of the armed forces. The Army, the Air Force and the Navy. The women in these stories are from across cadres. They shattered the gender stereotypes and carved out new paths for themselves and for future generations. No obstacles could stop them and they braved their way across.

The first story is of Wing Commander Dr.Vijayalakshmi Ramanan who was the first female officer to have worked in the Indian Air Force. Her grit, perseverance and focus were commendable. In an era where girls didn’t study much, she raised the bars for herself and went on to fulfil her dreams of becoming a doctor. The second story is of Major Priya Jhingan who became the first lady cadet in the Indian Army. She wrote to the chief of staff of army requesting him to consider recruiting women as well to the army. She never looked back once the opportunity to join the army presented itself after a few years. The third story is about the women crew of the Indian Navy who created history by being India’s first all female crew to circumnavigate the globe. The book chronicles the unusual journeys of these pioneering women and how they became an integral part of the armed forces with an indefatigable spirit.

This was one of the books that I had gifted my son for his ninth birthday last month. Given his love for true stories, he was eager to read this book. The book surpassed my expectations by a long way! There never was a dull moment throughout the book and we just couldn’t put it down. The narrative is so smooth and the interspersing of letters, diary entries and blog posts add an engaging touch to the storyline. The stories made us feel a sense of admiration and awe for these fabulous women who determinedly braved so many odds along their way. Their journeys laced with grit, courage and perseverance are extremely inspirational and motivating. The accompanying illustrations are fabulous and so lifelike enhancing the effect of the narrative. We just couldn’t stop admiring them. Overall a “MUST READ” for everyone. These stories are so awe inspiring and leave the readers with a sense of admiration and respect for these trailblazers. They definitely deserve to be heard everywhere.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 8/9 and above.

Reasons to Read

For awe inspiring true stories of some of the pioneering women from the Indian armed forces.