Deep Ties

                                                                Review by Deepti Menon The McGregor ranch seems the perfect place for romance, though Jason, “a dark handsome cowboy”, the eldest son of the family, has no time or inclination to fall in love. When Jonas, his father, falls ill with a congestive heart problem, much of the responsibility of taking care of the horses, and the running of the ranch, fall on Jason. His brother, Jude, is still young. His other brother, Jesse “didn’t have the ‘crazy’ gene of taming horses.” The story opens with Jonas receiving a phone call informing him about the death of his good friend, Edward Sheridan, in a car accident. His widow, Lindsey, is also a good friend of Jason’s mother, Anna, as the two “families families lived on the same country roads” years ago. Lindsey and her daughter, Haley, come down to the ranch for a change. The first few meetings between Jason and Haley are stormy, as the girl is still getting over the tr

                                                                    She was a teacher, one loved by all, for she gave of herself unstintingly. She gamboled with the young ones, playing games that they giggled over. She made her little students learn to hold a pencil, and draw lines till they were perfect. She would walk into a senior class and take a class on Shakespeare, enacting the roles of the three witches in Macbeth, while the students would sit, wide eyed and inspired, not moving a muscle till the last sinister chuckle. A big heart she had that could encompass the whole world, for she saw good in everyone and everything! Children loved her for what she taught them, parents adored her for what she meant to their children. She could be firm and inspire awe, but the firmness would disappear the moment her lessons were imbibed. In Kerala, the Pulluva ladies are known for their songs sung to the accompaniment of little lute like instruments. These women come to houses and sing

Book Review - Deepti Menon It is heartening to see a book dedicated to all the budding authors of the world, a book that is the brainchild of the prolific author, Neelam Saxena Chandra herself. The stories were chosen through a nationwide contest for writers aged between 11 and 20, and this anthology is a culmination of the best examples of writing from the entries. True Sport - Aravind Sampath The saga of former boxing champion, Arthur Gordon, who loses a bout against reigning champion, Arnold Fischer, but is determined to leave his mark in the world by training a new champ in the form of Aaron Sam, a puny young man, 'toned' yet 'petite', as quick as lightning. The young man, whose 'feral senses were commendable' goes through defeat. However, does he triumph in 'the final sermon'?  Aravind Sampath delivers a knockout tale in true boxing parlance, blending emotion deftly with action, to create a story par excellence. The Customers - Utkrishti