Date:03/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/03/stories/2006040317340800.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A symphony of love, strife and reconciliation

Special Correspondent

Krishna Narayanan's third novel `A Tender Melody' released in Chennai Krishna Narayanan's third novel `A Tender Melody' released

CHENNAI: They are born in a world that resonates to a different kind of music.

Life for the autism-affected is all about making sense of the reality outside their fragile universe. Only a very few, like 31-year-old Krishna Narayanan, have been able to make a smooth transition.

The Chennai release of Narayanan's third novel, `A Tender Melody', was an occasion to reflect on how creativity can help the autism-affected overcome disability.

The book — a symphony of love, tenderness, strife and reconciliation — sets off a technology-driven modern world against the agelessness of classical music.

This is Narayanan's third creative effort after `Wasted Talent: Musings of an Autistic' and `Quest: Search for a Quality Life.' The Chennai launch was jointly organised by Ability Foundation and Confederation of Indian Organizations for Service and Advocacy (CIOSA) on Sunday.

The book was released in Hyderabad earlier this year.

Good parenting

Often good parenting is what can make the difference. For Jalaja Narayanan, empowering her son was all about "believing in his intelligence [that would help him turn into] an educated, creative person."

The parenting was both challenging and empowering: "Every time I gave him a new skill, I removed a bar from his cage." Eventually, the odyssey was also a personal transformation for the parents who divide their time between the U.S. and India.

While Jayshree Raveendran of Ability Foundation said the book was an example of what the autism-affected were capable of, writer Sivashankari termed it a "beautiful love story."

"Celebration of love"

The novel was a "celebration of love, perseverance, creativity and hope," Prabha Sridevan, judge, Madras High Court, said.

It was a "celebration of creativity overcoming disability," S. Mohan, former judge of the Supreme Court, added. Pandia Rajan, founder trustee, CIOSA, was present.

188-page novel

The 188-page novel, set against the academic background of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A, is published by Vite Publishing, Massachusetts.