07 November, 2019

#BookReview :: Of Swans and Songs by Rohini Paranjpe Sathe - @blogchatter

Check out the book on Amazon


Of Swans and Songs by Rohini Paranjpe Sathe is a collection of short stories that brings together different elements of storytelling together in a way that the books leaves you satisfied yet asking for more.

In When the Girl Died, the author holds up a mirror to our society’s many reactions to the news of a rape. The story makes us wonder about the society that we live in and the society that we are a part of.

In The Messenger, Aarti has hallucinations about her late father. The story makes us think about life after death and the effect of death on the living. It has elements of magical realism and as such stands apart from the other stories in the book.

In Anuja Grows Up, long buried family secrets are revealed on a sultry summer day changing the way a girl sees life. Are the skeletons in our cupboard buried forever? And are they buried for our benefit or the benefit of many?

Amma, is a story that resurrects a legendary musician and her life devoted to the raagas through the words of her biographer. One of the most engaging story in the book, brings Amma alive in the mind of the readers – a character that is sure to stay with you long after you close the book.

In Finding Shobha, an aging teacher comes to terms with the changes in her life and in the process rediscovers herself. No matter the age of the reader, they will be able to identify with the protagonist in terms of the changing phases in our lives.

Of Swans and Songs, the title story is about how an extramarital affair can wreak havoc in the lives of those involved and those around them.

In A Happy Diwali, we see the clash of cultures and generation gap. In short, it does deliver on the Diwali bomb!

A Happy Diwali and Amma are the two stories that are going to stay with me for a while. I loved the characters in these stories the most aside from the message in them. My least favourite story in the book is Of Swans and Songs and I have no problem admitting that it is because of my own opinions about extramarital affairs. To be fair, the author’s impeccable narrative and beautiful language shows through the story. And that does say something about the author’s story telling – that I couldn’t stop reading even though I wasn’t really open to the theme of the story. Rohini Paranjpe Sathe delivered on smooth narration, beautiful language and brilliant storytelling through these seven stories. It was difficult to believe that this is the author’s debut!


Review copy received through Blogchatter



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