Letters from Father to Daughter

date Oct 2, 2008
authors Jawaharlal Nehru
reading time 2 mins
  • Book Title: Letters from a father to his daughter
  • Author: Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Year written/published: 1929
  • Summary: Jwaharlal Nehru wrote these letters to his daughter, Indira Gandhi when she was 10 years old in the summer of 1928. It has a series of 30 letters outlining the history of our Solar System to the history of the Animals kingdom and mankind. 
  • My Comments: Very well written about the history that ever has to be. Any child and adult will enjoy this series. It has a strong Indian connection as well towards the end and the book ended off with the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It was very intriguing … I could see that both the father and daughter are very well traveled and Nehru constantly referred to either some people they have met before or places they have been to. 
  • Some extracts

The book of nature…

If a little pebble can tell you so much, how much more could we learn from all the rocks and mountains and many other things we see around us?

the relationships of languages…

You will see that most of us now living in different countries far from each other long ago were one people. We have changed greatly since then and many of us have forgotten our old relationships. In every country people imagine that they are the best and the cleverest and the others are not as good as they are…. … But really there is no person who has not got some good in him and some bad. And in the same way there is no country which is not partly good and partly bad. 

civilization…

You will say that it is not easy to understand what civilization means, and you will be right. It is a very difficult question. Fine buildings, fine pictures and books and everything that is beautiful are certainly signs of civilization. But an even better sign is a fine man whoc is unselfish and works with others for good of all. TO work together is better than to work singly, and to work together for common good is the best of all.

how religions began…

… … we see even today that people fight and break each other’s head in the name of religion. And for many people it is still something to be afraid of. They spend their time in trying to please some imaginary beings by making presents in temples and even sacrifices of animals.