Congratulations Rubina Ramesh! I am sure this is the first of many more to come. Looking forward to reading more and more of your writing.
The
title drew me right in. I am a sucker for emotional drama. What’s the worth of
a story if it doesn’t make one emote? I need to either laugh, cry, love, hate
or whatever. And so I delved into the book that promised a whole collection of
them.
The
cover goes perfectly with the title and
even more so with the stories that have been knitted within.
I
have read the author’s writing on and off and have always believed she’s an
excellent story-teller, especially shorts. Rubina Ramesh has her own style of
presenting a story – THUD – like a slap on one’s face. The scenes make you sit
up and take notice as she weaves words into sentences that stir you up.
The
book begins with a tale called “A secret in their closet”. Curiosity tickled, I
read on, goose pimples standing out on my skin. The story of Anjali and Payal
is sure to make you bite your nails.
I
never expected “Betrayal” to end the way it did. Hard hitting! The writing is so
powerful that you want to kick the antagonist, hard.
“Chiclets”
is a sweet little story that absolutely touched my heart – simple and
beautiful.
“Forgive
Me, for I have sinned” touches a bold theme. I liked Sharda’s character – the
wife who accepts her husband Abhijit for exactly what he is. Nicely penned with
crisp dialogue.
“Lolita”
is one of the best stories. I so loved the way Lolita is brought to life by the
author’s words. I want more. Is there a full novel in the making, Rubina
Ramesh? (Please say ‘yes’)
“No
Regrets” is another cutesy story about NRI life in the USA. I loved the way Raima
dealt with her situation as an undervalued housewife.
“SuvarnaRekha”
has a surprising setting, interesting story, unexpected ending. I felt sad
while reading it, but I don’t think the lovers really cared. What attitude!
“The
Little Godmother” is heart touchingly beautiful. A lovely must read for young
parents.
“The
Missing Staircase” – I could so relate to Christie’s beautiful relationship
with her grandfather. The title is perfect and the second half startlingly
unexpected.
“The
Other Woman” – I cried for fourteen-year-old Aru. Touched me deeply. I still
don’t know if I should be angry with Aru’s parents or feel sorry for them.
“Daddy,
Hear me out” – I went back to my children’s school days. My daughter used to
hate exams and the pressure they brought with them. Jaspreet’s situation will
touch a chord among many youngsters. The story is a clarion call for us to wake
up to reality and let our children live their lives. The scene where the author
has described Jaspreet’s thoughts as she sits at the examination table brings
the anguish of a student to life.
“I suck at examinations. I hate them. My mind
stops working when the question paper lands on my desk and all I see is a black
abyss. I can see the answers at the end of the black tunnel. Often I run
towards them, hoping I can hold them in my two hands and put them down on the
paper. But they escape me. Like small angels, naughty ones, who have just come
to torment me and then flutter away. Mocking me with their presence, yet
escaping me and leaving me behind, parched.”
“Cliff
Notes” is in first person (as many of the above stories) and is the best of the
lot. At the end of it, I wanted to hug this ‘person’ who was telling the story.
Other
quotes from #KnittedTales that stayed back with me:
“If silence had a sound of its own, then
there would be a cacophony of screams.”
“Her
heart soared when trembling hands held an umbrella over her, lest the angry sun
peeled away the layers of her beauty.”
Buy your copy @
About the author
Rubina Ramesh is an avid reader, writer, blogger, book reviewer and marketer. She is the founder of The Book Club, an online book publicity group. Her first literary work was published in her school magazine. It gave her immense pride to see her own name at the bottom of the article. She was about 8 years old at that time. She then went to complete her MBA and after her marriage to her childhood friend, her travel saga started. From The Netherlands to the British Isles she lived her life like an adventure. After a short stint in Malaysia, she finally settled down in the desert state of USA, Arizona. Living with her DH and two human kids and one doggie kid, Rubina has finally started living the life she had always dreamed about – that of a writer.
