LIFE WITH A PINCH OF SALT BY ASFIYA RAHMAN

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The yellow cover with its twin bottles of pepper and salt is one of the cheeriest images I have seen in a while and the message conveyed by the author, Asfiya Rahman, at the beginning is even more heart-warming.

“This collection of short stories and flash fiction is a small attempt to remind us that life is messy and adventurous and full of surprises.”

 A statement that impels one to dive headlong into the stories that follow! The eleven stories are filled with life, (pun intended), as they fill one with good cheer, along with a sense of anticipation.

The first story titled ‘Romantic Adventures’ brings a smile to one’s face as Nachiketa bungles a rendezvous with the attractive Ketaki, a tale told with good humour.

‘Bhai and NRI’ is imbued with dramatic irony and brings out the fascination of Indians with Bollywood.  

As one goes through the stories, the sense of anticipation increases, especially as the flash fiction tickles the imagination and ends with a twist particularly intriguing. For example, ‘The Muse’ hints at an unpleasant past, and ‘Devi’ ends with a twist that makes one ponder. ‘A Picture to Remember’ catches an elusive moment.

The Big Indian Wedding often has its hits and misses, as is reiterated in ‘Wedding Vows or Woes’. Asfiya Rahman’s creativity knows no bounds. ‘Death Lurks in Every Corner’ is wonderfully suspenseful and keeps the reader wondering till the end.

While I did enjoy the whole book, two stories interested me in particular – ‘Is it Kinder to Give or Receive?” which reminded me of the stories of O Henry, and ‘The Best Mistake of my Life’, which was magnificent in narrative and intent. I would be indulging in spoilers if I said any more.

It would be a pleasure to read more from Asfiya Rahman for she has the flair to make her stories sparkle. I end with her quote – “Life isn’t meant to be perfect, it’s meant to be lived.” Exactly my sentiments!

#BlogchatterEBook #BookReview #ShortStries #heartwarming #Life 

You can download this book by Asfiya Rahman from the link below:

file:///C:/Users/deept/OneDrive/Desktop/1654924692_AsfiyaLIFEWITHAPINCHOFSALT.pdf

Comments

  1. Rajeev Moothedath7/16/2022 07:54:00 PM

    This is such a heart warming review which kindles the interest of readers. I will now certainly read the book. Kudos and best wishes to both the author and reviewer!

    ReplyDelete
  2. deepti menon7/16/2022 08:59:00 PM

    Thank you so much for your heart warming comment, Rajeev Moothedath! I am sure you will enjoy the book.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Vairt.com12/07/2022 09:53:00 AM

    nice post

    ReplyDelete

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