Author Nguyen Quang Thach and a female reader with the book "Footsteps That Call a Mother's Heart" - Photo: TO GIANG
Titled "Footsteps That Call a Mother's Heart," author Nguyen Quang Thach aims to awaken mothers, and consequently fathers, grandfathers, and everyone else, to their responsibility for their children's education and their own; while also affirming the mother's sacred role in the eyes of East Asians: "Blessings and virtue reside in the mother."
Published by the Women's Publishing House in April, the book has immediately garnered significant attention, not only because it inspires a desire for self-discovery and knowledge, but also because its writing resonates with hope.
The story of the "beggar"
People call Nguyen Quang Thach "the book beggar," "the intellectual pauper," to describe his tireless efforts and unwavering determination in bringing books to rural areas, classrooms, and homes, both domestically and internationally.
I recall Mother Teresa's words: "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." This is certainly true for Nguyen Quang Thach, the initiator and builder of the "Books for Rural Areas" program. I am sure that anyone who has read the book "Footsteps That Call a Mother's Heart" shares the same feeling as I do.
This is a diary, an autobiography recording his journey on foot, covering 249,458 steps across India to fulfill his dream of bringing books to rural areas of the country. It was a noble and humane aspiration that few dared to contemplate or pursue.
Why is the book titled "Footsteps That Call a Mother's Heart"? Perhaps the author wants to highlight the role of the mother in each family? Asians often have the saying, "Blessings and virtue come from the mother." Therefore, the author chooses the mother as the primary agent acting for the benefit of her children.
If every mother were willing to spend one dollar to buy books for her child to read, the child's life would change dramatically. If mothers are willing to read, they can together open new chapters in their children's future lives.
The book contains 32 stories he encountered while on his "rural book-making" trip in India in 2024. Reading these stories, I was captivated by his rich imagination and associative thinking. Through each ordinary event along the way, he takes the reader back to a past of childhood or a historical story of his nation.
Stories about the kind and compassionate treatment that Indian people give to pets like dogs and cats, or to wild animals like monkeys, turtles, and birds, made him ponder and worry about the Vietnamese people's awareness of the ruthless destruction of animals, which has led to the current imbalance of the ecosystem in Vietnam.
Touching the heart
With its simultaneous storytelling style, the pages of "Footsteps Calling a Mother's Heart" offer readers many interesting things, expanding children's understanding: from social knowledge to history, geography, the environment, and even ways of interacting with others...
Gentle, simple stories will more easily instill life lessons in children than any textbook admonition or daily scolding from their parents. This will help them appreciate the past and the present, fostering correct and kind thinking from a young age.
A Hungarian scholar once said, in essence: "Remember, a nation that does not read is a nation without hope. And the same applies to a child, to a young person." The renowned Indian politician Mahatma Gandhi also asserted: "There is no need to burn books to destroy a culture. Just force people to stop reading."
Thank you, Nguyen Quang Thach, for your selfless dedication to promoting community reading culture. Your journey has not been in vain; your blistered feet have left their mark on every road from Hanoi to Saigon and recently to India, touching the hearts of readers, mothers, and millions of children worldwide.
Live as if tomorrow your remaining eye will go blind.
Unlike *Steps of Hope* (2023) - an academic work, *Steps Calling the Mother's Heart* is more intimate, like a heartfelt conversation with children, and as passionate as a call to parents, especially emphasizing that the mother's heart plays a crucial role in a child's education .
"I live as if tomorrow my remaining eye will go blind," Nguyen Quang Thach wrote. That heartfelt confession brings tears to our eyes. The path he chose wasn't easy, but through small stories like "Wildflowers by the Roadside," "Vegetarian Dogs in Pune," "Cows Receive Apologies,"... we see a refined soul, always striving for goodness.
Then, childhood memories of his grandmother, father, and relatives—people who loved books—nurtured him into a responsible citizen for society and for humanity. And he wants to spread that to every child.
Young people today have access to so many things, but how can we keep them "hungry" for knowledge and "thirsty" for reading? The author answers with examples: young Lily translated three famous works; Nguyen Van Thuong completed 9th grade and became a fire safety expert thanks to books. For him, books are "sweet nectar" that opens up the world , a light that dispels darkness, and dispels the "foul odor" of poverty, violence, and indifference.
"Footsteps that call a mother's heart" is also a journey to different cultures, vividly showcasing the beauty of rural Vietnam and India, while also highlighting the sadness of places lacking books, where many children are "starved" for knowledge, and facing injustices due to varying educational backgrounds across different places and individuals.
Closing the book, a feeling of wistfulness arose in my heart. Perhaps the children and parents who read this book will follow in Nguyen Quang Thach's footsteps, living for noble ideals. "The Footsteps That Call a Mother's Heart" is not just a message to mothers, but a call to every heart: let's act, starting to teach our children to love all life, even if it's just for "one dollar," so that knowledge can illuminate their future.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/goi-trai-tim-nguoi-me-20250428090930492.htm
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