The 18 stories in ‘The Blogchatter Book of Friendship’ follow the theme of friendship. Whether it is a friendship between former colleagues, neighbours, or near-strangers who meet under unlikely circumstances, each story brings out a different aspect of friendship. The stories explore friendships across ages, including senior citizens and middle-aged people.
One story I particularly enjoyed was ‘The Cynic and the Golden Retriever’ by Careena Meshram. It was a fun read. ‘Someone has to’ by Romila Chitturi was the most uniquely written story in this book. ‘Fael Haal Jaari’ by Lakshmi Muthukumar was also beautifully written.
Both ‘Four O’ Clock Terrace’ by Pinki Bakshi and ‘The Man at the Gate’ by Tomichan Matheikal dealt with mental health issues. ‘The Unfinished Chapter’ by Chitra Iyer is about the kind of friendship that overcomes class differences.
‘Peas in a Pod’ by Aarti Punjabi is about a friendship between two women of different age groups. ‘The Rhythm of Sisterhood’ by Swarnali Nath is about the friendship between a widow and two children.
‘She Brought them Together’ by Ankita Bhatia Dhawan is about a group of friends and how they’ve been there for one another.
‘Better Together’ by Malavika Singh is about two friends whose personalities are different, but they complement each other well.
‘Beyond the Muddy Puddle: A Lifetime of Debt’ by Sreemati Sen has a touching and haunting quality about it. The friendship in this story runs very deep. However, the title of the story could have been improved. ‘Unlikely Friendship’ by Sulekha Rawat reminded me of ‘Beyond the Muddy Puddle: A Lifetime of Debt’ by Sreemati Sen.
‘The Double’ by Lalitha Ramanathan is one of the most dramatic stories in this book.
‘Sam: Where it Begins and Where it Ends’ by Natasha Ramaratnam is about two former colleagues who are there for each other through thick and thin.
‘The Waiting Room’ by Kajal Kapur is about two women who are attending to their loved ones in a hospital and how they develop a strong bond through shared experiences. ‘Quicksand of Emotions’ by Sangeetha Vallat delves into the story of two couples who are friends. Most of it takes place in a hospital.
‘The Tide That Stayed’ by Felicia Nazareth is unique in that it is a story told by a ghost. It’s about how a tragedy brings two people together and helps them come to terms with grief. ‘Dhoka’ by Harshita Nanda is another story that deals with the topic of mental illness. In it, the theme of betrayal in friendship is explored.
Overall, I loved reading this book, and I would recommend it to readers of all ages.
Thank you, Blogchatter, for the review copy.
This post is a part of the Blogchatter Book Review Program.
