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The year is 2045. A week after Nikhil receives his PhD in Civil Engineering and word is out that he and his wife are expecting their firstborn, Naina believes the time is right for her son to learn the truth about his past. In a lengthy letter, Naina explains her amazing 2017 journey that leads to Nikhil's adoption. Encountering her future high-profile mother-in-law for the first time, Naina is presented with a bewildering background check that reveals the skeletons in her family's closet. As a result, she is compelled to search for long-lost family members in the hope of not only rectifying the embarrassing situation, but also providing an opportunity to heal. However, Naina is unaware of the difficult circumstances that lay ahead—events that will ultimately turn into a blessing.
Puja Guha scripts an endearing tale of love, loss, and healing in her second novel. Guha's maternal narrative reaches a wide audience. Aside from capturing aspects of Naina's international journey—Paris, New York, (Calcutta) India, and her fictitious country of (Taisoun) East Africa, as well as leaning heavily on Indian culture, Guha's story focuses on a theme that rings true for many women around the world: a mother's intense love for her child. Written in first person point of view, Guha opens in the present before delving into the past. Guha's journal-entry chapter titles are replete with a well-developed principal and supportive cast. Guha keeps her story fluid by constantly breaking up her captivating storytelling with unexpected scene changes sprinkled with light and intense dialogue while slowly building up to its apex. Also unique to Guha's narrative is her inclusion of relevant and hot-topic worldly themes, such as revolutions, civil wars, and plight of refugees. Kudos to Guha for producing a moving and intriguing read!
RECOMMENDED by the US Review