Introducing John Almeida's "Aasavari"
- Fr. Tony George, SJ

John Almeida SJ, our Bombay Province Jesuit published his First book titled: "AASAVARI"  - Collection of Short Stories in Marathi on 2nd of August 2009. John's "AASAVARI" is a great plea of HUMAN SOUL for FREEDOM.
They are 21 Characters, all women, expressing their deep pain in these twenty-one autobiographical testimonies. The cover page itself points towards the 'Female Soul Longing for Freedom'. Woman in Asia is surrounded by a great web of family relationships and yet she is all-alone in this great human sea.

In his very first collection of short stories John Almeida has brought in fresh insights and has searched FEMALE struggle for identity and independence in the family circle.
Women usually do not like to share their deep pain and loneliness when it involves their intimate ones. Let us call this pain "Unspeakable Loneliness".

This Unspeakable loneliness is experienced in a way that is so private & humiliating that they feel if it is shared it might further damage an already over - fragile sense of Self.
This way they are eternally vulnerable. Women gradually embrace this unspeakable loneliness as their LIFE PARTNER, A SOUL MATE. John has opened a window in his "AASAVARI" where the FEMALE SOUL has risked herself to share the pain, the struggle, and the Unspeakable loneliness in the hope to make this pain and loneliness. AN ETERNAL JOY of BEING HUMAN and transforming anyone’s LIFE who will RELECT on these TESTEMONIES into the MUSICAL RAGA OF AASAVARI! "

Congratulations to you Johnny Almeida S.J.