Under the Mistletoe and Other Stories-Manali Desai

Book: Under the Mistletoe and Other Stories
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.