Book Review: Coming Home by Smitha Vishwanath @SmithaVishwana4

Cover of the book 'Coming Home' by Smitha Vishwanath featuring a couple holding hands at the beach during sunset.

SYNOPSIS

Twenty-six-year-old, Shaynaya’s world is shattered at the death of her beloved mother. In spite of career achievements, there’s a vacuum in her heart caused by the questions raised by her mother’s sudden death which remain unanswered. In her quest for peace and the need to hold her family together, she leaves her job in the Middle East and moves to India; journeying across geographical planes and inner landscapes to finally reach ‘home’.

Coming Home is a heartwarming story about self-discovery, relationships, loss, love, destiny, the choices we make, and how these choices eventually lead to what we are destined for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Smitha Vishwanath is a banker turned writer. She began her writing journey in 2016 through her blog, https://smithavpen nings.com. Her poetry has been published by Thieving Magpies, Spillwords Press, Silverbirch Press, Borderless Journal, and Rebelle Society, amongst others. In 2019, her poem, ‘Omid’ was nominated for Best of the Net and her poems, ‘Do you have dreams?’ and ‘Forgotten’ were given special mention in NaPoWriMo, 2021 and 2022, hosted by Maureen Thomson. In addition, she was awarded the Reuel International Prize for poetry by the online group, TSL in 2022.

In 2019, she co-authored a book of poetry, Roads- A journey with Verses which received positive reviews. She was nominated poet of the month in May 2021 and voted ‘Author of the month’ for January and February, 2023 by Spillwords Press. Smitha’s writing is peppered with the lessons learned from the plethora of invaluable experiences that come from having travelled widely, lived across India, UAE and Iran and worked in a multi-cultural environment.

She currently resides in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing, you can find her painting, travelling or sharing reviews of books she has read, on Goodreads, Amazon and her blog.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

My Review (Updated For New Edition)

I am delighted to receive an updated edition of Coming Home with a pleasing new cover designed by WordCrafter Press.

At the beginning of this tale, Smitha Vishwanath recounts the sad passing of the main protagonist Shanaya’s mother with great love and understanding, introducing the other members of her family ,  (and the 11 day funeral and cultural rituals,) in particular, her aunt, younger sister and the characteristics of her father.

Her friend Thishani picks her up in Dubai. Her senior work colleagues, Rohit and Anil seem unaware of her loss which causes her further distress. She takes a banking career break to be with family, goes to an Ashram, for yoga, prayers, and meditation, and to find peace from her mother’s loss.

What follows is a lovely heartwarming and perceptive story of love, loss, family, friendships and finding yourself, with relationship/romance aspects in the love interests provided in the form of two very different possibilities: Suresh, (a surgeon,) and Jai (a banker.)

Also, I’d like to add that I liked the relatable quotes and pearls of wisdom that were included at the beginning of each chapter from various sources, and the delectable food mentioned in various passages which made my mouth water!

I really enjoyed Coming Home and would definitely recommend for readers who seek out cultural, family tales with looking for your soul mate type of romance vibes.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/ComingHome-SmithaVishwanath

Welcome to the WordCrafter “Coming Home” Release Party Post | Writing to be Read

PREVIOUS TITLES

Previous WordCrafter Press titles compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth include Visions, Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, Tales From The Hanging Tree, and the Midnight Anthology Series.

Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series | Writing to be Read

WordCrafter Press is a mid-size new-model publisher founded by author Kaye Lynne Booth. You can find us at https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/wordcrafter-press/ .

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Carrot Ranch Literary Community #flash #fiction

November 5, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about lost time. You can write a realistic scenario or something speculative. How does lost time impact the character of your story? Bonus points if you include a 1982 brown rubber watch Go where the prompt leads!

Stan picked up an imaginary sand timer, turned it over and watched as the grains of sand ran. He didn’t say a word. His grandchildren were playing on the beach building sandcastles, oblivious to his moment of sadness. On his wrist, he wore a 1982 brown rubber watch. It was now 2020. The watch had long since given up ticking, but he’d never throw it out. It would be terrible to do so. The watch belonged to his beautiful wife and brought back happy memories.

 June died in 1983, was never fancy but always special.

Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Tuesday Challenge No. 54: GHOST & HAUNT

 

 

I dream in colour,

But now everything is dark,

Where has the light gone?

Oh, cruel leafy canopy?

No green meadow, just blue thoughts.

 

A spectre haunts me,

Through the trees he drifts slowly,

I hear no weeping,

Just a tall, grey wall of sighs,

Twigs snap, and nothing changes.

© M J Mallon 2017.

Oh dear, that was sad and depressing! …. Why am I always drawn to writing such misery?  Don’t answer that!

Hope you like my Tanka’s (even if they’re sad,) and the contrasting photos I took of the trees.

To join in with Colleen’s challenge follow the link: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/10/10/colleens-weekly-poetry-tuesday-challenge-no-54-ghost-haunt/

Bye for now, time for a smiley Sunday face! It had to be done!

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My social media links:
Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club
Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon  @curseof_time
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Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haiku Poetry prompt Challenge #48 Inspire & Loss

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RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt Challenge #48 Inspire&Loss

Inspire and Loss – what a wonderful pairing, I’m going to enjoy this weeks Haiku Challenge from Ronovan Writes.

It’s funny how a couple of words can take you on a strange journey, into a surreal picnic setting with a tree,  a floating piece of grass, and a kite attached to the tree. Oh and a passionate kiss, nearly forgot that! How could I? If this loved up couple move an inch on their picnic playground there’s a chance they will fall of their half bubble of perfectly maintained grass. Never mind that kite, they should have tethered themselves to the tree as well, just in case, you can never be too careful! But passion doesn’t tend to go hand in hand with caution does it? Nope, it sure doesn’t. Oops…..

 

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Kite Boy

Floating grass picnic

Inspires such surreal desire

Sad Loss My Kite Boy

 

 

Moving on from the loss of Kite Boy, let’s take a moment to reflect on this still life. After Kite Boy’s gone I think the peacock feather will be plucked, colour dashed, so sad……………

 

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Plucked Still Life

Plucked inspiration

Loss of a peacock feather

A muted still life

 

© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica.
Words good or bad, are my very own!