Time is considered the most valuable and precious thing with a person but the contradiction is that time has no monetary sense. Only the wise can understand how significant time is and make utilize it in the best possible manner as per their discretion. Some people lead their lives in a manner that has a true sense of time utilization, which makes them and their lives an example for everyone to look at and imbibe at least some values that the people have followed. A living example of such a person is Bhanubhai Patel and his manner of living his life in “Behind Bars and Beyond”.

The book’s title is clearly suggestive of how the author is going to write about life as it was behind and beyond the bars. But whether the book is fictional or non-fictional, the readers can hardly make a guess. But that is the beauty of the book. The subtitle, “An Inspiring And Astonishing Success Story Of A Doctor Revealing His Prison Experience And Secret Of Setting A World Record During His Imprisonment,” reveals a little more for the readers but they are already prompted and ready to become a part of this voyage which may become a life-changing experience for them.

Patel takes up narrating the story of his life in first person and keeps informing the readers whenever there are change of events or the situations he encounters in his journey of life. He begins it right from his childhood where he first started attaining his education and how he had to struggle to educate himself but one ray of hope, hard work, and dedication were the difference makers in his life. This is where the readers get the first lesson of always doing hard work and not initially worrying about the result. As bright as the author is as a student, luck continues to favor him at different life stages. The readers also glimpse how far life has changed from the earlier days when there were hardly any facilities. The narrator also succeeds in giving the readers an idea of the prison environment.

As he narrates the circumstances that landed him behind the bars, the readers subconsciously question human nature and whether humans are trustworthy at all or not. But the narrator displays his optimistic side and begins narrating how he made the best utilization of his valuable time behind the bars and how that utilization made a difference in his life. From here itself, the book gives a strong and positive vibe and captures the attention of the readers effortlessly.

Patel’s life has a lot to teach to the readers. He seems to come out from the canvas of the book and reach out to the readers at a more personal and closer level. Courage, resilience, working hard, never giving up, having faith in self and capabilities of oneself are some of the things that can be counted in broad terms. The readers are likely to find many more positive aspects that can influence them and change their lives. In the light of this, categorizing “Behind Bars and Beyond” in the category of motivational content would obviously not mean doing complete justice to the genre of the book, but it can be counted in that category too. Any book that can teach something to a reader or make a difference in their lives in a constructive manner will only be beneficial to readers.

The book’s length is also kept according to an average reader but how Patel narrates his tale automatically creates interest in the minds of the readers and they begin to read the book without regarding the length. They are gripped by the story instantly and keep reading through without having track of time. The author often addresses the readers directly, which helps in heightening their interest and adds to the charm of the book. The book’s language becomes a cherry on the top, as the author keeps the language as per the understanding of maximum readers. This ensures that the book remains open to be read by readers of all kinds and all categories. Recommending this book to any particular readers of only one genre would not mean doing justice to the book’s substance. Since it is about a person’s life and the productive life he has led, this book should be recommended to all readers, whether old or young. Elder readers should read the book to understand or get an idea of how to utilize their time in a better manner, while young readers should give this book a reading as it will not only inspire but also give life goals to get better at achieving their dreams without having second thoughts.

Title: Behind Bars and Beyond
Author: Bhanubhai Patel
Published By: Evincepub Publishing, 2020
Reviewed By: Akhila Saroha at The Literature Today
Order Book: Amazon India