LYNNFIELD– Starting in 2020, three Lynnfield women collected more than 600 stories, ranging from the North Shore to 80 countries around the world, detailing the resilience of a woman’s spirit. 

The book, Women Who Win, is about real stories detailing real women’s resilience, inspiration, and ambition. 

“Every life has a story and everyone has a dream,” Co-Founder of Women Who Win Manju Sheth said. 

The panel of four speakers included moderator Karen Nascembeni, general manager of North Shore Music Theater, and co-founders, Sheth and her daughter, Shaleen Sheth, and Deepa Jhaveri. The event was sponsored by the Lynnfield Cultural Council on May 16. 

Manju said one of the most impactful things she has learned has been how hope was created through devastating circumstances.

“Optimism has resilience … that is what I have seen in all of the interviews that I have done over the years, that the human spirit continues and survives,” Manju said.

The co-founders spoke about how some of their favorite stories from the book created an impact in other people’s lives.

Two women who were interviewed shared stories of cancer that might have been prevented if they had gone to the doctors earlier. Manju said that after those stories were shared with their community she was “flooded with messages” from women stating they had gone to receive mammograms and colonoscopies as a preventive measure for their health. 

Manju said the response the stories generated made her think of Morgan Harper Nichols’s quote, “ Tell the story of the mountains you climbed. Your words could become a page in someone else’s survival guide.”

Ramila Thakkar who shares her story in the book, attended the event and in an interview with The Item, said the three co-founders are celebrities in the community. 

“They are the movers and shakers in the Indian community. I call them the trailblazers,” she said. 

Java Joshi who also shares her story, titled “On Building an Art Community for All Ages,” said to The Item, that she and her husband Hetal, are the founders of the Academy of Creative Arts in Burlington. 

She said she is happy that the Academy has become “a hub for the whole community,” as they offer approximately 30 different programs from dance to public speaking. 

Jhaveri’s daughters, Myra Gupta, 13, and Aanya Gupta, 17 attended the event as well to support their mom.

“I like to hear the stories from all around the world, it’s inspirational,” Myra Gupta said.