Some books become a pleasure to sight the moment readers set their eyes on them. They are tempted in the very first instance to see and check what the book could be about. If the book matches their expectations, it becomes a memorable reading experience for them. Such is the air of Manali Debroy’s work, “Marigold- the Golden Memories.” As soothing as the title sounds, the cover matches the serenity it gives, and the readers are already in the world of positivity and are ready to read the work right away.
The blub of the book shares an interesting line as it says, “Life is like a paradox of love and pain that may never leave each other, but in the end, the coexistence is worth the journey.” This supplies the necessary information that the tales by the author are not mere fragments of her imagination. They are rather born from her thoughts, experiences, and feelings that she has had in her lifetime so far.
Debroy begins her collection of short stories with a prologue or prelude wherein she makes an interesting comparison of short stories and novel writing to different stages of life, and the readers can’t help but agree with her words. This also gives an introduction to the insightfulness of the author and her close observations of life and abstract things. She writes, “This book of mine tells a lot about my own encounters in life as well, apart from what I have heard or seen.”
After this, the readers are ready to embark on a journey of the 18 stories of “Marigold- The Golden Memories” that the author writes. She is very careful and selective in giving titles to her stories, which altogether make them have a grip on the curiosity of the readers. This factor also contributes to ensuring that the readers go through her stories once before concluding anything.
The stories may be born from the author’s experiences or her perspectives of the various events in her life, but what the readers can not ignore is the truthfulness with which she portrays both emotions and characters. The feelings shown in “Marigold- The Golden Memories” are raw, close to life and easily relatable for the readers. Debroy constructs her characters in a manner that they seem to step out of the canvas of the text to make a more substantial presence in the hearts of the readers. This is one of the critical factors that makes them unforgettable. The other salient factors that make their contribution include the variety of themes that the author addresses. These include love, life, friendship, the realities confronted by human beings, and the problems in the lives of people. Such themes reinforce the fact that life is not simple or easy for anyone, and it certainly is nowhere close to a fairytale. It takes hard work, perseverance, and persistence to make everything work and bring it close to perfect. These in-depth observations make the book recommended reading for everyone no matter whatever field of reading they are into.
Every story that the author writes has a unique individuality of its own. The stories like “A Persuasion Letter to Self,” “Happily Ever After,” “A Wedding Parasol,” and others speak volumes about the author’s experiences and her close observations of life. Apart from these, other stories are also equally memorable for the readers and they have their own impacts on the minds of the readers once they have finished reading them.
The language used by the author is friendly to the vocabulary of an average reader. Since the genre is of the short story, this makes the book an open reading to all those who intend to venture into the world of reading and those who like to read quick content. People who are into fiction reading would find “Marigold- The Golden Memories” holding on to their interest in an effortless manner. Every reader should try reading Debroy’s writing after her maiden attempt in poetry writing in her collection, “Twists and Turns of Life: As it Surprises You..” Her poems like “Why?” and “Crossing the Great Divide” give an introduction to the artistic bent of mind that the author has. The readers can only expect anything to be in store for them that the author has to offer. Debroy has been into blogging and writing for a long time, and “Marigold” shows the maturity and enhancement of the artistic talent she has. Readers who have gone through “Twists and Turns” would agree to this and have the same observations. Although both works are of different genres and comparison would not be the correct thing to do. Yet, the readers are bound to find both books equally interesting, enthralling, and having the potential to hold on to their interests.
AUTHOR NAME: Manali Debroy
BOOK TITTLE: Marigold – The Golden Memories
PAGE NO.: 132
REVIEWED BY: Criticspace Journals Team
PUBLISHER: Partridge Publishing India (12 June 2019)
ORDER ON: AMAZON