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Tagore’s Sister - A Woman of Substance

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  Review by Ronica Wahi Swarnaa By Raj Gopal Singh Verma First published: October 21, 2023, Penguin Swadesh. Pages: 192. ISBN: 9780143463368 In beautiful Hindi prose, Raj Gopal Singh Verma has told the beautiful story of a beautiful person, Swarnaa. While her brother Rabindranath Tagore is known the world over and to a lesser extent, some of her other family members are familiar names in India, Swarnakumari Devi or Swarnaa - as she was lovingly called - remains relatively unknown. This is sad considering that she proved a pioneer in multiple ways; and registered her contributions to the literary, social, and political life of India. Raj Gopal Singh Verma has recreated the life of this important figure in history – starting right from her childhood in 1850s-60s, which were significant decades in Indian history. As the reader progresses through Swarnaa , he/she witnesses – so vivid is the use of language – the journey and the growth of the protagonist. Her experienc...
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A Catalyst for Change!

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Review by Ronica Wahi Unlock Your Inner Superhero: Practical Steps for Holistic Living & Personal Mastery By Amit Agarwal First published: October 26, 2024, Notion Press. Pages: 202. ISBN: 9798895886137 This is a useful, comprehensive, practical, handy book for a person who truly wants to transform his/her life. But reading this book would be worthwhile only if the suggested steps are taken towards transformation, else it will only increase by 1 the number of books read in the calendar year. The author Amit Agarwal puts it well in the Conclusion : “It is not information but implementation that leads to transformation.” (p.193) Essentially, Unlock Your Inner Superhero demands reflection on varied areas of life one or more of which a reader might need transformation in; the “Ask Yourself” section within each chapter ably guides towards such reflection. This reflection followed practically by the clear, realistic steps towards growth will surely yield exceptional results. Though cert...
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The Inspiring Story of a Life Well-lived

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Review by Ronica Wahi   The Lady of Two Nations By Raj Gopal Singh Verma First published: 2022, Vitasta. Pages: 276. ISBN: 9789390961269 The Lady of Two Nations is an inspiring biography of an important figure in history. It chronicles, with some back and forth in timelines – as the subtitle makes clear - Life and Times of Ra՛ ana Liaqat Ali Khan ; and in doing so, recreates the world that she lived through. Raj Gopal Singh Verma, the author, has crafted a well-researched and an engrossing narrative that makes evident his qualification and deep interest in History. He brings alive a bygone era, and presents many historical details that are not well known. Discussions on social atmosphere and relations, tidbits about places – such as about the town of Almora or the Wenger’s Café in its early years, and glimpses of the kind of conversations young people who cared about the fate of their country might have had in those momentous times make this a valuable piece of work...
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Of Finish Lines, Fat Chances, and Friendships

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Review by Ronica Wahi                      9 to 5 Cubicle Tales: A Race Against Time By Harish C. Rijhwani First published: December 28, 2023, Self-published. Paperback Pages: 182. ISBN: 9789360761394 9 to 5 Cubicle Tales: A Race Against Time is a fitting sequel to Part 1 – 9 to 5 Cubicle Tales - of the series. This Part 2 relates the next few milestones on the personal and the professional journeys of the protagonist Hridaan Rajdev. The sequel maintains the style, tone, pace, and everyday aspect of Part 1, the review for which can be read here . The race is in the work targets – yes, but a major race – A Race Against Time ­ – that Hridaan runs is to reach the finish line of his MBA interview while faced with the hurdle posed by “a mysterious rash”. As the multiple races in the book are run, in the reader’s mind race snippets of past experiences, and similar stories and memories. In the early portion (Chapter-2) of 9...
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A Powerful Rendering of the King Midas Story

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  Review by Ronica Wahi The Curse of King Midas By Colleen M. Story First published: May 13, 2024, Midchannel Press. Pages: 426. ISBN: 9780999099179 Spectacular is the story that Colleen M. Story has told! Vibrant, colourful, and arresting the tapestry she has woven! The Curse of King Midas isn’t history or myth, but a mythological fantasy , and must be treated as such. It borrows from history, and myths and legends, and uses what it borrows beautifully. But what it essentially serves is an innovative, flavourful, and delectable preparation that has power struggles, politics, thirst for revenge, love, and magic as important ingredients. The Prologue is gripping, and immediately draws the reader into the story and gets him /her invested in the fates of Karem – the future King Midas – and his little sister Elanur. The haunting scenes of the Prologue proudly showcase the writer’s gift of storytelling and of generating immense interest. The book presents more dimens...
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An Ode to Women Who Fight Fate

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  Review by Ronica Wahi A Tale of Mermaids By Ann Parker Published: July 26, 2022, The Book Guild. Pages: 170. ASIN: B0B7S1GK7J Set in the late 17 th century, with sea life forming a sizeable chunk of the narrative, A Tale of Mermaids takes the reader into a world that existed long ago. While fraught with tussles, revenge, sadness, and loss, this is yet a world that fascinates, for it tells of a reality that presently survives in only history books and historical fiction. This tale is not of the mermaids of folklore who have mesmerized writers, artists, and others, but of – if the word mermaid is to be considered in its literal meaning – two young women who spend an invaluable part of their lives on the sea, on a pirate ship aptly named Mermaid. Ann Parker creates two entirely different backgrounds for her two protagonists, and creates two equally interesting plots separately before chance brings the protagonists together. These early portions of the novel, in wh...
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The Tale of a Full-time Traveller

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  Review by Ronica Wahi One Way Ticket By Mark Phipps First published: November 29, 2022, Lost in Paradise Publishing. Kindle Edition Published: December 4, 2022. Kindle Edition Pages: 217. ASIN: B0BNLK3BF2   Twelve years of travelling! This sure sounds exciting and may be on the agenda of many. To those who harbour such dreams, One Way Ticket , Mark Phipps’s debut book, provides a reality check. A life of travel is not a bed of roses, and it certainly is not everyone’s cup of tea. The reader gets to know from Phipps how his mindset developed. He created opportunities or grabbed them along the way, with no other plan than satisfying his love for travel, adventure, and newer experiences. You Can’t Get Lost When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going ­ – this subtitle aptly expresses his approach. There are some interesting things to make note of for readers inclined to travel, some wonderful experiences to know about, and some heartwarming incidents of kindness...
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