Subha Sarma’s new book ‘The Awasthis of Aamnagri’ is like a silver line in dark clouds: Pratibha Ray
BHUBANESWAR: “The Awasthis of Aamnagri” – a novel written by author and state handloom, textiles and handicrafts secretary Subha Sarma released in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The book was launched in a virtual ceremony was graced by noted writer Pratibha Ray and several other dignitaries and authors at social media platforms of Bakul Library and Niyogi Books. “Good News in bad times, a silver line in dark cloud is always welcome with praise and pleasure. A book is born in times of corona and that too a novel with labour of love and passion is happily welcome. The title of the book speaks a lot and attracts the readers to go through the pages. The free flowing, spontaneous narrative style is appealing and thought provoking, which disarms the reader,” said Ray.
Published by Niyogi Books, “The Awasthis of Aamnagri” is a novella set in the Hindi heartland that also takes Sarma back to her roots in Lucknow. The book traces life of the middle class family – as the name would suggest – in a setting of the 70s and 80s.
“In today’s fast paced routines, a strong thread of nostalgia runs through our lives, especially in those above the age of thirty-five. It emerges in the most unlikely places and at the most unlikely times: whatsapp forwards that reminisce about the good old days, twitter trends and handles that specifically speak about growing up in the 1970s, 1980s or even 1990s, an old ad jingle or a brand, anything that triggers fond memories. I wanted to capture that period in our lives when summer vacations were long, languorous and full of a game of cards, when the greatest worry was not losing all your contacts stored on your smart phone,” said Sarma the author.
She said, her book mainly has two target groups, the 35-plus readers fondly looking back at the past and trying to ensure that their children read it to understand how they grew up as well and the young reader who enjoys going into the past to explore a different time.
Sarma’s debut book “Fly on the Wall & Other Stories,” an anthology of 13 short stories, was released in 2013 to critical acclaim.