Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Amal Singh GENRE: Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2026 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy set in Mumbai. More focused on the characters than on the location, much to my disappointment. Nice little glimpses of two versions of Mumbai. Decent character sketching. Underdeveloped fantasy elements. Abrupt ending. Doesn't realise its potential to the fullest. A mixed bag for me. Plot Preview: Rishi Tripathi is an aspiring actor with no success so far. But when he falls through a mirror and lands in a different version of Mumbai, he finds himself a renowned and wealthy superstar. As he reconciles himself to his new status, he realises that this successful version of himself comes with some burdens and costs. He wants to return to the Mumbai he left behind. The only way back seems to be through the mirror, but it no longer allows him to pass through. Can Rishi find the unknown mirror-maker and find his way home before things turn too drastic in his new wor...

AUTHOR: Amman Brar GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 2, 2026 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A bittersweet fiction novel about an Indian-origin postmaster in England. Had great potential, especially as it highlights a scandal not many know about. But the plot is very diluted, the characters are mostly stereotypical, and the writing is heavily reliant on telling rather than showing. The eponymous character is like a typical traditional Indian uncle, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Disappointed, because this book could really have been impressive with better handling. Plot Preview: Sixty-something Mr. Sidhu has been the sub-postmaster of the local post office in Richmond for many years. Earlier, his wife also used to help him at the shop, and after her passing, Mr. Sidhu wants to make sure that he fulfils his last promise to her: that their two grown-up children are settled. But two things bring about a change in the status quo. One, Mr. Sidhu starts developin...

AUTHOR: Megha Majumdar NARRATOR: Soneela Nankani GENRE: Dystopian Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 14, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A near-future literary dystopian novel set in India. Character-oriented, steady-paced (but not fast). True to present reality despite being set in an unknown future time. Excellent exploration of human behaviour. Much recommended. Not for those looking for light, relaxing stories. Plot Preview: Near-future Kolkata, India. Ma, her two-year-old daughter Mishti and Ma’s elderly father Dadu have to stay just a few days more in their climate-battered city with its heat and food shortage. They have finally procured their climate-approved visas, and a week later, they will join Ma’s husband in Michigan USA. To their horror, the next morning, Ma’s purse is stolen, and with it have gone their visa-stamped passports. Can Ma somehow find those valuable documents before their flight? The story is set over the course of one week, and comes to us in parallel...

AUTHOR: Deepa Anappara GENRE: Indian contemporary mystery. PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2020 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A crime mystery set in contemporary India. Excellent character development, realistic setting, outstanding use of child narrators for a mystery. Incorrect expectations of fantasy because of the title and the first chapter. Literary in approach. Colloquial in writing. Recommended. Plot Preview: Nine-year-old Jai stays with his family in an overcrowded slum. He lives a carefree, uncomplicated life going to school with his elder sister Runu (an aspiring athlete) and his best friends Pari (a desi Hermione) and Faiz (who balances school and work). Everything changes when kids from the locality start disappearing. Faiz suspects that it is the work of djinns while Pari is convinced that focussing on the more immoral residents of the area might be a better idea. The trio decide to form a detective team. Unfortunately for them, some shady elements decide to tinge the...

AUTHOR: Namrata Agarwal ILLUSTRATOR: Parvati Pillai GENRE: Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 30, 2025 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book focussed on a little girl who takes the philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ too seriously. I liked the story and the illustrations, but didn’t love them. There was room for improvement in both. Still, recommended to those who wish to read about this traditional Indian approach towards welcoming guests. Plot Preview: Ria is very excited to see her paternal grandparents who are coming for a visit after two years all the way from India. She wants to have the perfect chai party to celebrate. Baba and Dadi arrive, as expected, with plenty of gifts for Ria, including a mithai (sweets) box. Ria is very excited! Soon, the other guests start arriving for the chai party. Ria’s grandparents have taught her the traditional Indian philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (We welcome our guests like they are gods), so Ria is determined to become the b...

AUTHOR: Jeyamohan TRANSLATOR: Priyamvada Ramkumar GENRE: Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: August 12, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of stories all based on real-life people. The first ever translation of Tamil writer Jeyamohan’s work to English. Slice-of-life writing, which rarely works for me. Not sure if this will easily find an audience among non-Indians in the USA as the content is quite parochial. Better suited to readers who enjoy non-linear, meandering narratives and preferably have some familiarity with the (South) India of historical and recent times. Jeyamohan is a prolific Tamil writer, currently based in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu. He has won many prestigious awards for his writing. This is his first work to be translated to English. It was initially published in Tamil in 2011 as "Aram - Unmai Manithargalin Kathai". The first English translation was published in India in 2022. This US edition of the English version is due for release in Aug...

AUTHOR: Disha Mathur ILLUSTRATOR: Felishia Henditirto GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: June 3, 2025. RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book highlighting the issue of colourism through a little girl’s experiences. Great intent, pretty good execution. The illustrations elevate the book. Recommended. Plot Preview: Young Maya absolutely loves summer time and playing under the sun. However, a distant relative comments about her darkening skin, Maya’s happiness disappears. Disheartened, she stops going out, until her mother approaches her with some wise words. As someone who stays in the heart of the tropics, I am not a fan of summertime. Since childhood, I have read about fictional characters going gaga over summer and beaches and tans. To me though, summer was ( and is ) nothing but intense heat and humidity. As such, I can't wax eloquent about the sun and I don't empathise with Maya’s fondness for playing in the sun. However, where I can strongl...

AUTHOR: Sona Charaipotra & Samira Ahmed GENRE: YA Anthology PUBLICATION DATE: May 13, 2025. RATING: Leaving this unrated. In a Nutshell: A teen anthology about South Asian diasporic experiences. I had been very excited for this collection, but much of the content wasn’t to my reading preferences. Thus might work better for other readers, hence leaving this without a rating. This collection has sixteen stories written by South Asian writers, giving a voice to teens of South-Asian descent staying in another country (USA). The blurb declares that this book “explores race, class, culture, language, and the very idea of home as both a place and a feeling.” These themes made me hope for a stimulating experience, as the concept of showing diasporic experiences about their progenitors’ cultures is always an interesting one, especially when the culture is as rich and diverse as in the South Asian nations. However, the book didn’t work for me for quite a few reasons. 🚩 For a ‘South Asian’...

AUTHOR:  Padma Prasad Reddeppa GENRE: Middle-Grade Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: May 6, 2025. RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade fiction set in 1970s South India. First person narrative, meandering plotline, interesting child characters, lacklustre adults, emotionally intense themes. Didn’t click with me as much as I had hoped. Plot Preview: 1974. Nine-year-old Pavithra (known to us as ‘Pavi’) lives with her extended family in Madras. Life is an adventure with companions such as cousin Ruku, younger brother Arun, and granduncle Chanki. But there’s always a shadow over Pavi. Her mother’s brother Selva died exactly five months after she was born, and some family members seem to hold Pavi’s birth as the trigger for the loss. Pavi obviously never knew Selva personally, but she feels like she has a strong tie to him. When the grownups in her life don’t offer her satisfactory answers, she uses her imagination to find the way ahead.  The story comes to us in Pavi’s fi...

AUTHOR: Zahid Rafiq GENRE: Short Story Collection PUBLICATION DATE: December 3, 2024 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: An OwnVoices debut story collection focussing on the lives of ordinary citizens in Kashmir. Good stories, but none made me go “Wow!” in any way. Barebones in description but great in character sketches. Slice of life in every way, so if this writing style doesn’t work for you, the book might not. This debut collection of eleven stories focusses on the lives of ordinary people in Kashmir, a conflicted territory ever since the Indo-Pak partition with both nations fighting over its “ownership”. Most stories that are set in this region focus on terrorism, soldier brutalities, religious discrimination, or rebellion. This book is one of the rare ones that focusses only on common people and common problems without forcing in aggression and uncertainty into every scene. As the author is from Srinagar ( the summer capital of Kashmir ), I had been looking forward to getting a genu...

EDITORS: Jerry Pinto & Madhulika Liddle GENRE: Essay Anthology PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2024 RATING: 3.65 stars. In a Nutshell: An essay collection containing various memories and accounts of Christmas celebrations in India. Writers from diverse backgrounds, stories from across the country, celebrations from varied financial and cultural strata. The essays themselves are a mixed bag, but on the whole it offers a good glimpse of that strange medley of humans known as “Indian Christians” and how they celebrate this special day. As an Indian Christian, I have often been at the receiving end of befuddling reactions from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues throughout my life. Astonishment on learning that I watch Bollywood movies and know plenty of Hindi songs, shock that I am a teetotaller ( “I thought all Christians drink!” ), suspicion that I have “converted” to Christianity after marriage ('Coz my name ain’t a “Catholic” name! ), confusion that I wear sarees and sal...

AUTHOR: Saadat Hasan Manto TRANSLATOR: Khalid Hasan GENRE: Partition Fiction, Short Story Collection. PUBLICATION DATE: February 1, 2012 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A compelling short story collection from one of the Indian subcontinent’s finest and most respected Urdu writers. All the stories, originally written in Urdu, are set during the Indo-Pak partition, which makes this a tough book to read. Heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, devastating. A genuine voice of those who lived through that ghastly period. Recommended if you can stand reading about the inhumaneness of humans. Most avid Indian ( and I bet, Pakistani ) readers know the name of Saadat Hasan Manto. Born in 1912 in the Punjab province ( Then British India, present-day India ), Manto was known for his powerful short fiction. He didn’t hesitate to include historically controversial topics such as lust and sex in his work. Many of his female characters are shown enjoying the act of intercourse, which might have created a...