Author: Manali Desai
Publisher: Self Published
What is your favourite Christmas story?
Under the Mistletoe and Other Stories by Manali Desai is a collection
of short stories and poetry focused on the theme of Christmas and New Year. Diana
is all set to welcome her loved ones for Christmas. An unexpected (and
uninvited!) guest shows up at her door, spoiling her festive mood. All her
attempts to thwart Dylan’s intrusion go in vain as he keeps dropping in, again
and again, insisting that she join his family for Christmas Eve dinner. Samantha is visiting her
native, Benakatti, after many years. Even though it’s Christmas time, it's not
a happy occasion in the family. As friends and family drop in for a visit,
Samantha recalls the many winter breaks she spent in this village as a child.
An unexpected guest shows up one day, bringing forth a cherished memory they
had made on a foggy winter day many years ago. These and other stories encompass
this festive special anthology. These are stories of hope, love, healing, new
beginnings, acceptance, and everything that the holidays represent.
The book has an interesting selection of stories that carefully revolve and are focused on the theme of Christmas. Each of the story reads in a nice flow and as you go through the stories, the common thread becomes stronger. The stories are well written, and the plot is wonderfully crafted. The storytelling is interesting, specially when you look at the spectrum of the stories which encompass multiple themes. Another interesting aspect of the book is the wave of emotions that run through you as you experience the stories of the characters.
Not just the storytelling, but the characters
are crafted in detail, and while these being short stories, the focus on the
characters helps the storytelling elevate to a higher level. Having an
international set of characters is something that we experience in her books
for the first time. Another thing that sets the characters apart is the fact
that they are individuals, and no two characters are similar.
If I had to choose one of the dozen, I would
recommend “At The Stroke of Midnight” for the layers of sub plots, and
for the wonderful twist that makes you smile and believe in fate, love, and
life, all over again.
Overall, UTMoS is a collection of stories I
would recommend if you are in a mood for a feel-good story and are looking to
read something that makes you feel warm and cheerful. The book scores a 4.63/5
for me.
Get your copy of the book here on Amazon.
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