A Place Called Home Paperback – 6 June 2022

As usual simple English and easy to read. A good time pass.

"Be proud of who you are", as the author Preeti Shenoy writes in the first page of her book A PLACE CALLED HOME the story talks about a woman of 33 whose whole past is portrayed on the paper. She wants to hide a whole chapter of life from everyone including whom she loved and whom she married.Krish, a person who is strong, mentally and emotionally from the very beginning plays a great role polishing the character of the protagonist Alka.Subbu, husband of Alka who, bound by his responsibilities, has to leave his studies and take care of the estate and his family is one of the most important character in the character development of Alka too.If I put my opinion in here then I didn't like the character of Subbu in the second half of the book and I think that's because he was created in such a way. After her secret gets revealed when Alka left her husband for a few days, she finds her true "happiness" in a small house of Renuka. She realises true happiness lies in love and in the sense of belonging. But honestly I was utterly disappointed when Alka doesn't choose Krish over Subbu and decides to go back to her husband. May be my 22 year old brain may not understand a 33 year old married woman and a mother.Indeed the book is masterpiece. It contains, as I always say, all the important aspects of life. I loved this this book so much that I finished it in two days. 🤭"Be proud of who you are", as the author Preeti Shenoy writes in the first page of her book A PLACE CALLED HOME the story talks about a woman of 33 whose whole past is portrayed on the paper. She wants to hide a whole chapter of life from everyone including whom she loved and whom she married.Krish, a person who is strong, mentally and emotionally from the very beginning plays a great role polishing the character of the protagonist Alka.Subbu, husband of Alka who, bound by his responsibilities, has to leave his studies and take care of the estate and his family is one of the most important character in the character development of Alka too.If I put my opinion in here then I didn't like the character of Subbu in the second half of the book and I think that's because he was created in such a way. After her secret gets revealed when Alka left her husband for a few days, she finds her true "happiness" in a small house of Renuka. She realises true happiness lies in love and in the sense of belonging. But honestly I was utterly disappointed when Alka doesn't choose Krish over Subbu and decides to go back to her husband. May be my 22 year old brain may not understand a 33 year old married woman and a mother.Indeed the book is masterpiece. It contains, as I always say, all the important aspects of life. I loved this this book so much that I finished it in two days.

A Place Called Home: Preeti ShenoyIt’s a story about secrets and not being about ourselves. The story is about the life of Alka ,the daughter of a house maid ,who as able to study as a charitable deed from the house owner. The life of Alka from the servant’s room to the prestigious management college of Bangalore then as a wife of a coffee planter give a lot of emotions,drama,romance the life styles a lot more in this story .The complex of being a maids daughter or being a show piece of the house owners charity, the hurting’s and bullies what she have to face during the childhood made her always lonely and books and library was her soul during that period. As her mother’s wish she topped in all her exams. During her college time unexpectedly her mother passed away, and the last moments made her complex about her social classes that made her life too miserable. Friendship with Manasi and Krish made her life little easy but the memories always haunted her.Visit to the Shakleshpur coffee plantation is another turning point .Got a motherly touch again from Aanadhi .And the view of Krish towards her also was changing .Avoiding Krish in the campus but still not difference to the gravitational pull towards him .Turbulence of her mind is narrated very well.Sudden twist in made both of them to turn away from the truth and Alka become Subbus ‘s wife and Krish become Manasi ‘s husband.Lot more both adjusted and get on moving with the new life but both are unhappy .Will they be happy in life ?For experiencing the coffee plantation the blooming of coffee flowers ,beauty of the atmosphere ,fresh water from forest ,difference of Arabica and Robusta coffee and flowers please go through the story .Did Alka got a place called home ? Or is lost with her kids …………..

So simple and truthful. 9/10

I started reading this book last year soon after this got released and I took a pause for sometime. @preeti.shenoy made this an emotional roller coaster and I took a little longer to halt and re-think..A Place Called Home is a story about Maid’s daughter, Alka who have had a struggling life and yet she stood strong for herself with the mundane societal barriers of caste, class and what not..This is an emotional story and a must read book. Planted with the cultural story.Though, there were some breaking points when the characters met, had little confusing turns, however it is a good read. It is a 4/5 for me.Kudos to Preeti as always!!#aplacecalledhome #preetishenoy