Kanchan Bhaskar is the author of the new memoir Leaving: How I Set Myself Free from an Abusive Marriage. She has worked in the corporate world for many years, and is also a certified advocate for domestic violence victims. She grew up in New Delhi and lives in Chicago.
Q: What inspired you to write this memoir?
A: My children were keen for a long time for me to write my courageous story of escaping the trap of domestic violence and bringing it to the world at a time in life when I felt liberated, on the path to spiritualism, a seeker looking for my purpose in life.
I never gave it a serious thought until the day my therapist suggested, “Kanchan, you need to share your compelling story of escape, which may help other victims. Become an advocate for people of domestic abuse. That’s your purpose.” My eyes teared, and her words inspired me to share my story of hope, desire, grit, empowerment, and transformation.
That was my moment of truth. I could feel in my gut that this was my true purpose, and from then on, there was no looking back.
Q: You describe some extremely difficult times in your life--what impact did it have on you to write the book?
A: The difficult times and overcoming those difficult times is what the book is about. Writing my story and reaching out to people of domestic abuse and those in adversity is my purpose and my way of giving back to the community.
It is an inspiring story of relentlessness and resilience, of transcendence from a survivor to a thriver, living a life of joy and progress. It stimulates me to reach out to those who are trapped, who are not able to speak up, who want to be free but do not know how, for those who are free but don’t know how to take the next steps and move on in life.
It’s
motivating and energizing to foresee one, two, or three people transforming
from a victim to a survivor and contributing to making society a happy and safe
place to live.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your story?
A: Hope, desire, fervor, relentlessness, empowerment, transformation.
Q: What do your family members think of the book?
A: My family is very pleased with the outcome. They think it’s very brave of me to write my story. Everyone who read it, including my colleagues at work, said it is a page-turner, a story of a courageous woman. My own three adult children have not read it. They could not, it was too painful to read what their mother had to go through.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am an advocate for the people of domestic violence. I am a volunteer coach looking to become a speaker on the subject, taking my story to the ones who need to hear it to work on themselves to get freedom from the imprisonment of their abusers. I am also busy with promotions of my memoir.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Freedom is our birthright; no one can and should keep us in shackles. If you are committed to being free, you can do it!
Besides writing, I am a passionate music lover, an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction, and I love to be in nature and travel.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
The work of advocates for domestic violence is indispensable. They provide a voice for those who may be silenced and support survivors in their journey toward healing. Their efforts are making a significant impact on breaking the cycle of abuse.
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