Noshir Sanjana’s brilliantly penned novel ‘Flying high – A Parsi life of Gratitude’ published by BecomeShakespeare, is amazingly and painstakingly typed on his Samsung Galaxy A 71 mobile during the Corona pandemic lockdown wherein most of the world was whining about life’s uncertainties. He penned this book which is a journey of his life, well lived, loved and an inspiration in itself.
The book talks about his life’s experiences at the tender and impressionable age of 5, where he proudly describes his idyllic carefree life in the early 1940s, through the second world war and right up to the India Pakistan partition, where he was a mere child of 6. He gives a vivid description of his hometown, Shimla, burnt, looted and reduced to ashes, sights he has described whilst escaping. No child should ever have witnessed this brutality, seeing his prized possession, his blue toy cupboard going up in flames, his fear through it and yet his stoic belief in his fiercely spirited and brave parents protecting him and his siblings brings tears to the readers eyes.The reader could feel the depth of Noshir’s anguish yet somehow through all his childhood trauma, he subtly underlines a message, a lesson to be learned that with faith and belief you can tread life’s toughest paths. Noshir’s experience in the aviation industry is unparalleled where he talks about leadership, teamwork, and communication. He meticulously, through his words takes you through his multi-faceted career in Air India, talks about his stranger than fiction adventures . He takes you to a fun voyage wherein you meet Mother Teresa, Dara Singh, read about his experiences in Hotel Marriott in Jeddah, his running into the butcher of Uganda , some poignant , some dangerous,some fun, some thrilling, some humorous .
Noshir shines with his descriptive and exquisite narrative style. The vocabulary is simple,uncomplicated and an easy fun and flowing read.
Though,this is NOSHIR SANJANA’s first Novel,it reads like the work of an author who has published many books, over many years. He has a talent for storytelling that is astounding. He keeps readers glued to the book using captivating anecdotes and personal experiences to illustrate his points in a way that is both relatable and inspiring. His writing is eloquent, incisive, and through his words and practical advice he inspires the readers. Definitely a worthy read, mainly because it provides some kind of road map to live righteously.
Noshir Sanjana calls himself a common man and belongs to the Parsi community. Noshir Sanjana has several loves in his life, love for family, love for Air India (version 1.0), love for the city of Bombay (Mumbai) but the love of writing came late in life, during the pandemic when the world was forced into social isolation and Noshir was able to look at a life well lived in the rear-view mirror. His constant companion, Samsung Galaxy A 71, became the recipient of his stories, which metamorphosed into his first novel in stories – Flying High. Noshir lives in Mumbai, India, but his heart travels to New York and Toronto, to share his love for family with his siblings.
