Kashmir Loom's co-founder Jenny Housego's Memoir is an inspiring and compact book : A review

Book: A Woven Life

Author : Jenny Housego and Maya Mirchandani

Publisher : Roli Books, Lotus Collection 2020

Language : English

Pages : 192

There is a thing about memoirs I treasure, and that is, it makes me remember that I am not alone. Reading about someone’s life who has been through a lot of personal defeats and victories somehow makes me feel that it is okay if I fail too. Sometimes, I get inspired to do something that I was putting on hold for a long.

A woven life is a memoir of Jenny Housego, a textile historian, designer, and entrepreneur. She co-founded Kashmir Loom, an industry that makes unique textiles with the modern touch to embroidered work. In this book, she tells us her journey from being in various fields to finally getting started with her business venture. It includes everything from her childhood, her life in boarding school, marriage to David Housego, to her journey of finding Kashmir Loom. Reading about her life from the war times in England to the beautiful valleys of Kashmir was an adventurous experience. Her husband David's journalism and her wanderlust brought them to India, and that changed everything for them, almost their overall lives, personally and professionally.

I think Jenny's journey makes us believe that life unfolds mysteriously. The book is just 192 pages long, which is too short for a memoir, but you never feel like missing out on the significant event. Jenny talked about her traumatic experiences as well as the exciting ones. While doing this, she did not fail to give out a reflection of her personality. From this book, I can tell that her sense of humour is on point and her love for adventures is unlimited. She is someone who gets driven by passion.

The book is not about Jenny alone. Indirectly it speaks of so many phases of lives of women who make something of their own - independence, decisions, rights and struggles, everything. The first few pages of the book might feel boring for those who do not like to read memoirs, but as you read ahead, it gets interesting. I think this book is not only for the people who love biographies but for also those who are starting something of their own. Other optimum readers can be the people who are culture and art enthusiasts.

I am a citizen of the world, with no fixed address. - Jenny Housego