Curious One is Bhupendra Patel’s engaging and heart-warming memoir, documenting his early childhood memories growing up in India. During his childhood from the ages of 5 to 8, Patel moved to three different locations, and four different houses that deeply impacted his memory which explains how he could reveal all the details so vividly for readers. Patel is a part of a farming family who found himself being raised in Vadodara, the second biggest city of Gujarat, India, a rural farming village named Luna and the magical city of Mumbai, India. In each location his formative years were shaped by caretakers who had varying degrees of attention and oversight over his daily life and routines, yet each of them played a unique role in his life. The book converts everyday childhood adventure snapshots into words and vividly portrays Patel’s distant past.
Bhupendra Patel finds a balance to expertly take readers along his journey of day-to-day activities and leaves it to them to figure out why he has become who he is today at seventy years of age. He retired from his distinguished career as a nuclear submarine engineer and an information technology expert. Bhupendra currently lives in the scenic town of Mystic, Connecticut. His writing of real-life events is descriptive, crisp, and full of life as he examines how to find wisdom and joy from elders. Through it all, Patel’s deep love for women; his mother, grandmother, and uncle’s wife shines through. This book explores how being curious at a young age nurtures a child’s mind that can mold an individual as an adult.
First released in hardcover on September 20, 2021, this 300+ page book is divided into four parts, each relating to a year of his childhood. It’s an easy read that will make the reader not want to put it down. Each story will resonate differently and linger in your thoughts for quite a while afterwards. The stories will transport you to a different time and land while you enjoy looking at some black and white photographs taken by the author himself.
Life is fabulous when you are curious, and life is remarkable when you are adaptable. - Bhupendra Patel
