Case study: The Moonsamy family’s The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family

The amazing story of how one family of Indian heritage survived life under apartheid and moved to America

This week’s case study is The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family, a fascinating compilation of life stories by Reverend Samuel Moonsamy and his family.

It tells how the family of Indian heritage, navigated the system of apartheid in South Africa – amid racial tension plus economic struggle – and settled in northern California, United States of America.

Certainly the book’s anecdotes are sometimes hilarious, sometimes serious and invariably thought provoking.

However, they ultimately aim to highlight a strong, faith-based legacy for future generations.

Recently Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Priscilla, the eldest of Rev. Moonsamy’s six children.

And she explained more about the book, how it evolved plus offered helpful tips to those keen to sit down and record their own family stories …

Related article – Case study: Solo travel memoir Untethered: A Woman’s Search for Self on the Edge of India

Writing becomes a new Moonsamy family journey

What is The 17th Suitcase about?

Dad always introduces our family by saying:

Our roots are in India
Our shoots are in Africa, and
Our boots are in America.

Though most of us have yet to see India, our foreparents were brought from India to South Africa by the British as indentured laborers to work on sugar cane plantations. 

So the book tells mostly of our lives in apartheid South Africa, culminating with our immigration story to the United States of America. 

Indeed our family of eight, my parents Reverend and Mrs Moonsamy and us, their six children, has since more than doubled to a family of 17 with the addition of four spouses and five grandchildren.

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How the book idea started

With a literary bent, a knack for speaking and writing with a dose of humour, dad started writing short stories during Apartheid South Africa in the 1950s on a second-hand typewriter. 

So when we paged through his neat file folder a few years ago, where he kept all of the precious stories, we all agreed that these profound stories needed to be shared. 

Also, whenever either of our parents spoke to groups they were inevitably asked: “Have you written a book?” 

When we selected some of his vignettes to share, added mom’s powerful stories and a sprinkling of our own, we had a compilation of intergenerational stories spanning two countries from faraway continents. 

Certainly our hope is that the book will inspire others to overcome indignities, especially those caused by racism.

Related article – Write together: Writing with a loved one as a co-author or writing partner

Positive support for the book 

Family and friends were encouraging and supportive. 

At first we were hesitant to publish but are so happy that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. 

And we are so thankful our book ranked No. 1 on the Amazon Best Sellers Southern African History list recently and has been in the top 10 and top 100 in several categories. 

Also our sister Ursula was interviewed by the University of California Berkeley Optometry magazine about the book. 

Indeed we are humbled by the continued outpouring of love and support!

Moonsamy family works together to create book

Compiling the stories

We always talked about publishing dad’s stories.

But when we finally started this process it took us about three years to sort, select, edit, proofread and also incorporate mom’s and some of our own stories. 

After many months of work, as we approached the final stages of publishing, we were nervous and extremely hesitant to take the final step. 

And one of the six of us (siblings) would find some reason or another to stall. 

Eventually, as the eldest sister, I took the lead and said “I’m uploading now” … and here we are.

Related article – Ask Nicola Q&A: How to finish writing a book and know when your book is finished

Overcoming project challenges

The hardest part was having to relive some of the experiences. 

We called our parents daily to ask questions, so we could be as accurate as possible. 

Though we cried and laughed, it was healing.

And we hoped the stories would inspire and help others, and encourage them to tell their stories too. 

As a result, we drew closer as an already close family, making us so grateful to have been able to learn and grow. 

So even though we had heard these stories before, reading them again reinvigorated our desire to share them.

Related article – Painful stories: How to write about sad memories and hard conversations

Favourite parts of the book

Each Moonsamy family member has a different favorite story. 

Melanie likes ‘Machadorp’ because it shows the worst and the best of humankind. 

And Ursula likes ‘How I saved a white man from being black’ because it shows how ridiculous apartheid really was. 

Also Noelene likes ‘The 17th Suitcase’ because it is the culmination of our life story and showed where this inevitable journey led us, and where it is yet to go. 

Most importantly we would love to know which story resonates with you.

Helping inspire other families

Rewards from writing

One of the most rewarding things was when people who had read the book walked up to us with tears in their eyes and said they connected with many of the stories and were touched by them. 

Also a reader messaged us to say she felt like a guest at our kitchen table as we shared our experiences over a cup of piping hot tea.

Certainly we felt that if the book could inspire or encourage even just one person we would be happy.

But the overwhelming response has been an amazing blessing to us.

Tips to write your own family book

Just start – don’t worry too much about how you sound. 

You can return later to fix errors and read through for flow and understanding. 

But keep at it and don’t give up. 

And when you’re done, go back and read again and again to edit. 

Also, ask people you trust to read your writing and give feedback. 

So many incredible stories and experiences go unshared. 

Perhaps your story can inform, inspire or encourage someone else? 

Sharing your story could be the beginning of an amazing journey ahead.

Related article – Life-story interview: How to set-up an interview + family interview tips

Final say

The Moonsamy family members are humbled and thankful to everyone who has taken the time to read their stories. 

“It has allowed us to share our message, reconnect with old friends and opened our world to many new friends,” they said.

“Thank you Nicola for giving us this opportunity to share our book with your readers.”

And if you want to read the stories, The 17th Suitcase is available on Amazon as a paperback and a hardcover.

Also it should be available through local bookstores on request.

Happy writing!

Free gift!

Want to compile loved ones’ stories like the Moonsamy family? The Your Family Stories System shows you how to interview, record and publish a life-story project. Get free sections by signing up here. 

Your say

Where did your family come from? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Send me an email or leave a reply in the comments section at the end of this article.

Get in touch

Have you hit a roadblock planning, creating, polishing or finishing a life story? Let me know here so I can help!

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