TWT Review

Thank you dear uncle Ashok Prasad for this review of 

'The Wedding Trousseau and Other Short Stories'  :) 

'Before I embark on reviewing this volume,let me make a declaration. Ankita is known to me and I treat her like a daughter. I have been a witness to her growth in the literary circles and it was a matter of enormous personal satisfaction and pride. to note that her first volume of short stories has been released . If therefore ,to some,if this review is lacking in total objectivity,I humbly plead guilty.

Debutante story tellers often tend to start off with diffidence and it is only with the passage of time they muster requisite confidence to be able to convey their message with elan. One of the strongest aspects of this volume is that Ankita does not suffer from this handicap. She retains a flow through all the stories and I doubt if anyone ,unless so advised, would be able to decipher that this is her first effort. For that attribute alone, she needs to be commended.

The 11 stories in this compilation cover different situations but Ankita has been able to deal with them with equal flourish. By far the most moving of the stories was The Wedding Trousseau -in terms of the plot, the narrative,the flow ,the excellent and eminently readable vocabularic selection and a thoughtful conclusion.

One other story The Site Visit dealing with the issue of  adultery was perhaps the most moving but its conclusion left the reader wanting to know more. Leaves was another very commendable effort dealing with a day to day situation that most can identify with in a deeply analytical manner.Perhaps Ankita should have taken up psychotherapy! My own edited compilation viz Literature and Psychotherapy has one story which deals with a very similar theme but Ankita does it here with more sophistication.

She also has not fallen into a trap that debutantes often do i.e. meticulous concentration of quality in the earlier stories which tapers as the book ends.Her last compilation Just Perfect is an example of an author who has striven for uncompromising quality control throughout.

I can foresee a budding story teller with abundant promise. I wish her the very best!'