Coral Woman
by Lubaina Bandukwala and illustrated by Sanket Pethkar
“Coral Woman” by Lubaina Bandukwala and illustrated by Sanket Pethkar. Published by Harper Collins. An inspirational story of Uma Mani, a passionate advocate of coral conservation.
Uma Mani is a woman who found the courage to do something that she had never dreamed she could. She learnt swimming and diving in her late forties. She went diving in the ocean to explore the world of corals which fascinated her. She was a homemaker living in the Maldives with her doctor husband and son. She was always curious to learn new things. It was this trait of hers that would lead her to find her true calling one day.
One day she saw a film showcasing coral reefs which was screened during her French class. She was hooked right from the first shot. But the possibility of her ever seeing the reefs in person seemed quite improbable given that she did not know swimming. She had never even gone more than ankle depth in the stunning seas of Maldives. But a seed had been sown unknowingly. She started collecting pictures and videos of corals with the help of her husband. She then used them to paint the beautiful world of corals on canvas which she longed to see.
The allure of the corals made the shy Uma to step out of her comfort zone and try something new. She started getting invitations from hotels in Maldives to exhibit her paintings to the tourists who came there. She started going and interacting with people from different parts of the world. At an exhibition, a couple from Delhi came. The woman was very snobbish and dismissed Uma’s paintings when she got to know that Ima hadn’t seen the coral reefs ever! This event would set things in motion and change Uma’s life forever.
Learn how Uma made it through to the reefs. Follow her on her journey through the depths of the ocean to watch the majestic and colourful world down there. Also get to know how she went about understanding the importance of corals and why there is a need for us to be aware of the danger to the coral reefs in India in particular. What can be done to protect this fragile ecosystem? This book is a starting point for thinking about coral conservation.
My seven year old and I enjoyed reading the book. This was a new topic for both of us and we loved it. Uma’s passion and courage are so motivating! The story flows seamlessly and there is a beautiful interspersing of facts about corals. The illustrations are stunning to say the least.
The book is based on a film of the same name made by Priya Thuvassery. Again it was Uma’s idea to make a film on coral reefs to create awareness. Through this film and her paintings, she hopes to revive the coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar. A brilliant idea to come up with a book for children on this topic. Overall a MUST READ for everyone above the age of 7! We ended up watching the film after reading the book.
Where to buy from?
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
PS - The documentary can be watched below.