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A Heart Divided
Neeti is a driven and self-made woman who finds purpose and fulfillment in her work in Mumbai. When she marries Mihir, the love of her life who plans to pursue a PhD in the US, she is confronted with the biggest should she listen to her heart or her head? The heart wins and Neeti moves to the US, leaving her career, family, and friends behind to be with Mihir. But her real challenge begins when she finds herself on a dependent visa, with no work life to speak of. Anjuli Rajprasad’s lucid prose narrates this tale of a twenty-first-century woman dealing with the stigma of being ‘dependent’ on a spouse and discovering her identity beyond a professional one.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 10, 2023
An arduous journey of an Indian couple in the U.S.
••INSIGHT: Neeti works in Mumbai, she meets Mihir and falls in love with him. Mihir wants to pursue a PhD in the United States of America. Neeti is confused, she couldn’t decide whether to stay in Mumbai or go to the U.S with Mihir. Finally, she decides to quit her job, marry Mihir and go to the U.S. How will she cope with life in the U.S? Will she regret her decision or lead a happy life?
••REVIEW: The story contains a strong main character Neeti. Neeti’s journey is shown very well. Her frame of mind while trying to leave India, how she was able to deal with problems when she arrived in the U.S will make us empathise with her. The book also contains some very well written characters like Mihir, her friends, her parents who support Neeti when she’s going through a tough phase in her life. The book also sheds light on the H-4 visa, how women on that visa find it difficult to get a job? and how married couples deal with the stressful environment in the U.S?
During the first few chapters of the book, Neeti’s relationship with Mihir was shown and it felt rushed. Adding a couple of chapters about their relationship would have been better.
••STRENGTH: 1. Realistic depiction of life in U.S
2. Neeti’s character will connect with the readers.
3. Themes like loneliness and mental health were explored very well.
4. Importance of a job was shown effectively.
5. Book’s fast pacing
6. Good supporting characters in the story.
••WEAKNESS: Mihir and Neeti’s relationship moved fast at the beginning.
••TARGET READERS: This book is ideal for people between the age group of 25-40.
••GENRE: Realistic Fiction and Romance
••RATING: 3.9/5
••INSIGHT: Neeti works in Mumbai, she meets Mihir and falls in love with him. Mihir wants to pursue a PhD in the United States of America. Neeti is confused, she couldn’t decide whether to stay in Mumbai or go to the U.S with Mihir. Finally, she decides to quit her job, marry Mihir and go to the U.S. How will she cope with life in the U.S? Will she regret her decision or lead a happy life?
••REVIEW: The story contains a strong main character Neeti. Neeti’s journey is shown very well. Her frame of mind while trying to leave India, how she was able to deal with problems when she arrived in the U.S will make us empathise with her. The book also contains some very well written characters like Mihir, her friends, her parents who support Neeti when she’s going through a tough phase in her life. The book also sheds light on the H-4 visa, how women on that visa find it difficult to get a job? and how married couples deal with the stressful environment in the U.S?
During the first few chapters of the book, Neeti’s relationship with Mihir was shown and it felt rushed. Adding a couple of chapters about their relationship would have been better.
••STRENGTH: 1. Realistic depiction of life in U.S
2. Neeti’s character will connect with the readers.
3. Themes like loneliness and mental health were explored very well.
4. Importance of a job was shown effectively.
5. Book’s fast pacing
6. Good supporting characters in the story.
••WEAKNESS: Mihir and Neeti’s relationship moved fast at the beginning.
••TARGET READERS: This book is ideal for people between the age group of 25-40.
••GENRE: Realistic Fiction and Romance
••RATING: 3.9/5
November 10, 2023
Blurb -
Neeti works in Mumbai, one evening she meets Mihir there and both fall in love with each other. Mihir on the other hand wants to pursue PHD in the US. On the contrary, Neeti is confused, she couldn’t decide whether to stay in Mumbai or go to the US with Mihir. She decides to quit her job. They got married and shifted to the U.S.
But how long can she survive in the "Dependent Visa". How will she cope with life in the U.S? Will she regret her decision?
Read the story to know the importance of not having a job & life on the other side.
The Author narrates this tale of a 21st century woman dealing with the stigma of being ‘dependent’ on a spouse & discovering her identity beyond a professional one.
Highlights -
1) What stands out is the connection between the author's own experiences & the story, which helps to connect & create a realistic approach to the narration.
2) This isn't just a story', it's a way forward for those who refuse to give up even when life throws everything at them.
3) The harsh reality and truth of life in US is depicted in the book. The author touch the bases of few social problems such as mental health, aloneness, job insecurity and Mental trauma.
Language & Narration -
1) The language is simple and easy to understand.
2) The narration is crisp & clear with the author clear in the mind what she wants to convey.
3) The best line which I loved was in Page 31 - "What we think of love is just fleeting happiness which disappears, leaving behind pain and scars". What a depth in the line.
4) Especially recommended to all the girls out there who aspire to go outside for jobs, thinking everything will be good with no struggles.
Neeti works in Mumbai, one evening she meets Mihir there and both fall in love with each other. Mihir on the other hand wants to pursue PHD in the US. On the contrary, Neeti is confused, she couldn’t decide whether to stay in Mumbai or go to the US with Mihir. She decides to quit her job. They got married and shifted to the U.S.
But how long can she survive in the "Dependent Visa". How will she cope with life in the U.S? Will she regret her decision?
Read the story to know the importance of not having a job & life on the other side.
The Author narrates this tale of a 21st century woman dealing with the stigma of being ‘dependent’ on a spouse & discovering her identity beyond a professional one.
Highlights -
1) What stands out is the connection between the author's own experiences & the story, which helps to connect & create a realistic approach to the narration.
2) This isn't just a story', it's a way forward for those who refuse to give up even when life throws everything at them.
3) The harsh reality and truth of life in US is depicted in the book. The author touch the bases of few social problems such as mental health, aloneness, job insecurity and Mental trauma.
Language & Narration -
1) The language is simple and easy to understand.
2) The narration is crisp & clear with the author clear in the mind what she wants to convey.
3) The best line which I loved was in Page 31 - "What we think of love is just fleeting happiness which disappears, leaving behind pain and scars". What a depth in the line.
4) Especially recommended to all the girls out there who aspire to go outside for jobs, thinking everything will be good with no struggles.
June 27, 2024
There are times in our lives when we have to fulfill certain responsibilities and there is often a trade off between what we want on professional front and what we need in our personal sphere. Such decisions shapes our future and ultimately the destiny .
Neeti is an ambitious girl working in Mumbai and has a settled future in sight . She falls in love with Mihir who foresees a PhD in foreign. They decide to marry but at what cost? Neeti has to move to USA to have a stable relationship but letting go of her dreams and aspirations on professional front seems difficult . She follows her calling and moves to US but the problems don't seem to end. She was provided with a dependent visa with no work life to speak of .
How will she be able to further her career there ?
Will she live her entire life as a dependent on her spouse ?
Grab the book to find out.
The story shows glimpse into the turmoil associated with our choices and the bonds we develop as we progress . The character sketch of Neeti is developed to the core and a sneak peak into the challenges she faces is given due space. The relationship between Mihir and Neeti , how it develops and reaches the stage of marriage is not given much importance which is a major downside. It makes the readers feel as if its purely a female centric novel only showcasing her struggles. Had the balance been struck , it would have appealed a bit more to me. The writing style is certainly impressive and the people (read females) who are planning to move to foreign land for furthering their career should certainly read this novel to understand that all is not honky dory there.
Overall , a good one time read.
Neeti is an ambitious girl working in Mumbai and has a settled future in sight . She falls in love with Mihir who foresees a PhD in foreign. They decide to marry but at what cost? Neeti has to move to USA to have a stable relationship but letting go of her dreams and aspirations on professional front seems difficult . She follows her calling and moves to US but the problems don't seem to end. She was provided with a dependent visa with no work life to speak of .
How will she be able to further her career there ?
Will she live her entire life as a dependent on her spouse ?
Grab the book to find out.
The story shows glimpse into the turmoil associated with our choices and the bonds we develop as we progress . The character sketch of Neeti is developed to the core and a sneak peak into the challenges she faces is given due space. The relationship between Mihir and Neeti , how it develops and reaches the stage of marriage is not given much importance which is a major downside. It makes the readers feel as if its purely a female centric novel only showcasing her struggles. Had the balance been struck , it would have appealed a bit more to me. The writing style is certainly impressive and the people (read females) who are planning to move to foreign land for furthering their career should certainly read this novel to understand that all is not honky dory there.
Overall , a good one time read.
September 28, 2024
'A Heart Divided' is not just a book; it's a treasure. It has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf as my favorite, and I am confident it will shine like a diamond on yours too.
June 18, 2024
Anjuli’s book is a wonderful story of how resilience and grit can help you sustain, even in the harshest of conditions. The book explores how the immigration policies can impact the morale and the life of the toughest of people. The storytelling in the book is engaging and keeps you turning the pages as Neeti faces the obstacles in her lives and overcomes them. What I liked about the book was that it explores the theme of immigration and its impact on the spouses, specially when it comes to choosing their own lives and careers. The idea of weaving this into a romantic story is quite interesting. The book is quite well researched and while reading, you realise that the author has actually spent time focusing on the core idea of the story, and that is of the immigration. The book moves at a comfortable pace and there are no points where the book gets boring or too slow. The importance of independence has been stressed quite enough and the value of choice has been explored really well.
The character of Neeti has been sketched in detail. The author has developed the arc of her character and due time has been given to set the tone of her character. The part in Mumbai is sufficiently detailed for us to understand the importance of independence for her. As the story progresses, you realise how her story is affected by the circumstances around her. Another aspect of the character I liked was that she has created a variety of other characters that support the story to the hilt as well as highlight the core thought of the book.
The character of Neeti has been sketched in detail. The author has developed the arc of her character and due time has been given to set the tone of her character. The part in Mumbai is sufficiently detailed for us to understand the importance of independence for her. As the story progresses, you realise how her story is affected by the circumstances around her. Another aspect of the character I liked was that she has created a variety of other characters that support the story to the hilt as well as highlight the core thought of the book.
January 10, 2024
Anjuli has poured her heart into the book, it's a heartwarming journey you embark on when you start reading "A Heart Divided". I was so absorbed in the story that I felt like I knew Neeti in real life. I loved the author's writing style - it's very engaging, energetic, and powerful. It's a topic that not many people talk about or even know about, Anjuli has crafted a masterpiece to capture the unknown, and the unspoken. Neeti is an inspiration to many to help us navigate through the struggles and challenges life throws at us.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews