Jyoti Thottam, a senior New York Times Opinion editor, has been awarded the Christopher Award for her book “Sisters of Mokama: The Pioneering Women Who Brought Hope and Healing to India”. The book tells the story of the six Sisters of Charity of Nazareth nuns who established Nazareth Hospital in Mokama, Bihar, in 1947. Thottam’s mother was born in Kerala, India, and travelled to Nazareth Hospital to study nursing.
Fascinated by her mother’s story, Thottam researched the full story of Nazareth Hospital and the women who worked there, both American and Indian. The Christopher Awards, founded in 1945, recognize media that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit”. The award committee said Thottam’s book exemplified the Christopher’s motto: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”