Maria Couto was as Peter Ronald deSouza wrote in a tribute to her on her passing away in 2022 for Scroll that she was
"was the grand dame of letters and culture of Goa." There's no question she was the quintessential Goan. Having read books, with the exception of the one under review, which I believe is a collection of essays, she did speak and write eloquently on things Goan. In a line of fine writers in Konknai and English, she stood out with her grace, poise and stature. I may not meet anyone in Goa like her. I was touched by her humility and casualness when suddenly she approached sitting at a table having tea/snacks in the open space some years ago when I attended GALF. I was taken aback when she stood there and introduced herself. I said to her in amazement that I know who she was. She said to m that I was pointed out to her by someone and that she decided to meet and exchange few words. It gladden my hearts as I knew the story of her life and how her husband was a "big shot" in Goa after Liberation. In all my years in journalism in Bombay and Toronto, I was never startled by someone like Maria Couto. It spoke a lot of her as a person of class -- and without any pretense. She was a remarkable woman, indeed. She protrayed Goa in the best light as possibly can, and we Goans owe a great tribute to her works in speading the Goenkarponn that we so often shout about. I am not sure when this book was published, as I didn't see during my visits to bookshops when I was in Goa from Janurary to mie-June this year. Eugene Correia On Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 6:44 PM William Robert Da Silva <[email protected]> wrote: > I liked the review very much. So, I put it on my FB page. Thank you > very much the review. > W R Da Silva > > On Sun, Sep 22, 2024 at 7:44 PM Tino de Sa <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > A beautifully written review, Selma. > > And like every good review by a renowned writer, it makes me want to go > out, get the book and read it for myself - and see whether my reactions to > it are the same as, or differ from, those of the reviewer! > > I recall her amused delight when, meeting her for the first time, I told > her that I'd read "A Daughter's Story" like it was a thriller, from cover > to cover in a matter of two or three days. "Alban, hear this," she called > out to her husband, "my book has been called many things, but it's the > first time anyone has called it a thriller!" > > I was privileged to know D. Aurora fairly well, and visited her in her > home in Aldona a few times during my all too brief annual visits to Goa. > During one of these visits I left a copy of my manuscript of 'One for > Sorrow, Two for Joy' for her to read. A fortnight later she e-mailed me: > "There is so much detail, humour, pathos and a sense of both place and > culture in your stories." I was naturally thrilled with her compliment, and > immediately wrote back asking if I could use it as a blurb on the cover of > my book, to which she graciously and readily agreed. It was just days > before the book went into print, and I was adamant that the publisher > modify the cover to add her comment to those of Wendell Rodricks and > Rajdeep Sardesai. > > My regret was that she died just before I moved to Goa, and that I could > not spend time with her as I had intended, learning from her and picking > her brains on the vast swathe of topics that her conversation always > encompassed. > > Tino de Sa > > > > > > On Sun, Sep 22, 2024 at 2:10 AM 'Carvalho' via Goa-Research-Net < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> > https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/reviewat-home-in-two-worlds-by-maria-aurora-couto-101726920029847.html > >> > >> > >> All best wishes, > >> Selma > >> > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. > >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an email to [email protected]. > >> To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/1683484890.5651379.1726939518390%40mail.yahoo.com > . > > > > > > > > -- > > Dr. Anthony de Sa, IAS (Retd), PhD, FRICS, MPA (Harvard) > > Former Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, > > Former Chairman, MP Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) > > Mobile (WhatsApp): +91-9810981818 > > e-mail: [email protected] > > [email protected] > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an email to [email protected]. > > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAPf%3DrhuOua-mmbCj%2B6FTibaUQHecutF8ez6rcGbqYaUwDLLrYA%40mail.gmail.com > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2BvNr4%2BRyNUSetktdxkN-Ts%3D2Toeq-npjEcL%3Dw7TVcnLfrpM3g%40mail.gmail.com > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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