Pages

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

The Wedding Trousseau And Other Short Stories

The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories by Ankita Sharma is a collection of eleven short stories with a kaleidoscope of various emotions- some inspired by real life, while others are a figment of imagination. 

In her debut book, the author brings some memorable and interesting characters to life. This book is suitable for readers of any age group.


Book Title, Cover, and Publication

The term 'wedding trousseau' is very rich and encompasses hopes and new beginnings. 'The Wedding Trousseau' is one of the stories of the collection. The author has chosen a great title for these eleven  stories about life. 
The title stands out on the soothing book cover. The back-cover has the image of a dog. The cover design is by - Abhinav Bhatt.
It was first published in 2015. This book is published and distributed in India by Humming Words Publishers, Faridabad, India.

The Author

Ankita Sharma is a writer and artist based in Faridabad, Haryana, India. She is the author of four titles. She loves reading, writing and sketching. Her artworks have graced the cover pages of some Indian and International books. A nature-lover, she is very fond of animals. Ankita blogs at - www.hummingwords.blogspot.in.

Each of the eleven stories in her maiden book deals with emotions and relationships.

The Pink Card
This is the story of a girl and all what she has to endure. 
What does Poonam have to go through after she is stopped while trying to carry a bouquet and packet?  
What is the pink card about? 

One More Bite
This is the story of a rich mother and son and poor Chhotu.
What tactics does the rich mother use to convince her son?
What is the role of poor Chhotu in ensuring the mother's success?

Leaves
This is the story of a college-goer whom no one believes, or do they? 
What are the reactions of his family and friends?
What is the secret that no one wants to acknowledge? 

Curse
This is the story of a mother and her son.
Who are they cursing?
How does the mother handle the chaos in her son's life?

Courtesy
This is the story of Garima and her courtesy call.
What does Garima experience when she visits a sick person?
Does she learn any vital lessons?

The Wedding Trousseau
This is the story of a bride and her wonderful wedding trousseau. 
What pains does the bride endure for her super collection?  
Does she feel the effort worthwhile? 

The Site Visit
This is the story of an office-goer who wants to rent a place of his own.
Does he find a good space for himself?
What secrets does he unravel there?

The Fresh Stock
This is the story of Sir Thomas and Sister Joan and the challenges they face. 
Why are Sir Thomas and Sister Joan concerned and very angry?
What do they decide as their way forward? 

The Solitary Mound
This is the story of a grieving mother, her husband, and onlookers.
Why is the young mother acting insane as per the onlookers?
Is her husband aware of her tragic emotions?

I Forgive You!
This is the story of an employee and her employer, Mr. Kapoor.
Why is the employee ready to forgive Mr. Kapoor? 
Does she forget her situation?

Just Perfect
This is the story of a young boy and his newly adopted pet dog.
Why is the playful dog special?
Does the boy's family accept his 'perfect' choice?


To learn the answers of these questions, you must read the above stories this book. 

The author has described the characters, plot, and ambience very well. 
The understanding of fragile relationships and sharing deep life lessons are a revelation. 
The author expresses agony, ecstasy, advice, and humour in an easy style. The characters and lessons stay with the reader long after reading the book.

You can order this book from Amazon and Flipkart.

Do check out the GoodReads reviews.

The author had graciously sent me a copy of her debut work in 2015. 

I had read it, and even written my review in my note-book, but in the course of having shifted homes several times in the past couple of years, both my copy of the book and my review got misplaced. Glad to have rediscovered my copy and re-read it. I apologize for posting a belated review. Stories do not pale or become stale and are not dependent on cashing on the time-frame unlike current affairs and crises. This is a fresh review of a story-collection that will always remain fresh.

3 comments:

  1. Great Review. Certainly will look for this book. I havw been a loyal and regular reader of Ankita's blog for a very very long time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I always felt that designing a book cover is a real challenge. A major part of the. sale depends on the appeal there.

    ReplyDelete

Your words mean a lot to me.