A Pinch of Hope in a Bowl of Life, the debut  short story collection of  Veena Sethuraman, stirs in hope with every word in the book. With 5 short stories, the author takes us through a journey of hope and how it brings one out of the dark phases of life. 

Umeed – The story of Joseph shows us how a little trust from your loved ones can bring one out of the insecurities of life. The Urdu couplets here and there add beauty to the story. 

Paati’s Swearing – Ranganayaki aka Rani takes us through a hilarious ride of her life that belonged to a typical TamBhram household. One can completely relate to her and her moments of change in relationship with her mom really leaves one teary eyed. 

Rabbit on the Mirror – Suraiya, resides in all of us. The way she deals with her life is indeed an eye opener to most of us who go through what she reveals. 

Full Dark, No Stars – Gai aka Gayathri teaches us to live life to our terms, to go in search of the actual inner self which is oft buried under the layers of daily chores and responsibilities. 

Marriages Are Made in – The title leaves us in a confused state till Charanjeet reveals about his marriage. Misunderstandings can make or break a marriage. Read through to find out what Charan has to say. 

All the stories seem like a slice of our own lives and the author has indeed brought out the positive side of the protagonist’s struggle. 

Wishing Veena the very best in her debut and expecting to read more from her.

Published by Leadstart Inkstate, A Pinch of Hope in a Bowl of Life is priced at Rs. 299 and is available on Amazon.