Ashutosh Thakur has penned one of the sweetest reviews. He calls The Awasthis of Aamnagri a thoroughly engaging read.
Thank you for the words of encouragement.
You can also read it here: Review
Fly on the Wall by Shubha Sarma
About the Author
- Fly on the Wall by Shubha Sarma
- New Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Shubha Sarma is an IAS officer who has served in Odisha as well as in Govt. of India. She currently lives in Bhubaneswar with her husband and two sons. She is inspired to write by the people and events around her.
Thursday, 27 May 2021
Wednesday, 26 May 2021
Monday, 29 March 2021
Review in Political & Business Daily
As any author will tell you, reviews are precious. Whether they are from widely circulating dailies and literary critics or small time newspapers which have a closed group readership. Each review is precious. For many reasons. It gives valuable feedback on how the book has been received by readers, what is it that struck a chord or did not interest them, and thus, guides the author on her journey of self improvement. Each review will tell you something, some more and some less.
Read on for the review by PBD, Cuttack.
Saturday, 6 March 2021
I have never put pressure on myself to write!
Pragativadi literally translates to "the progressive one". It is one of the popular daily newspapers in Odia that has a fairly good readership base in Odisha. They came to interview me as a prelude to the book launch of The Awasthis of Aamnagri as part of their "Sakhyaatkaar" or interview series and I was compelled to do some soul searching to answer their questions.
One of the recurring questions that have been posed are how I find time to write despite being a full-time professional and part-time home maker. The truth is that I also do not know. What I do know is that I do not indulge in self castigation if I cannot find time to write, I do not push myself to write as I have no deadlines to meet and above all because for me writing is a source of pleasure and self fulfillment. It is not penance.
For those who cannot read Odia, the headline says:
"I have never put pressure on myself to write!"
REVIEW BY DEEPAN
The Awasthis of Aamnagri have come. And they are meeting people. From different backgrounds, in different places and with different tastes.
One such wonderful young man who encountered The Awasthis is Deepan Maitra. He describes himself as:
My name is Deepan and I am a sophomore pursuing Computer Science at IIT Ropar. I am a creativity enthusiast who loves creating and learning new things. A reader and a blogger, I regularly update my opinions on bookish stuff through my social media handles. Apart from that, I occasionally sing, paint and do digital art. I blog at: https://deepansbookshelf.
When he first mentioned that he would be reviewing The Awasthis of Aamnagri, I was apprehensive. After all, I was a 40+ writer writing about an age and era when young people like Deepan were not even born. I asked myself, Would he appreciate the story, the setting, the characters? Therefore, when I received this glowing review on Instagram, I was filled with childish delight. I had always claimed that The Awasthis of Aamnagri is a story that cuts across geography and time, that you could belong to any part of India, indeed the world, and you would still enjoy reading it. Deepan's review strengthened my claims. Read along to know what Deepan has to say about The Awasthis of Aamnagri:
‘The Awasthis of Aamnagri’ comes with an old age charm, a pinch of nostalgia and pulls us along memorabilia of childhood, family, joint living and days gone by. It doesn’t take us long to appreciate how effortlessly the stories have a vintage feel to them, and how they carry a smell of the past.
The Awasthis are a family full of chirpiness, quirk and eventfulness. Their days are marked by ordinary happenings becoming memorable within the blink of an eye—gliding between fun, frolic and hubbub. This book presents itself through a collection of stories, each rooting itself around the Awasthis and their way of leading life. There is an immense touch of joint living, of families bound together by harmony and tradition; firmly affirming the belief that the people in the house would never let a day go dull.
The main element of the book is an acute and often humourous family drama, which paves the way for the many characters to play their roles amidst hubbub, excitement and vigour. The charming writing style soon takes us into a world of sepia tones and forgotten memories, making our hearts wrench with sweet feelings of homecoming.
‘Awasthis of Aamnagri’ stays true to the quote that ‘Home is where the heart is’. Truly enough, it makes us realize that there was a point in our lives when all this quintessential drama and gossip was what made our days imbibe colour and vibration. Putting to play some really fantastic simple elements of family mystery, superstitions, secret expeditions, troubles and predicaments—this book has made me go beyond a life cocooned into a nuclear family, over the top of walls sedimented with cement and through roads that lead the way home.
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You can also see the original review with the oh-so aesthetically placed flowers and fruit here: Deepan's Book Shelf or Deepan's Blog
It's a pity you couldn't get mangoes for the picture though, Deepan!
Coverage by DD Odiya
Who does not remember switching on the black and white television set at 5 pm in the evening to see the yin and yang twining and inter-twining on screen and Doordarshan's signature tune playing in the background? Over the years, presentation has become slick, the anchors and news readers more tech savvy and the tune more refined. Yet, the instinctive feeling of reliability and solidness that the name- Doordarshan- evokes, remain unchanged.
To have them cover the launch of my second book, The Awasthis of Aamnagri, was delightful.
Wednesday, 24 February 2021
Book Discussion at India International Centre, New Delhi
India International Centre or IIC.
The name evokes visions of leisure, languor and a slow-paced lifestyle. Where one sits on wicker chairs in the lush green lawns soaking in the winter sunshine or relaxes in the lounges waiting for hot, scrumptious food to be served by people who have the warmth and familiarity of old friends. Time does not rush in IIC. It is an oasis in the hustle-bustle of Delhi, perhaps because most of its members and patrons have earned their rest and now have time to enjoy the finer things in life.
A book discussion at IIC was both exciting and unnerving. My initial reaction was one of trepidation: Here were some of the most well read persons who were going to dissect and take apart my precious offering, 'The Awasthis of Aamnagri'. Fortunately my co-panelists were gracious and generous and put me at ease. The panel had eminent litterateurs such as Prof. Malashri Lal and Prof.Madhu Khanna. It was headed by Dr. Ajay Mathur, whose subtle sense of humour and command over the language makes him a magician with words. Facing such stalwarts was indeed disconcerting yet, encouraging. Thus, I did what every writer does- took shelter behind my book!
The interaction was lively and entertaining. It also brought home to me the stark fact that at the end of the day, we are more like each other than we realise. Our memories are similar, our pasts have a shared thread that makes us comfortable with each other despite the differences of geography or language. We all share that mango in our backyard or the summer vacations at our grandparents house....
The link to the youtube recording is: https://youtu.be/xgXxoi-Wtlg
If you have any observations or comments, you can write them in the comments box below.
Friday, 29 January 2021
Book Discussion in Kalinga Literary Festival
KLF or Kalinga Literary Festival has emerged as a popular name on the Odisha Literary circuit in the last few years. As COVID19 rampaged far and wide and instilled fear and dread in the bravest of brave hearts, the interaction was organised by KLF in virtual mode. On one side was the talented Trisha De Niyogi, Executive Director of Niyogi Books sitting in cold Delhi. At the other end was humble me, sweating it out in balmy Bhubaneswar.
For ease, I've split the video into multiple segments and one can watch it in bits and pieces, as one feels like.
Do you have any questions for The Awasthis of Aamnagri apart from what Trisha asked? Let me know in the comments box.
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