ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon, Karnataka. She is an Indian author, educator, and philanthropist. Murty is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. She was also the first female engineer to work for TELCO. In 1996, she founded the Infosys Foundation.
Fluent in both English and Kannada, Murty writes for adults and children alike. Some of her notable works are How I Taught My Grandmother to Read, Three Thousand Stitches, and Mahashweta. Her books have been translated into several Indian languages.
Murty is the recipient of the Padma Shri, the R. K. Narayana Award, and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award. She is married to the Infosys co-founder, N. R. Narayana Murty.
Sandhya Prabhat is an independent animator and illustrator. She is based out of California.
Prabhat has illustrated over ten children’s books. She also works on the animation for TV shows and movies.
SYNOPSIS
Coming Home is the first book in The Gopi Diaries series.
Written from the viewpoint of the Murty family’s pet dog, Gopi, the book covers the adventures Gopi embarked on during his puppyhood.
Gopi describes his take on the world from the moment he opened his eyes and began exploring his surroundings. He lets readers in on the confusion he felt following his separation from his mother and the excitement about his new family. He is surprised that his Ajja is scared of him.
Gopi is a curious dog who adores his family. He identifies everyone in his family, understands what they say, and finds it amusing that they understand him, too!
WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT THE GOPI DIARIES: COMING HOME
The Gopi Diaries is an absolute peach of a book. It doesn’t matter whether you are a kid, a pet parent, or just a casual reader. This book is perfect for everyone.
This light-hearted read is like a breath of fresh air at a time when there is so much negativity in the society around these fur babies. One cannot help admire the Murty family for their undying love for Gopi, whose jolly personality rubs off on everyone around him. The illustrations only add to the oozing charm of the plot.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ABOUT THE GOPI DIARIES: COMING HOME
Nothing, really. It would take an overly critical mind to find faults with this masterpiece.
QUOTES
 I looked at his eyes and I knew that he was puzzled. So I said, ‘Don’t worry.’ I went near his hand and sniffed it.
But I knew that Ajja was scared of me.
I could see it in his face. I laughed! How can anyone be scared of me? ‘Come and give me a hug, the way the Ajjis gave me!’ I said.
CONCLUSIONÂ
Ameya would wholeheartedly recommend The Gopi Diaries: Coming Home to readers of all age groups. This is a short-and-sweet read that empathically drives home the importance of compassion and unconditional love. The book especially makes for a good bedtime read for kids.
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A proverbial bookworm, Anusuya is always hungry for new stories and adventures.