Vedi
by Ved Mehta, 1982 Shortly after he turned four in 1938, Vedi suffered from meningitis and went blind. Wanting better for his son than the only blind people he had seen (beggars), Vedi's father sent his son to a school for the blind , 1300 miles away. There Vedi learned Marathi, Braille, and Christianity (the school had been established by missionaries). Vedi was guided by an older pupil named Deoji, who was partially sighted, but whose vision was decreasing rapidly. Activities and outings are infrequent but exciting. Mr. Ras Mohun, who is in charge of the school, set up lines for the totally blind to run in, based on the ones at Perkins Institute. Brailled cards and a chess set were acquired during the time Vedi spent with his family.
This book is a compilation of memories. Because they are ordered by subject, chronology is strangely absent. Although each memory is interesting, the memories do not form a continuous story: each is almost isolated. There is also no especial point or plot. Vedi never seems to have any goals, objectives, or fears. The condition of a school for the blind in India during the 1930s and 1940s is interesting, but this is only incidentally that story.
Happy reading.
