Heirloom by Shyamolina Saikia
------------------------------------
I have been reading Kane and Able for some time now. It is quite heavy and engrossing. With my kid's exams going on, could not really concentrate, hence took up a lighter book to engage myself.
This was sent to me by my publisher a couple of months ago. Ms Saikia is a member of our writing community. Although I have never really met her but have occasionally come across her works through our community. This book is not much far away from what I have usually read.
A collection of short stories and personal essays, this was quite a light but engrossing book. Took me about 2 days to finish. The stories speak about normal regular people and their daily struggles. They speak both about the sadness that we face ans also how we can look for positivity in our mundane lives. I loved the story Heirloom, which speaks about 4 generations of women and the changes that come about. Still they Rise is a touching story about the plight of farmers in flood striken river beds. The Window is a story of success amidst adversity.
Among her essays I really liked Aging with Technical Grace. It speaks about how older generations take time to cope with latest technologies and how with some patience and care they do learn and persevere. I could easily relate that with my aging father and can see a future where maybe our generation will also face the same plight.
There were some grammatical flaws and maybe a few sentence construction errors but I will penalise the publisher for that and not the writer. The book is a light read with chapters that will resonate well with readers for their authencity and connection to real life.
------------------------------------------------------