A Voice Out of Poverty
by Jillian Haslam
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GENRE: Memoir
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BLURB:
A woman’s ascent from devastating poverty and childhood trauma to international standing as a prominent advocate for the poor and helpless.
As a young girl, Jillian Haslam saved a life. Herself tiny and aching from malnutrition, she stood for hours at a tea shop, begging for a ladle of milk to try and prevent her newborn sister from dying of starvation.
From the slums of Calcutta to the executive floors of a global bank, A Voice out of Poverty offers an unflinching look at one woman’s journey from destitution to success.
Throughout, Haslam demonstrates an inexhaustible drive to rise above adversity and find beacons of positivity in impossible circumstances. But her rise doesn’t stop at the top; she returns to her roots again and again to extend a hand to those left in the impoverished communities that she so narrowly escaped.
British by ancestry and born in India after its independence, Haslam and her family suffered degradation and prejudice. They were forced to live on the streets, flee danger in the middle of the night, and face persistent abuse and starvation.
This treacherous environment is the backdrop of an unlikely story of resilience and an unshakable family bond. From squalor and powerlessness, Haslam finds countless moments of grace, community, gratitude, and love.
A Voice out of Poverty is a raw and inspiring memoir that shows how beauty can be found in improbable places, and how “success” is not just the act of making it through. Rather, it is the act of reaching back to bring others with you.
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EXCERPT:
A bristly, grey rat jutted its head through a wide crack in the peeling stucco wall, its long tail draped behind and hidden. It squinted its beady eyes and sniffed the air, as a light drizzle started to dampen the ground.
A few feet away, an older homeless woman, sitting under a precarious building canopy, shifted her eyes towards the rat, without moving her head. A stray dog nestled next to her, one of three gathered snuggly around her, bared its teeth, and growled at the rodent, without rising.
The woman swiveled her head in the rat’s direction and shooed it away with a claw-like hand slicing the air. The rat withdrew, vanishing inside the wall. The dog returned its head to rest on its paws and closed its eyes.
The drizzle turned into a light rain.
My mother and I took in the rat scene side by side as we ambled down the street. My eyes remained riveted on the homeless woman. I wondered if she had a family or young children like me. Then, the noisy “pop-pop” of a Vespa flew near my eyes and broke my concentration, causing me to pull my head back abruptly. I gripped my mother’s hand as tightly as I could.
The rain was now steady but not enough to flood the crowded streets or inhibit the pace of the fast-moving foot and vehicle traffic. I looked up to see an old man pulling a rickshaw coming towards us. I stared at him. His emaciated body looked as if his skin could peel off in thin layers, like a stale onion. He stared at me, sharing his single black tooth. I held my stare.
The rickshaw puller veered off the line of his path, forcing a dilapidated scooter that packed an entire family to swerve near us. The scooter splashed mud onto my legs and dress, and I started to cry. My only proper dress was drenched with filth. I now would have to undress to underclothes while it got washed. My mother stopped and crouched in front of me. I didn’t hide my disgust.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jillian rose through the ranks, and Bank of America appointed her president of its Charity and Diversity Network in India, where she spearheaded charitable work in four different cities. This led her to receive three philanthropic awards from Bank of America: the Star Recognition award, the Service Excellence award, and The Individual Achievement award.
In 2011, she published the first version of her memoir, Indian. English, which chronicles her life growing up amid dreadful poverty, abuse, and tragedy. The book sold over 150,000 copies, mostly while she was on the speaking circuit. Her story also incited interest from Hollywood and British film directors and producers, leading to the development of a feature film.
Charitable
giving became Jillian’s life work. In 2012, she received the first runner up
award for The Asian Woman of the Year in the “Social and Humanitarian”
category. In early 2015, The Telegraph of Calcutta presented Jillian with the
True Legend award for her exceptional contribution to social and humanitarian
causes. In mid-2015, she was recognized as a finalist for the Role Model of the
Year award for her work delivering speeches in educational institutes across
the UK. In late 2016, she received an award for Excellence in Humanitarianism.
And, in 2017, she received her greatest accolade, the Mother Teresa Memorial
International Award.
Jillian became a speaker in demand and is a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). She has delivered several TEDx talks, among other prestigious speaking engagements, on various topics that flow from her life story. Jillian speaks on topics that include entrepreneurialism, the power of the mind, and human resilience.
She has also been featured on various TV networks, including Channel 5 and the BBC, and a wide range of print media, including The Independent, The Pioneer, The Times, The Telegraph, The Metro, Gulf News, and other major media outlets. Jillian’s charitable work continues under the auspices of the Remedia Trust where she oversees several separate charities: Ageing Smiles (for the elderly poor), Happy Hearts (for children), Empowering Girls (for teaching various workable skills), India’s Disabled (for building a mobile medical unit), E3 Growth (focused on education, employment, and employability), and the Mother Teresa Project (for women and single mothers).
Jillian currently lives in London with her husband.
Connect with
her here:
https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Out-Poverty-Achieve-Adversity-ebook/dp/B0BX48B964
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58948875
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-voice-out-of-poverty-jillian-haslam/1141332496
https://www.facebook.com/jillian.haslam
https://www.facebook.com/IndianEnglishTheMovie
https://twitter.com/JillianHaslam
https://www.instagram.com/jillian.haslam/
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ReplyDeleteSounds like a good memoir.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for publishing this blog. I am more than grateful and very proud to have received a Kirkus Star Review. I wrote that book to try and get it into every girl and boys hands to show them that dreams are possible but also because I wanted people to remember that success was not just making it through on your own but remembering to take others with you. I had a passion to give back, I won the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award and that helped me to accomplish all that I needed to. Thank you again. I'm grateful. Jillian
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite genre that you enjoy reading?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Sounds like an interesting read.
ReplyDelete