Sakoon Singh

Book Title: In the land of the lovers
Author: Sakoon Singh
Format: Kindle

Book Title
The title of the book ' In the land of the lovers ' is elusive and fascinating

Book Cover
The cover image of the book is an artistic depiction of flowers and two cranes. The image gives a cheerful feeling because of the colorful flowers and a dark background.
My review
It is very unusual that a book entertains you to the core. Every page and every word having a story is a miracle. Until many days, I was not finding many books that made me laugh, angry, smile, and think. This was one of the reasons I switched my interest in reading -non-fiction and memoirs. I think author Sakoon wanted me to get back to my old self. I say this because her book ' In the land of the lovers' rekindled my interest in reading good fiction.

Setup in the land of rich culture and heritage Punjab, the story is an artistically written tale of love and all other human emotions. She has touched every topic and theme which makes a book a perfect entertainer with a tinge of thought to nr provoked. Irrespective of the roles that people play in their lives, to deal and experience every feeling and endure even if it is pain s one of the key points that reflects in the story. Not to forget the amount of humor the story has.

At times I laughed, I smiled, I was angry, I shied and I was happy. As a reader what more do I need? This book is a definite read!!!
Inside the book
Set up in Punjab, the story - In the land of the lovers' is a tale of love, social values, and social taboos with a taste of modern life. Though not conventional yet adhering to societal rules, though not stereotypical but with a flavor of the culture and painful but with hope on life, author Sakoon Singh's debut novel is a good read. The story also has elements related to partition, the then faced pin and wrath, the loss of loved ones, and such feelings.
How is the author's writing style
The book starts with a very interesting note. The first few pages are just amazing and interesting enough to bind the reader. There is this strong hint of magical realism that is reflected in the tales of every character which is attached to a particular emotion. The usage of Shakespeare and his related titles in the story is the gem of art that the author has efficiently done.

The city of Chandigarh is explained so beautifully that I traveled back into memories of when I visited the city. The mere mention of justice, turbans, and phulkari dupattas brought many memories. It is said that if the author catches rightly the reader's emotion and attaches it to the story, the reader will have a great journey in reading. There is every chance for the reader to place himselfherself into the character and thus have a nice experience. Here, in the story, the author made it quite possible. Anyone who can relate to the details that the author presented, will automatically be smitten with his writing style. It is indeed a great achievement for a debut author. The smell of Punjab was reflected very strongly that which I really loved.

While the reader goes through a colorful journey, a parallel story of partition, the lost people, their comeback and the grievances are well written. The author has created enough space in the story for every emotion to be felt by the reader at its own pace. If acquainted with the rich and generous culture of the Punjabi people, this book is an absolute treat else, it stays like a good book. Because of my interest and some knowledge about the culture that I accumulated from various books, friends, travel experiences, and Bollywood movies, I really enjoyed reading every detail. I loved how the author named the characters.

How are the characters
The characters in the story are what decide the fate of the story. This book had many sub-tales included under the roof of a big story. There are many characters who have their own space and grace in the story. The character of Nanaki reflects the honest, crude, brave, and boisterous nature of a woman who can be loved by everyone for many reasons. Somewhere I was recollecting actress Kareena Kapoor's donned Geet Dhillon while reading about Nanaki. The character of Beeji and Maanji reflect women from different generations which gives readers a good insight into how culture is carried but there is a change following the traditions. Though in a sublime way, this was nice adopted. There are many other interesting and heartfelt characters. The author has given a perfect ala-carte of characters, their backdrop stories, and emotions.

How entertaining is the book
This book is a perfect mixture of many tales, things, and feelings. The topics like patriarchy, female infanticide, drug abuse, valor in women, the beauty of the land of Punjab, love, and mature elements of love are very well written. I often observed that women writers make a great sense and effort in inscribing minute details related to every kind of emotion especially the process of love-making. Author Sakoon Singh has just won many brownie points for choosing a storyline that oscillates between ages and moves to and fro with many emotions. The author tried to showcase in her writing that life is not always a bed of roses, but there will be thorns also.

Who can read the book
The book as entertaining as a good love story with lots of action in it. Since the book is written in a simple language, beginner level readers also can pick up the book. It can also please the readers who like to explore new places and cultures with a tinge of fiction.

Rating: 3/5



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