Review of Parinda Joshi's A House Full of Men
At a Glance:
Blurb :
This is my second read by the
author. A simple family drama that revolves around Kittu and her family. As the
title suggests, Kittu, whose real name is Kritidhara Pant,lives with an all-male family comprising of her Grandfather,
father, twin brothers, Bark twain- their pet dog and a framed photo of P.G
Wodehouse, in Lucknow. She longs for female company in the house but she does
have a few friends from work –Sonali and Rishi.
She shares a unique bond with each of the male
member of the family .Though she works as a journalist in a travel magazine, she
has never really been on a trip outside Lucknow and the 2 times she went out,
ended in the death of her grandmom and mom[or so she assumes]. She is hesitant
to step out of her town in the fear of losing another member of the family.
She also has a secret that has
been a burden on her heart for almost a decade – the reason for her mother’s
death!As each day passes, she finds it hard not conceal.
Enter her chatty neighbour-Anandita
and her smart nephew-kartik, the Pant residence is totally drawn towards them
especially- Anandita. What effect do they create on the Kittu’s household and
what is the outcome is the crux of the story.Does she finally take a trip ?
Does she talk about her mother’s demise?Well, that’s for you to find out when
you read the book!
The book looks bulky but makes a
quick read as the story flow through different phases of the 25 year old
protagonist’s life. The characters are well formed. Kittu has her own identity with
her own troubles of trust and relationship
issues with people.She is forever helping out one person and the other in her
family and almost takes her mom’s place in looking after the people in the
household. Her bond towards Nishant is heart-warming. We are able to see the
grandfather as the authoritative figure of the family though he does not get along
well with his son Ravi and her father- Ravi shares a profound closeness with
Kittu.
Anandita is a happy and chatty
lady who draws everyone towards her and Kartik is floored by Kittu. Vicky, her
boyfriend, is an enigma. He is a person who can’t come to a conclusion or is so
confused by what he wants or what is happening. Neelu Aunty,Vicky’s mom is
another character who literally makes you laugh out loud at the end, with her
demands during Kittu’s wedding and not to forget Lakshmi Mause, the caretaker /
cook who treats the family to delicious meals! Even the framed photo of P.G.Wodehouse
has something to do in this story line!
All in all, this is a nice book,
a little lengthy one though, which shows the patriarchal side of the Indian
society and with a little bit of romance, relationship issues, humour and loads
of family drama. Pick it up if you are looking for a light read.
A Regal Man by Priya Kumar
At a Glance:
Blurb :
Vasu Shroff is an icon. In 1961, at the age of 20, he stepped onto the sandy shores of Dubai. Starting from a single shop, his journey has led to an empire called the Regal Group, today a household name in the UAE. He now ranks amongst Forbes Middle East's Top 100 Indian Leaders.
Though an astute businessman, he is better known as a dedicated philanthropist. He has established scores of temples, schools, hospitals, and similar institutions across the UAE, India, and the world. He has helped countless individuals to overcome personal struggles. He has received India's highest overseas civilian honour for the good work he does.
Along the way, he has experienced many challenges, setbacks, failures, and heartbreaking losses. He has overcome all these, while building a legacy that spans generations.
And from it all, he has learned what it means to make a life worth living.
This book distills decades of experience, with Vasu Shroff sharing and guiding you through the core principles and practices that have contributed to his success - in business, service, love, and life.
Award-winning author Priya Kumar has deftly drawn out the best from a man many consider a living legend.
Learn to create an extraordinary life - one built on the art of giving.
My Review:
This is the biography of Vasu Shroff who has established a large business empire in the UAE. This book takes us through the life of Vasu Shroff right from his childhood spent in a small village in the now Pakistan and then moving on to Mumbai after partition and how he went on to build a successful business empire.
What I like about this book is
that it is as told by Vasu Shroff in his own words. So we get a little closer
to the narrative. He has given an insight of his life that has ups and downs
and how he overcame all obstacles to become what he is now.
The book is not preachy but
gives us the various aspects in life that one needs to pay heed to so that we
do not stray away from our goals / missions in life.
Another thing is that he has not
only shared his successes and triumphs but also the struggles ,challenges and
problems he has encountered on the away and how he had strongly adhered to the
right values all through. In spite of the heart breaking losses on the way ,he
overcame all situations to attain the pinnacle of triumph.
The book gives us a lot of
insights to take us towards our aim without wandering away or being misled by
mundane things. This we realise is from his decades worth of experience and
practices.
One of the highlights of this
book is the ‘Wisdom in hindsight’ that is given at the end of each chapter.
These tips and pointers give the reader something to work not only to have a
better family environment but also for the overall development of the
individual.
The ‘Let’s talk about you’
section is a sort of questionnaire that makes us ponder over the situations in
life and how we should react to them or how to overcome those obstacles. And
the empty lines at the end of the chapter are for us to write down our thoughts
and responses.
The book also has some beautiful
black and white photographs of Vasu Shroff taken during various events /
occasions.
The language is simple and easy
to follow.
Overall, this is a very good
book to learn and understand the path to success and that life is not always a
bed of roses and one should set aside the problems and face the challenges to
achieve our target.
Zikora is a short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about the reality of things in our society like Zikora being abandoned by her boyfriend as soon as she tells him about her pregnancy!
Zikora goes through the pains of child birth alone under the watchful and disapproving eyes of her mother. The story goes back and forth between her time in the hospital and her childhood, her relationship with her boyfriend, conversations with her cousin etc.
The story really brings out the stark realities of our society and how women are affected.Not only that, she clearly shows how little men know about what women actually tell them about!
A touching short story in simple language that shows a womans emotional turmoil.
I am into thrillers and mystery novels and have been reading a bit of non fiction too these days. This book is from a totally different genre yet I wanted to read this one after I found it under #bookstagram.
There are so many things that we need to have awareness around and breast cancer is one among those. And the author has not only brought about the awareness but has also shown the readers the mind-set of the affected person and how the family reacts in this situation.
Reasonable lies is a touching
story that revolves around Jane and her family. Jane is a very happy go lucky
person with a wonderful family and a friend who would do anything for her!
Things start going south when she gets herself examined at a screening camp
organised in her workplace. Once the results come back, her beautiful world
turns upside down.
She wants to make special
memories with her loved ones before they find out about her condition and her
friend Sara is with the family through the highs and lows.
What I liked about this book is
the strong characterization. Jane takes matters into her hands and goes about
doing stuffs that won’t hamper her family routine and also she wants to handle
her situation all by herself.
Her best friend Sara is someone
who you wish was your bestie! Such a strong and beautiful friendship! She goes
to great lengths to bring comfort to her Sara! And of course, the ever
understanding and supportive husband, Karl and the two teenage twins who make up the ideal family. They have their melt
downs and the ups and downs but they are so empathetic and understanding that
we feel like shedding a tear or two when they are hurt.
And then there is James.
Sometimes I feel I like him much more than Jane
or any other character. I cannot tell much about him as it will give
away the story, yet he is my favourite.
The emotional turmoil that the
family and close ones undergo when they come to know about Jane’s diagnosis is
really heart wrenching. The author has conveyed the struggle of each member
very clearly and it is so realistic.
I loved the plot twist at the
end that involves a character [which I cannot give away] . But I really wished
Jane had gotten over the disease and lived happily with her loved ones. I felt
like I had lost a person I was just getting to know about! Even then, the
author has penned a beautiful ending to the story.
Finally, the language is simple
and there is no drag anywhere in the storyline.
It is an emotional read yet an
eye opener for women of all age groups to take care of themselves and get
checked regularly for breast cancer whether or not you have a family history.
Go for this book and you will be sucked into the moving storyline that will surely tug your heartstrings!
This is what I have planned for the 52 club Book reading challenge
