A Kite of Farewells: Stories from Nagaland

by O. Jungio

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2025

Reviews

[Padmaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to literature from Nagaland was all thanks to the many recommendations that came flooding in through #discoveringindiareadathon. I first read Laburnum for my head by Temsula Ao and then discovered the magic of Easterine Kire. A kite of farewells by O. Jungio reminded me of those lovely books. I am always up for reading a good short story collection and this one ticked all my boxes.
~
Comprising of 12 stories, I raced through this one in a single sitting and it was after a long time that I did that. I love when stories have the personal intertwined with the region’s history and culture. The stories explore regionality, identity, migration and the exchange about culture and modernity. Jungio’s stories beautifully captured the essence of Nagaland and its socio-political landscape, for any story is incomplete without this I feel.
What I absolutely adored about this book was how rooted the book was in the folklore and rituals, very reminiscent of Easterine Kire’s works. Stories seeped in folklore have my heart!!
~
O. Jungio’s writing is vivid and lyrical. He brings forth the landscape of the state alive through the stories. I love it when authors are extremely observant and pay attention to the littlest of details.
Definitely recommended!!
4.5🌟
Review copy received from the publisher

[Nila · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a different kind of high when books you pick up with zero expectations quietly crawl into your heart and make a little corner for themselves.

A Kite of Farewells treasures 12 stories of warmth from the land of Nagas. Each of these stories circles around a specific object: a beloved possession or a symbol of connection.

It almost feels like being let in on a secret, like reading a diary entry or watching old digicam footage shared by a friend. From skipped heartbeats to hands-over-mouth moments frozen in terror, this little collection is packed with a full range of feelings that will hold readers captive in an emotional hostage situation.

I don’t know these characters in person (and you can’t convince me they are just fictional), I don’t speak their language or belong to their culture, but I feel them in my bones, achingly real. I carry their nostalgia in my dreams, share their grief in my tears, and hold their unspeakable trauma in the back of my mind.

My favorite from the collection is Showroom, in which the narrator decides to visit a new showroom in town, despite his initial hesitation. Living in a shopping mall-infested city, I could relate to the feeling of inadequacy and the pressure to appear polished the moment you step into the boulevard of brands. And, of course, the middle-class discomfort triggered by ridiculously priced products of medium quality. Showroom for sure struck a nerve.

Although two or three stories didn’t quite hit the mark for me, the rest of the collection found a way to my heart. It is amazing how an unassuming little book from a far end of the country could connect so well with a reader from a different corner. A proof that feelings are indeed universal, transcending culture and geography.

Thank you, Rupa Publications, for this review copy that has become dear to me.

And thank you, Mr. Jungio, for stories I never knew I needed, wrapped in a neat little paperback where I found myself sleeping inside, heart full and eyes wet. 🥹

[Mridula Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jungio, in my opinion, is probably someone who holds on to everyday objects as a form of keeping memories alive. His book, with 12 stories that slip between genres and themes, are set against the backdrop of Nagaland- the lush and beautiful land that has its own hardships carved out for itself. A land that is not just shaped by the landscape but all the big and small lives that start within its boundaries. Love, family and friendship and their only witness are everyday objects. He even dips his toes on folk lore and local mythology, giving us a fuller, more textured view of the place.

I admire short story collections that are fulfilling in a way that everyday life starts to matter. Jungio captures those tender, almost invisible moments- of falling in love for the first time, making a new friend but subtly, or encountering a mythical village (okay, maybe not so everyday but fear is a constant). There is surrealism akin to Shirley Jackson or Clarice Lispector, despite the contemporary setup, which makes this an atmospheric, fast paced and engrossing read.

This collection will invoke a spiral down memory lane as you start recalling similar events. As objects trigger memories and you fall into this trance. I have never devoured a book faster than this one and that says a lot about how mundane yet transfixing everything was. It tugs on a wide range of emotions, of love and loss.

This is a voice that deserves to be heard. I’ll be waiting for whatever comes next.

[Debabrata Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Each object holds a breath of goodbye, each story a whisper of the past.”

O. Jungio’s "A Kite of Farewells" is a masterfully woven anthology that explores the terrain of loss, longing, and the ritual of parting. Comprising twelve short stories, each tale is tethered not just to characters or events but to objects, silent spectators of human sorrow, bearers of memory, and vessels of legacy. The title itself is metaphorical and poetic, capturing the essence of departure as both flight and release. This is no ordinary collection; it is an emotionally textured, culturally rooted meditation on what it means to say goodbye, be it to people, places, traditions, or a version of oneself.

At its core, the book is a philosophical exploration of "departure", not merely as physical relocation or death, but as emotional detachment, cultural dissolution, and transformation of identity. Each story circles this theme with tender attention, like mourners gathering around an old photograph. He does not merely narrate farewells; he consecrates them. The emotional charge is often understated but profound—lingering like incense in a quiet church.

In ‘Scoreboard’, the family's grief becomes a communal act of remembrance. The story delicately unpacks the ritual of visiting a child’s grave, yet never veers into overt sentimentality. Instead, the author leans into restraint, allowing silence to speak louder than dialogue. It is in such moments that the collection finds its haunting potency.

One of the most compelling stories is ‘Fire’, which walks a fine line between magical realism and absurdist horror. When the protagonist is trapped in a ghost village, being served raw rice and uncooked pork by invisible hands, the atmosphere is rich with tension. The moment fire is introduced, chaos erupts, a literal and symbolic act of unmasking buried secrets. He flirts with the surreal, reminding readers that grief and memory are not always rational, they can be spectral, disorienting, even grotesque.

The absurdity in some stories is not for comic relief but rather to destabilize the reader, to challenge the neatly labelled emotions associated with loss. Here, absurdity becomes a lens to look at trauma which are raw, unresolved, sometimes inexplicable.

What distinguishes his work is its unapologetic rootedness in the socio-political and cultural tapestry of Nagaland. The folklore, the rituals, the rural landscape, the hybrid tension between modernity and tradition, these are not ornamental additions; they are the sinews of the stories. Every narrative is steeped in regional specificity, evoking the magic of Easterine Kire and the deep humanity of Temsula Ao.

The stories also carry the quiet urgency of a people grappling with displacement, identity, and erasure. Whether it is through migration, colonial residue, or internal political churn, Nagaland here is more than setting, it is a living, breathing character, wounded and wondrous.

In conclusion, it is a luminous collection that honours grief, memory, and cultural belonging with grace and gravitas. The author doesn’t just write stories, he resurrects forgotten lives and gives voice to the silences that linger after loss. For readers who cherish folklore-laced narratives, layered cultural storytelling, and emotionally intelligent fiction, this book is nothing short of a treasure.

[The Book Times · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wholesome book!!!! The writing style is extremely beautiful. This book consists of 12 short stories, and each of them strikes a chord within. I got to enhance my vocabulary and learnt some new terms. This book made me visit Nagaland, without actually going there (but it's my dream to visit this place, one day for sure!)
My favourites from this collection were - Scoreboard, The Encyclopedia Salesman, About a Chair and Time.
🪁 Scoreboard - Talks about how one day, life is going good, but suddenly there's an incident that turns one's life a complete 360°.
🪁 The Encyclopedia Salesman - A testament of however huge the world be, it's still a small place for paths to cross again.
🪁 About a Chair - When without saying anything, you establish a connection with someone, only for it to be broken leaving you hollow.
🪁 Time - That's something we never have. And this segment proves that one has to make wise decisions to make the best out of the moment and relationships we have.
Will I recommend this book, well all I can say is - If I got the opportunity to give infinite stars to a book, this one would surely get it 🙌🏻

[Deepanshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always wanted to visit Nagaland. Many of my colleagues are from there, and the way they spoke about their hometown, their stories of hills, markets, quiet lanes, and valleys~always stirred my imagination. I think I manifested this desire too strongly, because eventually, I found myself wandering Nagaland, not in person, but through the eyes of O. Jungio.

A Kite of Farewells is a collection of twelve tales crafted with simplicity and elegance, each rooted in the small houses and everyday lives of Nagaland. These stories are not just about people~they are about memories, grief, loss, love, forgotten pasts, and the subtle emotions that define human existence. Jungio invites us into twelve different households, and unknowingly, we begin to share their lives, their silences, and their struggles.

What I found most compelling was how beautifully the culture and inner worlds of the locals are represented. The stories remind us that it is often the unnoticed details of daily life that leave the deepest imprints on us. The writing is delicate yet powerful, and it kept me turning the pages effortlessly.

This book was not just a reading experience, it was a journey. That’s the true joy of literature: the ability to travel to places and live countless lives while sitting in one place. For me, A Kite of Farewells was exactly that, an intimate, heartfelt trip to Nagaland.

[Rahul Vishnoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Stories That Captivate & Enthrall-
Review of 'A Kite of Farewells'

Quote Alert
"𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤. 𝐀𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐜𝐮𝐦-𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐝-𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞."

A Kite of Farewells is a collection of stories that, in the words of author, are about 'departure'. Each story is tethered to an object that bears silent witness to the lives that once brushed against its form. Drenched in grief and sadness, it sometimes hovers in the space of absurd, sometimes in that of poignant.

The collection bears an eerie tone and yet a simplicity that puts it in the zone of tales told by an old grandma by the side of a bonfire on a cold January night, right under the lap of stars, while munching on a crisp cob of corn.

My favourite, of course, is 'Fire', a story that tackles ghost, not one but multitudes of them. When the protagonist is stranded in a ghost village where he is served raw rice and uncooked pork, all hell breaks loose when fire is lit.

Scoreboard talks about grief that a family grapples with when a loved one passes on. A beautiful story about a grieving family the members of which go to search the grave of a child also leaves a mark.

Set in Nagaland, the stories are like kites soaring high above clouds- they talk about farewell and moving on.

A beautiful collection, full of emotions and humanity.

[Deotima Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Kite of Farewells collects twelve stories from Nagaland that are both tender and very quietly intense. They are stories of leaving and staying, of how the most infinitesimal things, a look, an object, a movement can endure even more than love.

In Fire, a man isolated by a rainstorm wanders into a village suspended between worlds where terror and kindness commute. The strength of the story is that it says so little; Jungio allows the silences to work for him, inspiring fear and pity simultaneously.

Another favorite, The Encyclopaedia of a Salesman traces the life of a young door-to-door salesperson whose meeting with a retired bureaucrat takes an unexpected turn for self-reflection. A typical routine visit, it starts off, turns into an odyssey of nostalgia, obsolescence, and the silent bereavement of unfulfilled lives.

Throughout the collection, Jungio employs the tangible world, a kite, an encyclopaedia, a chair as unobtrusive witnesses to human yearning. The objects do not overwhelm the narratives; they anchor them, retaining emotional weight in their silence.
Love the restraint and to the definition play out of the stories. The writing is slow, immersed in atmosphere, but never over-indulgent. Nagaland does not emerge as exotic setting but as lived space, its rains, silences, and variable light creating a rhythm that keeps the stories together.

A Kite of Farewells is a meditation on leaving not physical farewells but the emotional distances that insinuate themselves between humans. Some of the tales cry out with the pain of loss, others just stop and allow life to pass by. At the end, you understand the title isn't about release; it's about what stays attached, unseeable but intact.

[Aparna Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

”These stories are like the eponymous kite, soaring high, carrying with it memories and goodbyes, perhaps symbolizing the soul's journey or the act of releasing emotions and memories into the sky.”

- O. Jungio, A Kite of Farewells

’A Kite of Farewells’ comprises mapped memory fragments tethered to an object of interest. For example, the protagonist of The Encyclopaedia Salesman, is washed over by a wave of nostalgia and becomes forlorn after a glance at a photograph. The parables set in and around areas of Nagaland, sketch the portraits of an ever-changing society in the landscape of the sky. The writing is fluid and evocative, sometimes deliberately pausing at places, making you reflect on the idiosyncrasies of life.

The vivid portrayal of sounds, smells and scenes transport you to the streets of Northeastern India basking in its lush green beauty and verdant landscape. We catch a glimpse of the myths and legends of Naga culture in the tale, Fire. Eyes of the Tiger gives a nostalgic account of carefree college days amidst the canopy of nature. The warmth of the bonfire and generous swigs of the dark brown liquid brought a different side, to the otherwise reserved characters.

The stories incite a range of emotions—from sheer joy to shell shock and alienation to numbness.

To sum it up, A Kite of Farewells is a poignant exploration of memory and myth, reminding us that even the quietest stories can echo in the deepest recesses of the heart.

[Mahi Aggarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: "A Kite of Farewells: Stories from Nagaland" by O. Jungio

This book is gentle and heartbreaking in the most beautiful way.

A Kite of Farewells is not just a collection of stories—it’s a quiet meditation on loss, memory, and the little things we leave behind with the touch of history, culture and much more.They hold deep meaning. They carry the weight of someone’s absence, someone’s goodbye.

What moved me most was how simple and real the writing feels. The emotions are never loud, but they stay with you. You feel the grief, the longing, the love—and sometimes, a quiet sense of peace. The stories don’t just tell you what was lost, they help you see what remains.

There’s something deeply soulful about how the author captures human connections. People leave, time passes, but objects remember. And through them, we remember too.

Author 's storytelling feels rooted in the land, in Nagaland’s quiet hills and the silent strength of its people. It’s deeply personal yet universal. You don’t need to know the place to feel the pain. You just need a heart that has ever missed someone.

This book is like that kite—fragile yet strong, floating with all the goodbyes we never knew how to say. It doesn’t try to heal your pain. It simply sits with you in silence, like a friend who understands.

A tender, soulful read. I’ll carry it with me for a long time.

[♡ Diyasha ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖: 𝐀 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒 💌
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: 𝐎. 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐎
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

• If you want some 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 that deal with 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐚 and 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲, then this is a justifiable read. The short stories have 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 which portray the visuals of thoroughness. I felt the Indian voices emerging out of the canvas - the voices of Jhumpa Lahiri, Chitra Banerjee Divakarun and other voices.💡

• They all are 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. With a 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, the author portrays the vividness of his stories centring around 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝. Here, the motif of 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐄 shows 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 and 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Most of the time, the book cover reminds me of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑. And that amazes me. The farewells of 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, even 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 are drawn - they're slow but steady and silent. They are not dramatic, they are pessimistic. 💛

“𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆, 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.”

• The author's 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝒄 is 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 - much more than any of these, I appreciate how it involved me as a reader. It's interesting how Nagaland is silent here but also the most prominent one. How the first part of this book stole my heart is 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. It's a fresh air of solitude. It leaves a quiet question behind us - 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥? 💕

[Ayushi Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Kite of Farewells by O Jungio

In an attempt to read diverse literature from various parts of India, I chanced upon this book from Nagaland, which is a bundle of goodbyes. Sorrow, grief, sufferings and the many memories that envelop us when partings happen.

Mostly evocative and sad, the book once in while pushes you to suspend your beliefs and let it push you into some absurd otherworld too. Jungio introduces us to Nagaland in a simple way through traditions and customs packed in his short stories. Stories of families, communities and of love and loss. There is longing, remembrance and regret.

The stories at their centre hold objects as the thread connecting people to the ones who left them, a watch, a paper kite, and sometimes a scoreboard, one is always surprised how much value human beings can attach to inanimate objects, to cling to them for a ray of hope.

12 short stories that will evoke a plethora of emotions in you, from teary eyed faces to a complete flabbergasted expression. It is worth your time. Here’s my recommendation to you for August!


[a kite of farewells, Indian writings, short stories, Nagaland, northeast, grief, emotional]

[esme☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved short stories and how they can say so much in few pages. That's what made me curious about this book. A Kite Of Farewells by O. Jungio is an anthology of such stories.
The twelve stories each revolve around something simple, like a kite or a scoreboard, but they hold so much life and memory in them...
The book starts with Rainer Maria Rilke’s words: “Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” The book holds that same essence throughout. It shows pain and farewell as part of life, right alongside love and memories.
While reading, I kept thinking of my grandparents. Even now, the little things they left behind still carry their presence for me. It beautifully describes the feeling of how the most ordinary objects can become vessels for the people we have lost but never truly let go of.
The stories are set in Nagaland, but the feelings of love, loss, and longing still reach anyone who reads them. The author brings both the ache of loss and the comfort of memories to life. This book was so beautifully written and it's going to stay with me for a long, long time.
★★★★★/5

Love always 🤎

[Mili Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories brings crisp change, what is your opinion?


This book unfolded slipping moments of life from Nagaland and its' sleepy town life, myths and legends. Raw moments of life, pain, people we lost in past came like waves and creates eerie ambiance. The first story will spook you out and then it becomes subtle, envelopes myst from mountain winds, painted tribute to life and seamlessly blended with unspoken feelings, the bid adieu we couldn't make will catch you off guard and you would stumble upon your couch with the book clutching in hand.

The story selection reflects author O. Jungio's passion for story telling and crafting difficult moments with a surrealistic angle makes this book a collection worthy jewel.

But these short stories are preserved complex, they are not short with their components. If you love short stories try this, it's a beautiful package, full mystical story and rich flavour of life will tingle your senses.

[Niyathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖Kite of Farewells by O. Jungio

Each story in this book feels like a goodbye,tender, haunting, and deeply intimate. Set against the quiet realities and emotional chill of Nagaland, these stories aren't just about farewells, but about the things we remember and the pieces of ourselves we leave behind.
The storytelling is beautifully simple. Everyday objects,a kite, a car, a chair,carry immense emotional weight. They become silent witnesses to grief, love, memory, and transformation. The writing is poetic in parts, never trying to over-express or over-impress. And that’s what makes it all the more powerful.
If you're looking for fast-paced drama or heavy plot twists, this isn’t your book. But if you enjoy slow-burning, lyrical fiction that lingers long after the last page, Kite of Farewells is a must-read.

[DIPTISHA SARKAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

'A Kite of Farewells: Stories from Nagaland' by O. Jungio is an anthology of short stories that mainly focuses on grief and loss. I can't begin to explain how much I loved reading this book. Every story is unique, leaving me shattered in a different way each time. The stories are personal, imaginative and relatable. The book beautifully captures the different socio-political and cultural aspects of Nagaland in such a way that I felt I was transported to Nagaland myself.

Another thing I want to say about this book is that it is very nicely written. The vocabulary used by the author helped me enrich mine. I enjoyed learning something new in every chapter- new words, new writing styles, and even new forms of expression. I'm so glad that I came across this book. It's as beautiful as the cover.

[Jenil Desai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Kite of Farewells is a collection of short stories set in Nagaland that reflects Naga culture and contemporary life. The stories are rooted in everyday experiences—relationships, memory, loss, faith, and the subtle tensions between tradition and modernity. The book has a mixed feel—some stories amaze you, while some are okay.

My favourite stories are “Fire,” “About a Chair,” “Time,” and “Scared Crow,” which stand out for their simplicity and emotional depth. Overall, it’s a quiet, thoughtful read, best suited for readers who enjoy reflective short stories and regional voices.

[Prerna Munshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet compilation of some very well written short stories. Although some of them didn't feel distinctly belonging to Nagaland (as the title asserts) but they have a universality about them.
The prose felt like a warm indulgence. Well chosen words pirouetted on their tiptoes.
It is an assortment of farewells , an ode to nostalgia, a romance with familiarity, a substratum for heartbreaks and an empathy nest for a very human grief.
The author has displayed an immense potential and I shall look forward for his next.

[shri_aesthetics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was on a tight schedule, hardly ever getting much time to read, and I was sceptical about starting a new novel when I found this short story collection set in Nagaland. this book felt like a gentle hug. It left me thinking how ordinary objects can hold pieces of our memories- a kite, a chair, a casserole dish. Each of these objects is used as a connection to some emotions, like moments of love, loss, and letting go. I found myself getting at ease with these quiet and simple yet deeply emotional stories. These stories are reflective and beautifully written. The kind of book you read slowly with a cup of warm tea and your thoughts wandering somewhere far.