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West Branch Nonfiction Book Discussion

The Sisters of Mokama by Jyoti Thottam

Join us for West Branch's monthly nonfiction book discussion group. Our June selection is The Sisters of Mokama: The Pioneering Women Who Brought Hope and Healing to India by Jyoti Thottam.

Join us for West Branch's monthly non-fiction book discussion group. We read a variety of contemporary non-fiction and meet once a month for a lively discussion. Contact discussion leader Janet Stephens at 630-264-3626 for a copy of the book or the list of current chosen titles.

Join us virtually through Zoom or register for in-person, as seating is limited. Contact discussion facilitator Janet Stephens at jstephens@aurorapubliclibrary.org for more information or to receive a Zoom link to join us virtually.

The book for June is "Sisters of Mokama: The Pioneering Women Who Brought Hope and Healing to India" by Jyoti Thottam. New York Times opinion editor Thottam debuts with a vivid and uplifting portrait of a hospital in the small market town of Mokama in Bihar, India, built in 1947 by a group of Catholic nuns from Kentucky. Looking for a “new role as women in the Church,” six nuns from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth traveled to India, where the traumas of Partition and deficiencies in the healthcare system were causing diseases like cholera to run rampant. By July 1948, the nuns had built and staffed a 28-bed hospital; the following year, they opened a nursing school. Young Indian women, including the author’s mother, came to Nazareth Hospital because they wanted a life beyond what tradition typically offered. Though students didn’t hesitate to point out the racist attitudes of teachers and administrators, Thottam doesn’t linger on disharmony, preferring to focus on the hard work and dedication of all the women of Nazareth Hospital. She also doesn’t sugarcoat the stresses of missionary work, documenting how illness and exhaustion forced chief surgeon Mary Wiss to choose between her health, her medical career, and her commitment to the order. Full of complex characters and intriguing historical tidbits, this is a rousing story of hope and determination. (Publishers Weekly).

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