Author: Yesha Gambhir Mirza
Illustrator: Priyanka Pachpande
Publisher: Simon & Schuster India
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Do you have any memories of making pickles with your family?
Amani is all about haul videos and sparkly gadgets—until she lives
through something magical. How did she become a pickling expert overnight? Will
she succeed in her secret mission? Can a jar of achaar really bring a
family—even a neighbourhood—closer together? And do values of past and future
have to compete… or can they come together to create something even better? Funny,
flavourful and full of heart, Shanti and Amani: Secret of the Pickled Dream is
a story of curiosity, connection and the quiet magic passed down through
generations.
The novella is a wonderful way of connecting the current generation with
some of the activities that we used to do, some years back. The book manages to
present a wonderful case for stepping away from this hyperconnected world, and
to look for connections beyond our devices, and instant gratification of short-length
videos. Yesha captures the essence of familial bonding, social relationships
and how even a small act of sharing home-made pickle with those around us can
help create memories that are so tied to the scents that merely recreating them
can bring back memories. The writing is simple, and I loved that the author
captures the entire process through the eyes of an pre-teen perfectly. The
initial streak of wanting what everyone has, to blending traditions with modernity
was something I really loved. Another aspect of the book that I really loved
were those of the illustrations which capture the essence of the book
perfectly. Each of the illustration is placed just at the right location, and
that elevates the reading experience superbly. The idea to highlight the key
takeaways from the various sections about family, social life as well as the joy
of giving was a nice touch and I really liked it.
Amani’s character as an eleven-year-old in this connected world is nicely
captured. Yesha sets the character quickly, but the descriptions are so detailed,
along with the illustrations that you can picture her perfectly. Bebe Shanti’s
character has also been plotted well, and her appearance to help Amani find her
way was heartwarming.
Overall, this is a series I am really looking forward to continuing, and
learning some more from Bebe myself. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.
Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a Bookstore near you!
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