An inspiring grandmother compiles her favourite childhood stories into books for granddaughter
By Venessa Deosaran
Gangaram displaying her books
Overseas-based Guyanese author of children books, Norma Gangaram has published over twenty one books with the aim of penning all the stories she heard as a child and passing these on for future generations to appreciate.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, the writer said she was born in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.
She clearly remembers her home facing the Demerara River and the beauty of it. She attended Diamond Government School then Covent Garden High School. Gangaram was trained as a nurse at the Georgetown hospital.
In 1972, she migrated to Canada because of a lag in the economy back then and wanting a better life in which to raise her family; the opportunity presented itself, and she grabbed it.
However, she has not forgotten her years in Guyana. “My fondest memory was my school day and the wonderful head master I was privileged to have, Mr. Vere T. Daley. He was the greatest storyteller with an enchanted voice. It was from his history lessons that I came to embrace the history of Guyana. Every Friday, the last session of the week, he had a general assembly and talked to us all as if we were his children.
He was like a father to us all. He loved his job and did his best to keep us informed on every subject including religion and history,” she reflected.
Gangaram said she always wanted to write but due to a busy life-style of working and raising a family, she did not find the time. When Gangaram’s granddaughter was born, the passing on of her heritage to the child was pivotal. With the urging of her daughter Cindy and the encouragement from her husband Rolly, she began writing. Her husband bought a laptop and said to her, “Here you go, start writing; I am here for you if you need me.” This motivated the author to the point of publishing her first book, ‘Fables & Tales of Guyana’. “I have three children: my late son Andrew, second son Terry and my daughter Cindy, and their spouses.
Because of the busy lifestyle, I neglected to pass on to my children some childhood stories which were told to me by my mother on a starry moonlight night on the front porch. These stories were told to me on Friday or Saturday nights when my father was working the evening shift. They bring back fond memories of my childhood and the evening snacks of freshly made plantain chips, fresh hot-roasted peanuts, ice cold mauby and cream soda mixed with carnation milk with lots of ice were some of the things I enjoyed as a child,” Gangaram reminisced.
The Mango Tree House
The Mango Tree House started as a need to have a name for her website to advertise her books. In Guyana, every home she lived in had a mango tree in the yard along with the fact that she loves the fruit and so the name came to her. She felt the name gave the website a tropical flavour which is what she intended it to be.
“My aim for writing these stories is to share with the younger generation, whether it is young Guyanese or first-generation Guyanese/ Canadian, to have a look at what life in Guyana was once like. However, the main reason was to leave a legacy for my grandchildren and for them to know their roots. Also to understand the courage it took for me to leave behind a carefree life for a life in Canada, which is far from carefree. For them to understand the sacrifices it took for them to enjoy the life they now have,” the inspirational grandmother said.
Book series
Gangaram is currently working on another book series, ‘Bubbles You Are Special’. There are seven volumes to this series. It is the story about a young girl who is being sexually abused, however she finds a unique way to deal with her sadness by reading.
The Anansi stories are Gangaram’s favourite. She has written ten volumes of them, many of which are her own. There is always a spin on his character, portraying him as a very caring spider instead of always being a mischievous one.
The writer is slowly working on eleven books which are yet to be published.
Her captivating stories for children are fun and educational. At first, she penned stories about growing up in ‘the good old days’. She has thus followed up with an adventure series of ‘Brer Anansi The Trickster’ with a specific moral at the end of each story. These stories are fun filled escapades with lessons on honesty, trust, integrity, and self-esteem.
The author’s goal is to provide stories for children that they can enjoy and want to hear over and over again. Whether they are curled up in a comfy chair with daddy or as part of their bedtime routine, these stories will be a hit to every child, no matter how old.
To read more about the author and her books visit www.childrensstories.ca (Taken from Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
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