by Nirmal Joshi

A man's tribute to womanhood and the undying power of humility, selflessness and sacrifice

Five Drops of Estrogen describes the lives of five extraordinary women across three generations, cultures and continents. When remarkable accomplishments of women are described in contemporary times, the stories are often set in the workplace; perhaps how women have become CEOs of companies or acquired power and fame, how they have made it in a “man’s world” against heavy odds, or how they may have done extraordinary things in general. All these accomplishments are commendable. However, the five women described in this book are different. Two of them never even set foot in the workplace, one primarily spent time as a homemaker, and the remaining two straddled the workplace and home and excelled in both. All of them took on the challenges of large families and the inherently “dirty” and often tangled complexities that come with it---and excelled. They were humble and gave unconditionally. Their selfless lives inspired. In two instances they had a profound influence on the generation after them; in the others, they will likely do the same. Above all, these women purposely lost “small fights” only to win much bigger ones.

The men in their lives were independently special human beings, yet in the powerful presence of these women seemed to be innocent bystanders as they watched their partners positively transform their lives and those of their families. It is for this reason that this book describes the lives of these five women as “drops”—analogous to a drop of rich ink that colors large volumes of water the same. Drops of estrogen refers to women excelling in uniquely feminine qualities, sometimes regarded as docile or even negative in today’s society. These women found power and influence in submission and giving, not in aggression and snatching. They were free to do what they wanted to, yet many times they chose to yield to the wishes of others. In this process, they took such a remarkable flight that it took them to dizzying heights, arguably higher than their more assertive peers. Like the triumph of non-violence over violence, they repeatedly demonstrated that historically feminine traits and behaviors have the power to influence generations.