Rewriting My Happily Ever After : A Memoir of Divorce and Discovery

There are plenty of books doling out relationship advice in the Indian context, but not many that talk about what happens when things go irrevocably sour. That is what this memoir does. The author is very logical and clear, yet conveys her emotions beautifully, taking the reader along.The author's honesty, dignified approach, and writing style are admirable. She does not presume to advise but recounts her emotions, thoughts and actions. By doing so in a logical manner, she enables the reader to think of their own life problems in a constructive way. This is the uniqueness of this book. It is also highly readable, interweaving past with present, with book quotes sprinkled aplenty.Rewriting My Happily Ever After is an inspirational work, a motivational read for anyone facing a tough situation. Recommended read. My rating is 5/5 stars for this book.

The title of this story instantly hooked me. Just like the title the story is hopeful and positive. Ranjani's memoir is deeply personal. She writes with rare honesty about leaving her marriage of many years to fashion a new life for herself. The decision was not easy, and I loved reading about her reflections, her uncertainties, the courage she brought forth from herself and her friends and family as she charted new, unfamiliar territory. Like many Indian women, Ranjani's identity also derived from her place in her family and marital relationship. She reflects poignantly, if it was still her, if she was not a wife. This fashioning of a new life in a new city, new job, and new family arrangements as she also parented her daughter makes for wonderful reading. She writes about her relationship with her parents, the challenges of bringing up her daughter alone, without much of a support system, navigating the workplace and also making a decision about the future of her marital relationship. Divorce is a taboo topic in India, which makes a book like this so important. Ranjani's book tells us that the end of a marriage is not the end of you, but the opportunity to create a new life on the bedrock of courage, faith, optimism and a set of priorities that you get to decide! Even if you as a reader, don't find yourself in a similar situation, you are sure to gain hope and courage as you read Ranjani's story.

What strikes one all through while reading the book is the searing honesty of the author, who bares her heart to the readers while avoiding any sob story. While sharing her uncertainties, sadness, challenges faced, she always sounds hopeful that things would fall in place eventually, and they do! She also makes it a point to depict how important life decisions like a divorce are not 'snap' happenings but a long drawn out affair. Drawn by the good aspects of a relationship, relatively speaking, an individual tries to somehow salvage it. But the author is also realistic enough to admit when things are done with, and takes practical steps to carry on.Another thing that shines out in the book is that a good turn always comes back. There are so many people, including parents and friends, who go out of their way to help her out at various stages, standing by her like rock.The book succeeds in sharing what some may call a hopeless situation, but handled hopefully always and with confidence, eventually trumping the odds and coming out a winner.

Having known Ranjani as a senior colleague and a friend subsequently, this book opened many chapters that I was otherwise, not fully familiar with.Appreciate her skills as an author, based on articles read earlier. But penning down the details in this book by delving into quite a few not-so-pleasant memories, after having overcome those phases and moved forward, is a daunting task. Readers must know how the experiences of one’s life etch such deep lines of memories, which one works through and works towards leaving aside, but these do resurface in softer shades.The author has finely detailed her thoughts in every difficult situation alongside the day-to-day activities and the description of her surroundings. These take the readers to a realistic level of an ongoing life story through visualization. Great storytelling, I must say. Moreover, the language and her expressions make the situations and the people come alive.To some extent, this is a cathartic experience but put together with impressive quotes, anecdotes, well-expressed real-life experiences, and surprisingly devoid of hatred.Many of us would feel connected to at least some of these experiences and emotions. Most importantly, many of us would learn to approach our problems or various life situations realistically and positively. Also, every life lesson/experience strengthens us to find our path of peace and progression.I cannot thank you more, Ranjani, for sharing this in the form and size best suited. Congratulations once again!

An engaging account of the author's journey as she re-wrote here happily ever after, as the title says. Happily ever after is usually associated with marriage / union, hence associating it with divorce / separation will definitely take unprecedented efforts for the person doing it. The author does it well, and keeps the reader simply engaged at all times.I really liked the simple, storytelling style mixed with the flash back - flash forward narrative. With her experience in writing and academic excellence, the author could have chosen to use difficult words, phrases and expressions but she has kept it simple which will surely connect with everyone, as it did with a rare reader like me. The selection of quotes is outstanding and each one of them stays with you long after you're done reading the exceptional memoir.

Maybe you just got divorced, maybe you are thinking about it, maybe you are unhappily married, maybe you are happily married.. or maybe you aren't married at all.. regardless of which category you fall under.. this is a good read for you!Why you ask?Because while the author writes about her journey after deciding to divorce her husband, in essence it's a story of a woman making a hard decision and then navigating through it. It's the story of a woman choosing her happiness and peace of mind over accepting status quo. It's a story of a woman who rejects society's constant indoctrination that choosing oneself is selfish.And haven't we all had to make tough decisions, or live through difficult choices? Haven't we all paused it felt guilty when doing something that serves our happiness?The author keeps it simple- you won't be needing to Google or have a thesaurus as you read this book. She saves the complexity for the thoughts she provokes in your head!I found the book to be empowering and like a warm hug all at once. While many going through divorce may often feel like they are walking off the beaten path- the author by no means provides " A how to guide" nor does she try to. She simply narrates her journey, the ups, the downs and the in-betweens and at the end while you may still not feel like you have a handle on the entire situation, you will feel like you aren't alone and it will all work out in the end. And if you are in the messy midst of working it out, then the book will give you a little bit of courage and self belief to know that it's not quite the end!Grab a cozy corner, beverage of your choice and be ready to laugh, cry, giggle and cheer for the author and every person who has ever been brave enough to do hard things!Buy the book, read it and thank me later!

This is truly a very well-written and inspiring book. It does not repeat its points. The story moves at a gentle pace like a slow flowing stream but yet it captivates the reader from start till end. A very refreshing light reading suitable for everyone. I think it captures the inner struggles and thoughts of the author very well.

I immediately connected with the book and Ranjini as her storytelling is very authentic and honest. There are many women who suffer in relations and yet never dare to walk out. We have known too many of these stories. What this book offers is a refreshing hope for many such women that it is okay to walk away from the pain and that life is happier on the other side. In cultures that only acknowledges a "Sir" always being present in a woman's life, I was so happy to read how Ranjini rose like a phoenix from ashes and figures out her life, work and a happier self. I also bought a copy for a friend who is going through divorce to help her figure out her happily ever after. Overall, a fantastic read.

I highly recommend this book by Dr. Ranjani Rao for all those women who are seeking emotional freedom and trying to break open. This book is a memoir of her life written in a manner that is relatable to anyone who is seeking seeking strength and courage to break the norms of the society in an effort to find her individuality. The book gives a hope that the “other side” where you think you belong which may not be necessarily the side that is acceptable by the society but will always be the peaceful side. That “other side” is your path and not chosen or paved by anyone.I also liked the book for the authentic writing by Ranjani. It takes courage and boldness to write about her life and not be afraid to be judged by a society like India.

Had the good fortune of reading this book and amazed at the narration. It’s a story of grit in the face of vulnerability, courage in the face of confusion and above all belief in oneself in the face of desperation. I am truly proud of you Ranjani. I carried so many learnings from your narration, it will help everyone who reads it to introspect on whether we have truly pushed ourselves beyond our limits to explore what is beyond the obvious . I salute your spirit Ranjani Rao. May you keep rediscovering yourself and continue to surprise everyone again and again