When I picked up ‘Coming Home,’ I didn’t realize I would be transported to India, as for me, this book brought a myriad memories. Though Smitha takes us through the streets of Bangalore, Kerala and Mumbai but I felt I was back in New Delhi and was once again, visiting all those iconic cities – Bangalore, the “IT capital of India,” Kerala – the “God’s own country,” famous for its backwaters and Mumbai – “the city of dreams,” the hub of Indian Cinema.
I have to share this book with you, as it is much more than just the story of Shanaya.
Book Blurb:
Twenty-six-year-old, Shanaya, finds her idea of home and family ripped apart when she loses her mother. Her effort to drown herself in her job proves to be financially rewarding and her work is recognized by the organisation. But, even this is not enough to fill the vacuum in her heart or answer the questions, her mother’s sudden death had given rise to. 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. The story finds Shanaya 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.
My Review:
Coming Home by Smitha Vishwanath holds a plethora of cultural nuances that give you an insight into Indian values, relationships and responsibilities. Written in a simple style, the story transports you to the cities and villages of southern India – revealing the scents of a village, of jasmine flowers, of incense in a temple – making them come alive with vivid and descriptive details. Shanaya’s life changes after she returns home to attend the funeral of her mother. Her bold, independent decisions acquaint her with many finer aspects of life.
The book moves at a moderate pace and keeps you invested with new developments, which are knitted effortlessly into the story. The south Indian cuisine, the flavors and their details leave a delectable taste in your mouth. Smitha’s realism also shines through her characters – Shanaya wants to respect the decision of her family but knows what she is looking for in a marriage. Slowly, she rediscovers herself but keeps you guessing till the end. Jai has been crafted with extreme precision, he is so different from other men in the story.
Coming Home is a brilliant book, as it offers much more than just a mundane story of a woman who is trying to come to terms with the travails of life. Highly recommended! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Meet the Author:
Smitha Vishwanath is your quintessential ‘bored banker’ turned writer. After a rewarding career in Banking in the Middle East where she worked for leading banks in senior positions, she quit and moved to India in July 2018 with her husband who had been transferred to the country on an International assignment. Therein began her writing journey.
Smitha’s poem, ‘Omid’, was nominated ‘Best of the Net’ in 2019. Her poems, ‘Do you Have Dreams’ and ‘Forgotten’, written for the National Poetry Writing Month challenge hosted by Maureen Thompson, won recognition on an international level for two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022. She was nominated as Author of the Month by SpillWords Press for her poem ‘Ye Birds on my Window Sill’ in May 2022. She was recently voted Author of the Month for the months of January and February 2023 for her poem, ‘Two years since you left’ by Spillwords Press. Her poetry has been published by several online publications, including Thieving Magpies, Spillwords Press, Masticadores US, Silverbirch Press, Rebelle Society and has found a place in several noteworthy anthologies.
‘Roads- A journey with Verses’ is a book of poems she co-authored and published in July 2019.
‘Coming Home’ is her debut novel released in March 2023.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, writing book reviews, sharing her experiences through her blog, painting, walking travelling, or just being. She currently resides with her husband in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her poems and writing reflect the experiences that come with having lived with people of different cultures.
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Thank you!
Balroop Singh
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