Swayam Ganguly’s The Incredible Life of Mary Kom (Talking Cubs, Speaking Tiger) paints a picture of the life and journey of Queen of boxing by first setting historical context. The book starts off by introducing the readers to Manipur, where Mary Kom hails from. Then comes her story, intertwined with the social context.

Mary’s childhood experiences have had a great role to play in shaping her strengths and her motivations. Whilst her family struggled to stay afloat financially, and there were periods of great difficulty, the love and warmth, as well as the painstaking sacrifices by her parents to keep the children together was a stark reminder of how our early experiences can truly provide grounding.
As a child, Mary participated in housework and heavy farming work as well. She would go to the jungles for foraging. It was a childhood filled with hard work- both literal and figurative. Education was a luxury and there were struggles to gain access to it. These experiences gave her strength- both emotional, and also physical, which is a sure shot requirement in her chosen field. In a very poignant way, they also touched her deeply and after achieving success in her field these experiences motivated her to give back to society in meaningful ways.
The reader relives Mary’s childhood and gets a glimpse into the tough and challenging background world that she was a part of. I think the book beautifully brings out the struggles behind the success that we see today, when we look at Mary Kom today.
For many children who read this book, more specifically children from a relatively privileged urban background, the struggles might be alien from their lives and it will open up a window to view what the real India also comprises of. I do believe that this book, and this story, will expand their notion of childhood and how it looks so different for different people.
Interspersed with Mary’s story, are little information boxes that give interesting trivia. For instance, in 1876, the first female boxing match within the USA was held, and it had the strangest prize for the winner, a silver butter dish! Such trivia about the background about boxing adds to the interest element in the book.
In one sense, Mary Kom seems to symbolise the journey of women’s empowerment. Her life itself is a great source of inspiration that extends beyond just women boxers. Indeed, the lessons expand to include anyone who has a dream. The book highlights the varied handicaps in her background, but also how she managed to overcome them. She also started her own academy despite hanging up her boxing gloves. She dared to dream big and exemplified how hard work pays off.
Her story also shows that support and kindness from others makes a visible difference in the world. Her Boxing Academy mentors and trains boxing aspirants with a special focus on those from underprivileged backgrounds.
Today, her success is well documented in the annals of history. This knowledge of her journey will be an inspiring beckon of light to other young minds who also want to break barriers and surpass heights! The Incredible Life of Mary Kom is ideal for children aged 10 upwards.