Book Review 

Title of the Book: Under the Mistletoe & Other Stories  

Author's Name:  Manali Desai

Available on  :  Amazon

Format:   Kindle version

About the Author: Manali Desai is a full-time freelance writer & editor cum blogger. Having authored four solo books, she successfully edits assignments, is a voracious reader, a dedicated book reviewer, and is also a partner with Pachyderm Tales. This book is her fifth book.

Narration: The book unlike Manali’s previous books has international appeal and even the protagonists have a global touch.

Book Cover & Title: The Book title and the cover have a wintery feel to it. It clearly has the holiday vibes and as I saw the cover I was reminded of the movie “The Holiday” in my mind. It is also one of my favorite holiday-themed movies.

Content: This book is a collection of short stories(twelve prose ) and poems (six poems). The book has the theme of Christmas & New Year in it. The characters, the settings have an international appeal to them. The stories are all unique and are varied in nature and one story is completely different from another. The overall feel is warm and the author successfully transports you to a world where one can imagine snow falling, Christmas being around, warmth filled the air and the heart wants it all, the coziness, the belongingness and to have a little world to itself.

What does Diana do when an unexpected (and uninvited!) guest shows up at her door, spoiling her festive mood? What happens when Samantha is visiting her native, Benakatti, after many years during the time of Christmas. What happens with Edward & Emily at the McDonalds when they want their Happy Meal? What would you do if you are stranded at the Airport at the Stroke of Midnight? Is it possible that having No Resolutions can actually bring in the best results? How does the life of Prerna change with her No resolutions? Such short stories are sure to touch your heart and show the emphatic writing of the Author. The poems are lyrical representations of the Author and are beautifully presented. I loved the playlist of songs that the Author has prepared at the end of the story.

Of all the stories, I personally liked the story of Kaya (Touch Me Not) the most as it was a very moving story personally for me and how one hurt can revive hurtful memories, yet can also lead to positive outlets. The stories reflect love, grief, longing, hope, new innings, and many things more.

A few lines that touched my heart are as below:

“I long ago learned that no act can be justified as an absolute god or bad; it is all about the circumstances.“

She couldn’t begin another new year, being the same old Kaya.

” No, Jason. You have to be yourself and not pretend to be good to get what you want from Santa.”

Overall, the anthology is sure to warm your hearts and make you feel good. Hence I can recommend you this book if you are looking for a feel-good, multi-genre book and is an easy-breezy read, then this book is the one. Though the central theme has been New Year & festivities, the stories & poems have a varied flavor to them.

You can have the book here on Amazon.

This review is a part of the Blogchatter Review Program. 

Love,

Chinmayee