Book: People We Love
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Have you ever wanted to explore the stories of the characters you read in
a book, before the events in the book occur?
The people we love never truly leave our story. In these tender yet
piercing stories, Preeti Shenoy returns to some of her most beloved characters
to reveal who they were before they appeared in her bestselling novels It's All
in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have. Aniket, a coder, carries the weight
of a longing for Trisha that he cannot bring himself to act on. Nidhi abandons
her corporate life to teach pottery, only to discover that clay is far more
forgiving than the people she loves. A quiz competition sparks an unlikely
romance between Aman and Shruti, one that must withstand parental disapproval
and class divides. And Anjali, a journalist, is so busy chasing stories that
she almost misses the one unfolding in her own life. Set against the pulse of
contemporary India, People We Love explores the tug-of-war between duty and
desire, family and freedom, who we are and who we dare to be. Intimate and
deeply felt, these are stories about love that stays, leaves and almost slips away
... love that quietly and irrevocably shapes the people we become. For fans of
Preeti Shenoy's It's All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have
It's All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have were two of my favourite titles from Preeti and to meet the characters once again, after almost a decade, was an interesting experience for me.
Aniket and Trisha’s story- “Before the Planets Aligned” gives us a
brief peek into how Aniket gets the opportunity to meet Trisha, and how Nidhi
comes into the picture. The entire office romance has been written quite nicely
and I loved that hesitancy in Aniket’s approach, and Subbu’s reaction to his
friend’s situation. The story is simple and I loved how Preeti shows the entire
arc of a relationship, from longing, to meeting and the slow development of
cracks in a relationship. The hesitations in the beginning of a relationship to
the insecurities towards the later stages are wonderfully captured. I also
loved how Preeti uses clay and pottery as a way to put forth some very poignant
life lessons for the readers.
The One Who Changed Everything, where we meet Aman and Shruti starts off as a meet cute romance. The first
half of the story makes you smile with the small, romantic gestures. As things
progress, conflict arises and the classic chasm of class, caste and region take
over the story. I loved how the story gives context to Shruti and Aman’s story
that we see in The One You Cannot Have. Preeti’s writing in this story
keeps you engaged, and at the same time raise an important question-Isn’t just
love enough for two people to be together. I loved the visual aspect of the
storytelling that Preeti uses in this story to show the gap between the
families. Be it Aman’s house in Gwalior, or Shruti’s house in Bangalore, the
descriptions are vivid and you are able to visualize the difference that the
author wanted to portray.
The One I Almost Missed
takes the previous story forward and we see the moment Aman and Anjali interact
for the first time. Here again, the storytelling keeps you hooked, specially
the email exchanges that are a highlight of the story. I loved the tennis
metaphor and somehow I resonated quite a bit with it.
While each of the story is a standalone, discrete story, there is a
common theme of a sense of duty, desire, family and the idea of freedom-how it
changes for each person. I liked the idea that Preeti wove in all the 3 stories
that if it hurts you, sometimes walking away and starting fresh might be a
better option, rather than holding on. I just have one grouse that since all
the stories are in based Bengaluru, I was low-key hoping for a cross-over of
our characters. It would have brought an interesting perspective into the
stories as well.
If you’ve read Preeti’s previous works, specially It's All in the
Planets and The One You Cannot Have, then these 3 stories would
definitely enhance your memory of these books. If you’ve not picked up the
books, then start with this book and then take up the other books to have a
complete experience of the stories of Aniket, Trisha, Nidhi, Aman, Shruti and
Anjali. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.
Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a Bookstore Near you! I sourced my copy from Crossword Cyber Hub.
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