Book On Gender Discrimination Authored By South Brunswick Student

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Like her classmates, high school junior Aparna Parthasarthy is glad to be back in school for the new semester.

She’s also excited to have recently published her first book of short stories. Titled “Tales of the Invisible: The Untold Stories of Women Who Have Overcome,” the book narrates the tale of four women who face and overcome oppression in different parts of the world.

“Each story is a different issue involving women's rights and femininity. The idea is that women are always seen as second-class citizens no matter where they are in the world,” Parthasarthy said.

An avid reader, the 16-year-old wrote the book over the course of a year. Last summer, she worked with a women’s organization in Peru and that inspired her to write the book.

“The women I worked with were weavers and they told intricate stories through tapestries. Their weaving is an ancient craft and is passed through generations. But they were being mistreated because men were taking over their field, and not appreciating their talents,” Parthasarthy said. “Working with them and hearing their stories really inspired me to write this book.”

Parthasarthy, a Gold President's Volunteer Service Award Winner, also has strong female influence in her life. She credits her mother, a doctor, and grandmother for fighting the limitations of South Asian culture and overcoming obstacles.

“They taught me how to fight against bias and unrealistic expectations. They are my biggest role models,” Parthasarthy said.

Juggling between schoolwork and writing a book was not an easy task for the teen.

“It was definitely hard. But I'm very grateful for my publisher - New Degree Press. They were very understanding of my schedule and really helped me along the way.”

Parthasarthy said she was lucky to receive support from her teachers at South Brunswick School District. “I've been lucky. I've gotten nothing but endless support, love and motivation from my teachers. They really helped me manage my schedule so I could finish this book,” she said.

Over the summer, Parthasarthy also interned at the offices of Assemblywoman Sadaf Jaffer and Sen. Vin Gopal – both prominent South Asian lawmakers in New Jersey.

“I really appreciate all the experiences I got there. I got to look at bills, talk to constituents. And it really did help me with this book, especially furthering my passion for not just women's rights, but also South Asian rights as well,” Parthasarthy said.

Going forward, the high school student sees herself being engaged in politics and advocating for women's rights.

Aparna Parthasarthy’s book “Tales of the Invisible: The Untold Stories of Women Who Have Overcome,” is available on Amazon.

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