Her Resurrection: A Survivor's Journey of Emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption

by Soumyadeep Koley

What is it like to be an unwanted girl-child in India? What is it like to be sexually harassed at a tender age of five? After being tricked and forced into prostitution, can such a woman fight back to emancipate herself from the unyielding shackles of that life, and intermingle with the ‘society?’ Or would she get lost in the sands of time like the ephemeral existence of a sand dune beset by a sandstorm?



So begins Maya’s story in the picturesque countryside of Maharashtra, where she grows up amidst cruelty and domestic violence, being an unwanted girl-child. Yet, like a lonesome beacon beset by sinister wilderness, she pursues her dreams of reaching the stars with her tiny wings. One night, a twist of fate triggers a series of incidents, when she loses everything she had—even her virginity.

Severely traumatized after her father’s death, her mother’s imprisonment, and her own gang-rape, Maya finds herself all alone in the streets of Mumbai, with wolves lurking around for raw flesh. She’s weary, but not wary. She has no sense of the fate that awaits her. What follows, would change her life forever, as also yours, as her heart wrenching, yet inspiring story echoes through time.



Inspired by true stories of survivors and real life events, ‘Her Resurrection’ bravely paints an appalling picture of the society. Heartbreaking, hopeful and immensely healing at the same time, this emotional rollercoaster through dreams, tragedy and triumph is a moving tribute to womankind. Are you ready to embark on a transformational journey with Maya?

Genres: Fiction

260 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2015

About the author

Soumyadeep Koley is the author of ‘Her Resurrection – A Survivor’s Journey of Emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption.’ This debut novel won worldwide critical acclaim, due to its literary style and portrayal of society’s harsh realities. His paranormal thriller,’ The Hitchhiker,’ was awarded the Best Short Story of the Year 2016 by SalisOnline Literary Magazine. As a women’s rights activist, Soumyadeep has worked with Jason Jayology Jeremias, the Founder and Artistic Director of Price of Silence, New York, which employs Performing Arts to bring the global struggle for women’s rights to life. Soumyadeep is a counselling psychologist, and has four years of experience in psychological counselling of domestic violence and rape survivors from India and abroad, through unique mystical and metaphysical techniques.

Reviews

[Archit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-melting tale!

The following handmade picture illustrating the shackles we place on the gender we worship, demonstrates the catastrophic life Maya had! .

A village girl Maya finds herself born in a family that never wanted her. When she decides to get free from the shackles her own relatives created around her, she hopes to see and smile in a better future.

Contrary to her expectations, she lands up on the clutching hands and paws of a stone-hearted world. A world where everyone wears a mask of ice to hide the burning fire of breed fuming inside their heads.

Her journey just begins here.

Situations and events that she never imagined in her wildest nightmares, seem to come real and haunting. She's scared to live, to breath, to say anything. Her voice would be pulverized again and again until she stops knowing how to talk.

Through all these odds, her spirit to get free and live a respectful life doesn't seem to cease.

She overcomes all her fears and is ready to face anything that the world wants to throw at her. She's ready to accept all of it with a smile and confidence.

If that's not inspiring, then I don;t know what is.

Her Resurrection's theme will pierce through your heart a number of times.

The writing style is lucid and brilliantly communicates the feelings beyond grief that Maya goes through.

The writer has successfully penned down a great plot, putting right amount of tragedies and emotions.

Her Resurrection's motive is to provide a sense of responsibility and respect towards women that they have the rights of, and it certainly has achieved its goal.

Verdict : An exceptionally heart-breaking narration!

[Mani Khanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLOT:

In a small town of Maharashtra, begins the story of a girl born and brought up amidst domestic violence and her father hatred for being a girl, a burden. In the journey of fulfilling her dreams of pursuing higher education, she was gang raped. As if it was not enough, her father was killed and her mother was being jailed and she was left alone struggling on the roads of Mumbai with only her High School Mark-Sheet in her hand.

Life for Maya takes an entirely different turn when she was sitting on the bus stop of Mumbai. The whole day till the evening and the dark night, she was a lonely, innocent girl fighting with the shocks she had faced in some days, but as the sun rose, she got transformed into a prostitute.

What worst can happen with Maya after that day?

Will she be able to recover from this deep and dark pit of prostitution?

Will she ever be able to meet her mother after what she had undergone since the time she was being jailed?

Sail through this emotional ride of bravery and resurrection to treasure the wonders that lies in it for you.

MY OPINION:

Positives:

Binding readers’ emotions till the very ending, the author has kept the narration simple but an excellent use of Literature has created a visual appeal, which, somewhere deep down in reader’s heart create respect for the girls who face such situations in life. The boldness and decency in writing he has shown in this book is commendable which is generally not seen in the works of debut authors. The story is unpredictable till the ending and will keep its readers imbibed in it till they finish it off. Besides this, his way of transitioning from one scene to another was good too.

Above everything mentioned in the positives, highest marks will be given to the title and name of the book as they will compel you to pick up this book and read it till the ending to know what lies there in surprise.

Some of the dialogues are wonderfully written which actually touched my heart. One of my favorite from the story is when Sadia says, “We are the scapegoats of the vagaries of men’s desires. When a man is here having sex with us, you know, somewhere in the city, a girl is saved from being raped. We are a bunch of women-soldiers of the country, who give up their lives for the cause of the nation.”

The book clearly shows Soumyo’s vision of a country which respect for its women and their dreams. Also, the respect he has in his heart is reflected the way he has portrayed the character of Maya.

Shortcomings:

Finding negatives from a story that has touched and instigated your soul against this society (who don’t respect women) was one of the most difficult task for me. But still there is some point which I would like to mention. Although, the author has done perfect justice to his story, he could have justified the characters especially Sidhdharth and Shittuppam could have given a proper ending and justice for the ditch and sins they have committed. All these characters lost in between the book under the shadow of Maya and the destitution's she faced.


My take on the book:

Penning the emotional trauma, bravery and dreams of Maya all in a book of 260 pages, Soumyadeep has done a fabulous job in narrating this story, Her Resurrection. It is really commendable that he has chosen such an outrageous topic for his debut novel.

We live in a country where women are worshiped in the form of ‘Devis’, but they are cursed when they take birth in their homes in the form of their daughters. Dealing with one of the most trending and significant topics of women rights, this book will connect with you deeply with Maya’s hardships and will shake you up when you read the instances of her gang-rape and life in brothel.

Prostitution which is considered one of the ill faces of our society has been discussed in detail. Not all prostitutes we come across in life (if any) are doing this with their own will. Many are dragged into this business which becomes a deep unending pit for them to come out from. The society that looks a prostitute with a feeling of hatred and an epitome of cheapness will be found in their rooms unclothing them when darkness prevails. Also, it will be the same society that will leave no chance of reminding them about their past, when they try to get over it not considering how much they have suffered to get out of that hell.

Besides knitting his story on the above mentioned aspects, it teaches us that no matter how worse the world may be, there are still some people who will come in our way giving us most necessary and important reasons to live and continue our journey like Audra, her mother, Daniel, Anjali and Sadia did.

Starting with the hardships Maya faced in her life, the book ended with it too. The only difference in the ending was that, then, she was brave enough to live proudly leaving behind the haunting memories of her past. She has learned that death is not a solution, we are born for a reason and that should be fulfilled for us to die peacefully.

All in all, I just want to raise a simple question that; Why amidst the fight of being a men and women, we forget that we are all HUMANS first? (Answers to this are most welcome in the comment box)

An emotional, awaking journey of bravery and heroism, this will pierce your heart as you unfold its pages and will give you immense strength to get up and move on in life fighting all the difficulties.

Read, Her Resurrection, a Survivor's journey of Emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption to find our all the answers.
FINAL RATING:
Book Cover: 5/5

Plot, language and Literature: 4/5

Character Justification: 4/5

Final Rating: 4.25/5

[Meghant Parmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's only one star that matters. A universe conspires together to let that one star shine or be brittle. The lust to live or the fear of death. The inkling of survival yet medium far from sight. This is how a girl transpired into a woman. From the dusty lanes of a village to the streets of Mumbai she ruled hearts. So what made this girl; circumstances or will power? Who was behind her apathy? How will she look out for herself in a mad hungry frenzy? Will she be devoured or will she rise from the ashes? That's what the story is all about.

Snort it around, turn and twist it, bend and mold it, present it or tear it, the story holds true. It indeed captures hearts from the time the girl sets foot in this world. From the tiniest hues and cries of the family and bludgeoning noise of the society she is ready to tackle all. Her weapons innocence and her limited experience. Trust is secondary with survival instincts predatory. She faces barrage of problems yet she finds tranquil in the darkest of the corners. She cuts corners, left to fend for herself, has fade memories of her past, no swansong future and an uprooted present. The author let her go through the furnaces of hell before bringing out the best out of a girl transformed into a hardened woman. A stoned woman and resilient woman. It's a powerful story with more emphasis on predicament and a way out of it.

The only possible downside of the story is it loses foothold over other characters. Maya's mother could have been given some more space. Her character overpowers the presences of the rest.

All in all it's her story. Solely and wholly belonging to the chastises and justice of the society. Self motivation, driven towards a goal to live and learning from crude and harsh experiences it conquers the fort with resilience. There is a hidden pain to her voice, shards of tears in her tone and shrinking world beneath her feet. But the "yet" factor keeps it alive. For good or bad it is for the reader to decipher but the book bears the brunt of all. The story is a live memoir of thousands suffering and millions conspiring to let them suffer. It's an enigma of a single woman to let freedom be the spoke of her life and let others follow suit. A true bond and mesmerized experience.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toni Morrison, considered as one of the best American writers, popped in my mind while reading it. Most of her works deal with slavery , discrimination against Blacks, both men and women. Most of them also have scenes about rape, inhumane treatment, degradation- something that breaks my heart and gets my dander up at the point I run into those parts.Like Toni Morrison's writing style, Soumyadeep Koley's in his debut is "stripped naked", audacious, full of beautiful and inspiring snippets and thus engaging and compelling. In other words, it can be a candidate for an eye-opening book that can make a difference , not only to India but also to all nations.

Meet Maya, the protagonist, young, ambitious, a daughter of a farmer, but debased by her father as a burden to society. Because of the near rape incident, her father will marry her off to a man older than her. But she will resist;instead, she will come to an agreement with the man's father by letting her be educated first. All she wants is to learn how to speak English and read a thick English book. Not satisfied, she wants to obtain a bachelor's degree, but her husband-to- be, along with his father, will disagree and insult her.Because of Maya's full resistance and determination, the man will gang-rape her resulting in her family's total humiliation and catastrophe. Her father will die after his attempt to kill her , and her mother will be sent to jail. To get out of the prejudice, she will venture out in Mumbai where her life will be more miserable; she will be raped for the second time and forced into prostitution. Also, there, she will have the chance to prove her ability to keep up with men in terms of job. However, since men are superior and women are nothing , she will not get ahead in her dreams. Instead, she will fall short...Her story goes on with more and more miseries, and I can't stand telling them any longer. You read it.

The highlights of the novel are its horrendous rape scenes,prostitution, the protagonist's brave face off with police and her failures to get her dreams, and beautiful snippets. So, hold yourself and take a deep breathe. You might not stand it as you keep on turning the next pages.

The title of the novel perfectly goes with the real concept of the story: Her Resurrection: A Survivor's Journey of Emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption , since it apparently paints a portrait of feminism . Women are still culturally considered lower, decorations, slaves in India's social class. Women or girls who are fully aware of their social position muster up enough courage to break this wall of rotten culture. They make point of surviving the world they don't belong to by standing up to it despite the travails they can go through. In the end, like Blacks during slavery period in America, they will shed blood , endure,suffer until they achieve the desired freedom without discrimination, degradation, prejudice, ostracism, and so on.

The story makes much of rape and prostitution which the author must want to point out that men deluded into virility or sense of masculinity use such destructive weapon to inflict upon defenseless women- something realistic and must be addressed even up to this day , not just by conservative but also modernly free nations.

To make the heart-wrenching story somehow soothing, the novel is also embellished with literary elements such as photography , psychiatry, and psychology which reflect the author's educational and work background, and I don't think they undermine the foundation of the story. In addition , Koely's prose and quotes are absorbing. If it were not his beautiful sentences, the story would be wincing.

Here are my favorite quotes :

“Since my childhood, I've always dreamed to be a soldier. As I grew up and stepped into the twenty-first century, I came to realize that India needs more soldiers not to go to war, but to support the pivotal battle of the nation- to fight for women who have been debased and devolved by patriarchy and misogyny, since time immemorial, in order to reclaim the rights that have always been rightfully theirs.”

“Reality is very hard. Life is harder. It should be worked upon, not dreamt. Dreams should have a place in your mind only in the night, not after you wake up.”

“Time can change everything- from kings to paupers, from settlers to drifters, from lovers to strangers, and from girls to ragdolls.”

“Life is the sum of the choices you make. There’s nothing called destiny, neither anything is written It is the difference between a small ‘yes’ and ‘no’.”

“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Don’t let your past define your future.”

“Some things in life are priceless. They can never be repaid off or repaid with.”

This is a novel we should give a round of thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Heed me folks! You read it. I am sure, you can't bring yourself to proceed to another heart-wrenching parts and end up liking it a whole lot. Then, you will act like a child pulling your friends', publishers' , or writers' crumpled hems to draw their attention to it. He can be a promising writer. I bet my boots.

Congratulations to Mr. Soumyadeep Koley on his debut novel! :)

[Himani Goyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books on the life of women always touch your heart and this book is also in the same category. Wonderful Narration which will never let you put down the book till you finish it. The latter part of the story gives you hope to fight with your problems



Full Review: http://www.himanipassion.com/book-rev...

[Apoorva Bhattacharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Resurrection is one of the most beautiful and enchanting books I have come across so far...

[Komal Priyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congratulations Author for ur debut novel u totally nailed it..
To begin with, One needs a bulk of courage to write such a "sensitive" and "heart-tearing" story, We living in cacoons of our comfy lives are often tend to neglect the dark and crucial site of our society...This book is a sarcastic slap to the society, exposing the ignored realities of sex-trafficking, prostitution, and violence against women...
From Maya's bravery to her "so called burden alcoholic Father"...From Mrs.Rani's Unconditional love to Pawan's,Shittuppam,Praveen's,
Purushottam's,Siddharth's bad intentions ,From filthy life in Mumbai to Photographic life in Jaipur, From Princess to Prostitude , From Damien's selfless support to Destiny's harsh tricks ,To Ramasubban "reviving theories" to "Shimla accident",this books is a Journey from the filthy Dark past to the brighten future...

Highlights of the Book:-

:-If she is virgin she is a candidate for the market of marriage ..(Gross girls are living beans not objects)
:-Wear any sort of clothes that make u feel comfortAble..Liberation lies in your choice so feel free to choose..(Are we really allowed to wear clothes of our choice..as they might say our clothes provoke them to rape us )
:-Women are meant to b submissive and docile..Women shouldn't learn to read and write..Women shouldn't wear western clothes .They should b married as soon as possible..She must live as a living-Puppet of her house before marriage, and her husband's after that..(Can u imagine ur life without these puppets ??)
:-Like every girl,who tries to live on her own terms,get dominated by the society..They could insult a girl any day,but being insulted back by a girl was too much to digest..(Yea she gets raped, molested, teased for what ?? For her own rights for her dignity ??)
:-She loves,she creates,she preserves,yet she is immolated by repugnance and misogyny , we live in a culture where women and even little girls are eroticised for public entertainment..Its impossible to imagine being entertained without women being sexually objectified,movies,item-songs,magazines or erotic literature, yet Men thinks they are superior..What an irony !
:-If girls are raped u blame their clothes by saying she was wearing provocative clothes..What she was doing late at night ?? Can u tell me why a girl of 5 been raped ?? What u said clothes ??time ??...Its just because of some evil heads rapes are so prevalent and ever-increasing
:-People obsess over power, they kill and steal for power,but isn't its strange how time is more powerful than us( Time may heal the pain but it wont b able to wash the scars for ur soul)
:-The positive attitude and strength Saadia has commendable (We are the scapegoats of the vagaries of men's desires..wen a men is having sex with us, somewhere in the city , a girl is saved from being raped)
:-No matter how much wise men might say that money is nothing in life,at the end of the day,world will judge u by the amount of money u wield.
:-Wen ur running away from ur past, make sure u neva look back.If u do you'll trip and fall n the demons would devour u ..
:-A drug addict can rehabilitate but a girl with dark past cant..a drug addict has the possibilities of being accepted by the society but a girl is always judged by this so called "patriarchal society" for her past deeds

Positives :-

:-Loved the authors command over english language truly commendable..
:- Hats Of to the author for taking such a bold step by writing such a sensitive story so beautifully ..

Drawbacks :-
:- That depression part and suicide part was bit stretched..


P.S :-Women see fight, periods,childbirth,abortion,eve-teasing,rapes,violence ,social stigma,breast cancer,Trafficked into prostitution..still why do society stereotype and say that men are stronger than women ??
Everybody wants women in their beds than why not in mothers womb?

Rating :- 4/5

Komal Priyani ❤️

[Priyaanka Batra Harjai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women have always been projected as the ideal image of love, compassion, patience and endurance but to what limit? When this limit is crossed by the beats of the society, she reincarnates -she resurrects! This story is about ‘her resurrection’.

She - the pen portrait of the author epitomizes - womanhood. He has crafted her to bear all the atrocities and hardships that a female could face in her life time and all that a beastly male would impose on her. He provides her with the filthiest profession on the earth, that could be thought of and she accepts it as it comes. Yes, she takes them all – head on (as her crafter expects her to) but only to be resurrected – to a new found purpose with a new body housing new found qualities! Body, yes – the evil term that every single man proclaims to be his and leaves no stone unturned to feast upon it. She was also made one such commodity, one more time but this time, is destined a bit different. All credit and Kudos to artsy FIRST TIME author – Soumyadeep Koley. He has put in deep thought in gifting a beautiful and an apt title to his work.

He is a woman’s rights activist and his dedication is well seeped into his writing skills. The depth of understanding and documenting them into a decent and well-crafted anecdote is worth praise. His writing skills are impeccable and word selection is beyond criticism. Using these skills, he succeeds to claim your hearts and you feel to be an active part of the scenes. You feel as you are taking a holy dip with every single tear drop you shed while reading (you will, I bet). If this is his debut work, I wonder, what all he has to offer to his readers in his subsequent projects!

He has smartly packaged womanhood, violence, crime, rape, misuse and a proposition in life of his protagonist. His story is about her journey of rising despite all odds. She might have decayed after being destroyed; she might have felt maligned after being molested but he chose – her resurrection - a revival from the rot. Maya – the protagonist, might have ended her life or got lost within the dark but she came back – only to be used again but not this time.

In my opinion, the author attempts to make us understand that the act of resurrection brings something meaningful to pain and even death, which wrack the human race. He motivates us to face life’s difficulties and be victorious by finding motive for looking towards harder things in our life. Read it, like a second chance, an opportunity to take up anything that we might have left undone.

Do not consider this book to be worthwhile only for the readers who could be tagged as ‘victims’ but for others as well because it is ‘us’, who do not let them move on with heads high up. This book will help us in rising above mortality and mentally as well through understanding life and its course, at large. He attempts to make us delve deeper into her life and impart a meaning to ours surpassing our limits of imagination. At some places, you might feel the story to be dragged and a bit predictable but a connection of continuity prevails till the last page.

This review would not be complete without the mention of the cover designer – Mr. Ammol Karambe and the publisher – Mr. Pulkit Gupta. They have been working tirelessly to offer quality books published in meaningful covers. This comes as one more round of accolades. Keep going team!

Source: https://booksnewsindia.wordpress.com/...

[Nehali Lalwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you wish to attain something, whole universe will help you in that process. No matter how much life gets tough, stand up, pick up all your broken pieces and move on as the best is yet to come. This is all I learnt from the tale Her Resurrection by Soumyadeep. I have seen people cribbing and crying over their fate all the time but while you read such stories you be thankful to the almighty for being gracious to us and lending us a beautiful life. I have read somewhere, to remain happy in life, count what you have rather than counting on your worries and miseries. This tale inspired me a lot and at the end, I could proudly utter, I am a woman and I’m proud of it.

Thank you for writing such an inspirational tale Souymadeep. You have made each women proud of themselves. Women does so much for men, for their family, for their society but their love and sacrifices are always taken for granted. I wish! I wish someday the scenario would change and women will get all sort of respect and acceptance they deserve to get.

Read the full review at: https://nehalilalwani.wordpress.com/2...

[Ricky Nathaniel Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel is one of its kind. Writer's treatment of gender violence in India is ruthlessly realistic. In every line of it, his sensitivity and sympathy towards women's issues are unmistakable. Add to that his unparalleled literary skills with a fine command over English language and you get a refreshingly new piece from a debutant author who promises to chart out a new path in the realm of English novels of Indian authors. Notwithstanding the sluggishness of the pace of the story at times, this story keeps you glued to its pages through its sensitive portrayal of the fight of its protagonist Maya,an abused Indian girl,and her subsequent victory against all odds, with occasional twists thrown in the middle.The novel is thought provoking and you get a complete worth of your money. Here is wishing the author good luck in his future ventures.

[Deepali Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is a gem - starting with the title it is so strong and so is the cover. I had goosebumps reading almost every other tragedy in the book. the language is strong and hard hitting leaving you with bile in your mouth. it is the story of Maya - her story which is ruined from the start- her house conditions - with his father being an alcoholic and mother being behind bars for a cause which wasn't really all her fault. is a heavy read - teaching us so much about hope and being strong. so many timess you feel that now that she should finally be happy life sets in tragedies over and again for her. so many wrong traditions and human nature is also enlightened in the book. she goes through alot in the story each time she is eroded of her soul and happiness. blurb is also very interesting.

i had tears in my eyes reading the book and by saying that i think it needs to reach out to all the readers out there.

overall - 4.5/5

[Vishal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author explores the underbelly and poverty pockets and it shows his mettle as a writer. The author’s has lent credible nuances and facets to Maya in depicting her dark existence. Her words come as striking and powerful at a time where numerous atrocities are committed on women, regarded not only as inferior but victims of constant verbal and physical assaults.
‘She puts her hand on her belly and whispers to the blowing wind.’ “I’ll not kill you. I have enough strength to be a single mother..if you are a boy, I’ll raise you to be the perfect man who’d be made of love, who’d respect a woman, and fight for the ailing humanity of womanhood..if you are a girl, I’ll never let you come against what I’ve been through in life..ill be your sword and shield.
These are not words but a thunder, striking, that must hit the brains of the horde of patriarchal morons who makes unfortunate statements and look at women as under caste or second citizens.
“One evening, the mother came to the girl with an old, half torn doll, with which the girl played in her childhood..the mother broke the silence, ‘Let’s play bride and groom…the toy got dropped from her hand, and she covered her face as she broke down into tears, her chest heaving.” - It’s a tragedy to see how a woman’s life turns into a half torn doll, robbed of childhood and exploited at every end. Powerful analogy.
The story is dark, poignant and sinister. The character, Maya, a child or woman we encounter every single day in metropolitan cities or in far-flung villages whose hesitate smile or pain hide a permanent wound that destroys their soul every single moment. The sequences are poignant and like an arrow, it pierces your heart."

https://vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com/2...

[Lalima · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is this book all about?

The book beautifully and deeply explains the journey of a girl named Maya. From her horrible childhood to her late depressing twenties, more failures to grand success, heartfelt happiness to immensely painful sorrows. It's about her never-ending struggles. Maya, a village girl, spent her childhood among narrow-minded people, her drunkard dad and her caring but helpless mother. But no one knows about the next thing that can happen to you. Maya's life changed just in a day when her father died, her mother got imprisoned, and her gang rape took place. It was not just a bad day but a tough beginning which threw her away from the dusky lanes of her village to the glittering streets of Mumbai.

Maya finds herself all alone in the streets of Mumbai, with wolves lurking around for raw flesh. Then comes the moment when life hits her hard like a stone, harder like a rock and the hard way possible that no one could imagine.

While leafing through the pages of this book, you will feel the pain, learn how to fight and grow up strong.

Why read this book?

This book is an inspiration to all those who give up trying and a lesson to all those who stop fighting against all odds and bullies. This book will bring you the strength to make your dreams come true. It's a heart-touching tale that emphasizes the realities of a girl's life. I could feel connected with the emotions poured inside the book. The author has succeeded in fetching the attention of his audience through his decent and powerful literary skills. This book will help you to be more responsible and respectful toward the females. Over and above, this book will leave a lifetime impact on you, a positive impact.

[Nishant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just signed up to review this amazing book . At the first glance the cover tempted me to give this book a try and believe me , i have never been luckier , the prologue was enough to anchor me to the book till i completed it in a single sitting this friday !!! (whoah..)
(I rarely do so with novels... )
With the protagonist i smiled and cried . The author's strong and promising narrative powerfully depicted the affliction, the torture , this world had put her through . Yet after closing the book the ghosts of Maya stayed in my heart and made me recall a song from my childhood.
"At the end of a song
There's no one
After the last note is played
Only the memory stays
Then even that fades away
And there's nothing so hard
As convincing your heart
That you should start singing again"

The Carpenters.

Now coming to the PROS:1: the authors mastery over the language is praiseworthy which is rarely so among indian authors .
2: there is a remarkable level of research and courage involved in the making of this plot.
3: the plot is brutally realistic .
4: the cover art beautifully portrays the storyline..thumbs up to the artist.

CONS : right now , i cant think of any cons to write, but the author could have incorporated some drama or subtle fantansy which could have made this fiction " bitter sweet " rather than " bitter truth".

[Shrilaxmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved a free copy of this book from the author.

This book was really inspiring. It's amazing how a girl who is considered a burden by her own family, raped, forced into prostitution and finally on the streets without money or a job faces her life with so much strengh and determination. Life deals her a foul hand but she still finds it in herself to pick herself up and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. But she an only take so much. After a failed suicide attempt, she finds someone who helps her find her life purpose. This book is a roller coaster of emotions - most of them negative but it's hard not to be inspired. The plot and characters are well developed which make this book great to read.

[Sunanda Bhadra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now my review and the critical appreciation of the novel “her resurrection ”

I. Cover Of The Book

a. Front Cover
The front cover of the book is very symbolic. It has a picture of a sombre face of a girl with patches of different colours on it like green, orange, brown, purple, yellow and red. Here, each colour is symbolic and has a meaning. All the colours are connected with the characters and the story of the novel.

Green – Here, the colour green suggests revitalization and rebirth.

Orange : The colour orange is optimistic, uplifting and rejuvenating one’s spirit.

Brown: The colour Brown is related to security, protection, comfort and material wealth.

Purple : It is the colour of imagination.

Yellow : It is the colour of the mind and intellect. It also suggests cheerfulness and being optimistic.

Red: The colour red symbolizes energy, passion, ambition and determination.

b. The Back Cover Of The Book
Like the front cover, the back cover of the book is also very symbolic and blends well with the theme of the book. The back cover has a picture of the desert of Rajasthan along with a fort, wooden puppet and a camel drawn by a man with a woman sitting on it.

The outter meaning of each picture is that the pictures are given since a major portion of the story is set in the land of the desert, Rajasthan.

But as a critical reader I find each picture very symbolic and connected with the story of the novel.

Fort : Fort means confinement. Confinement of a woman in this patriarchal society who longs for emancipation and wish to soar high up in the clear blue sky.

Camel led by a man with a woman sitting on it : It suggests women are controlled by men.

Wodden Puppet : It reflects women are often treated as puppet in a man’s world.

Desert : It symbolises infertility and a waste land. The world as a mound of spiritually dead men who needs to be resurrected soon.

II. Title Of the novel “her resurrection ”

The title of the novel “her resurrection ” written in small letters is very symbolic. As because the English letter Resurrection written in capital letters is a proper noun, a biblical word which means according to Christianity the time when Jesus rose from his death.

Similarly the title “her resurrection ” written in small letters portrays the revival of the main protagonist Maya Singh who represents every woman of our patriarchal society who dreams to be emancipated, a commoner and someone who lives amidst us. Thus, after reading the novel I find the title apt for the book.

III. Sub title ‘A Survivor’s Journey of Emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption ‘

The sub-title blends perfectly with the title and gives the readers a peek to the story in a nutshell. It tells us a story of someone who reclaims, redeems and emancipates herself after every worse situation in her life.

IV. Plot of the novel.

The novel is divided into twelve chapters with a prologue, epilogue and followed by an afterword.

The novel is written partly in the form of an epistolary novel with every chapters beginning with an year in a stream-of-consciousness form. The first chapter begins with the year 1978 whereas the last chapter ends with the year 1998.

The plot of the novel is very well narrated and weaved with a realistic approach. It has an innumerable twists and turns in the life of the main protagonist, Maya . Every chapter comes with a twist and takes a sharp turn in Maya’s life.

The novel revolves around the life of Maya who falls on the thorns of life and bleeds profusely from within since her childhood days when her father thought her to be a burden, when she was molested by Praveen at her tender age, when she was ganged raped by Shittuppam and his men, when she was forced into the flesh trade at a brothel in Mumbai, when she was ditched by Siddharth(her hope and love for a new beginning ), when she had lost her unborn child(her reason to be alive in the solitary world) and the last but not the least when she lost Damien (her redeemer and the guiding angel of her life). But in spite of all these she dreams to soar high up in the sky and emancipate herself.

V. Characterization

The characters are well sketched by the author. Here, in the novel we come across many minor characters along with the main protagonist Maya.

The character of Siddharth is a contrast to Damien.

The characters are portrayed as very real people and while reading the book it seems we know these characters in our personal life with a different name but with the same attitude.

As a reader one is bound to float with Maya. One’s tears will roll down one’s cheeks when Maya is hurt and will be happy when Maya is happy. As each and every reader will feel the pains and pangs that Maya goes through.

VI. Pros and Cons

a. Pros

1. The story of the novel gives out a strong message to the society through its readers that problems are temporary and suicide is permanent.

2. It gives out a spiritual message that every human being is sent on this earth with a particular task and reason.

3. One should not give up easily after one or two setback in life. One should dust off one’s past and constantly strive to reach one’s goal. As fortune favours the brave.

b. Cons

In order to make the novel more substantial the author could mention a few dates along with the years. But never mind it is his personal choice and style of his writing.

Thus, the novel points out the grim reality of the world we live in. I would like to conclude my review with this note that “her resurrection ” is not a novel which reveals just another story. It is an inspirational story which voices on behalf of all the rape victims and prostitutes. It is an eye-opener for every man and woman where the story of Maya knocks our conscience with many spiritual and social messages.

It clearly portrays that the author had done a lot of research before penning down the story.

I would be glad if the book is translated into major regional languages too.

And the last but not the least a salute from the core of my heart to Ms Jyoti Singh and all the victims of sexual violence to whom the novel has been dedicated.

My overall rating for the novel “her resurrection ” is 4.5/5 stars.

I would like to thank the author Soumyadeep Koley for giving me the opportunity to review his debut novel “her resurrection “.

The review given above are completely my views as an ordinary reader and post-graduate in English Literature. I wrote honestly what I felt as a reader.

I wish the author Soumyadeep Koley and the whole team of the novel “her resurrection ” good luck.

Thank you for patiently reading the review.

[Niloy Bose · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is an amazing book to read.and it also depicts the self belief of one's..and the structure of this story is also well.i am very glad to read this book .and special thanks to Soumyadeep koley for giving me the book.god bless you.

[Brithi Barman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazed by every single thing about this mesmerizing tale...
Such an amazing emotional & inspiring journey of a small town girl... The cruel reality is unbelievably penned down in this story.. Loved it.. It will remain a mark on every readers heart 🖤

[Deepali Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review
Soumyadeep Koley’s “Her Resurrection: A Survivor’s Journey of emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption”

Good and bad are part and parcel of life. Everything is not good, and everything not bad. Things have shades of grey, so does people. So it’s in you how you grow with them and out of them. Any moment can bring tsunami in your tranquil world and any other moment can prove to be the last straw of hope in this bleak world. That’s how I would like to summarize this book. I won’t spoil the book for you. But I am sure the book will teach you to believe in yourself irrespective of any odds.

Received a review copy in PDF format, ignoring all the front pages, even the title of the book, I read dedication of the book. I was shocked but at the same time too excited that I willingly ignored all and jumped to the text of the novel. The first paragraph of the prologue caught my attention.
Not here to promote the book. But you must try to read it once.

On an honest note, like for “Flying colours” I ignored the language part deliberately.
It’s a very easy read no doubt, but I would stay silent about other nuances related to language (intentionally ignored, I didn’t want to critically analyse these novels).

You must be thinking as the book caught my attention with a couple of minutes, then it must be intriguing. To be honest, it is not. I knew the “suspense” with first few pages, it was predictable and so was the attempted Chinese box narrative. But is life not intriguing in itself! With each page, each sentence, something new had in store to leave in pool of tears.

But then why I am insistent on the fact that you should read it!!! Reason being, it’s touching. Human trafficking is not something unheard but each time it leaves me wrecked. The attempts of those “sex slaves” to rehabilitate is equally nerve wrecking, because howsoever “modern” we claim to be, we are still judgmental to the roots. The amazing insights of the author… I was afraid that by the time this novel ends I might become Elif Shafak’s Ella who is in search of Aziz Zahara.

The author surely attempted to expose the follies but in one go, from child marriage, to the sorry state of the girl education, to domestic abuse, to the “amazing” thought process of this society when it comes to girls being the reason to the provocation, them being guilty for everything and the girls only asking for things and most importantly, clothing and education becoming the parameter of how ‘modern’ or high-headed the girl is. From moving there to he goes to human trafficking and an attempt to rehabilitate the girl as a ‘normal’ one.

The journey with Maya could have been extremely nerve-wrecking, had the author didn’t intervene time to time or introduced the breaks.
On an honest note, I immersed myself in the story, ignoring every nitty-gritty to an extent, that there were times when I did shed tears. Had these breaks not been there, I really cannot imagine how I would have been.

So, if I have to rate the story, I will initially ignore the basic construction, as I would give just 2 out of 5. But to be really frank, you will not pay any heed to it once you are into the story.
If I have to talk about the narration and all, then just 2, I would give.
But if it is about the journey, about the “novel” thought of author, then it will be 4. If you have read such stories which dealt with prostitutes, human trafficking, domestic abuse, sorry state of girls when it comes to rape en al, then I am sure it will wrench you. I indeed am thankful that I got this copy to review. During the course of reading, my mind kept wandering to the fact that what had author been through, what made him write this and how wrecked was he while writing the manuscript.

To be really frank, just read the novel once. Not to judge how much “literary value” it has, how good or bad is the language or be concerned about any other language, but read it just to for once live the life of this girl, just to understand life.

Life is not a cakewalk. Agreed.
Life is not about being constructed with stones.
Just be a river and make your own path. Just know where YOU live, and live the life that way. Don’t harbor your hopes on one thing/person/memory. Time flows, flow with it. If you got struck, it will be hell. Just know thyself, and love thyself. Everything else will fall in place or you will make everything fall in place.
Read the book, to know why I am saying so.

Title of the book: Her Resurrection: A Survivor’s Journey of emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption
Author’s name: Soumyadeep Koley
Publisher: Gargi Publishers
Pages: 260
Price as on Amazon: 225 INR
Overall rating: 3.5/5

[Deepti · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a sense of hope in the title itself. ‘Her Resurrection’ by Soumyadeep Koley narrates the story of Maya, the girl-child who senses that she is a burden to her parents from the day she was born, but strives to break away from tradition when she decides to study and destroy her fetters.
At boarding school, Maya meets Audra, the Lithuanian girl, who becomes the first friend to “rearrange the broken pieces of her life”. Audra ignites Maya’s thirst for knowledge further, along with a desire to wield a camera some time in life.
Once back home, “no one understood this girl who had small wings, but dreamed and dared to soar high, high up in the limitless skies, beyond the blueness and into the world of stars”.
The patriarchal mindset is rocklike in its inflexibility, and even a sympathetic Kshitij Master, a teacher in the village Primary School, finally washes his hands off her, breaking off her engagement with his son, Shittuppam, as he does not approve of girls being over-educated.
Pune University opens its portals to her as she pursues her Graduation. However, life turns into a living hell for the young girl, as a horrific incident back home, and the indifference of the local police, make her determined to speak out not only for herself, but as “... an ambassador of every woman spanning the globe!”
Her mother stands up, against her alcoholic husband, for her brave daughter, choosing to spend years of her life in a dark cell. Maya is left bereft, and goes to Mumbai with sixty rupees in her pocket, where life gets no better for her as she ends up in a place where “hell and heaven were separated just by five iron rods at the window.”
At various junctures in Maya’s wretched life, a few good Samaritans come in to provide a sense of relief to her – Arjun Singh, the good-hearted police officer, Siddharth who teaches her the rudiments of photography, Damien, her first saviour, and finally the eccentric Dr. Ramasubban, who wins her confidence and seals a pact with her, his only condition being that she has to pen down the story of her chequered life.
Maya’s story is like a rollercoaster, as it hurtles up and down, leaving her in various moods... sometimes determined to break through all the obstacles before her, and at other times leaving her highly suicidal and violent. She always dreams big, but often her past catches up with her, leaving her as helpless as a piece of driftwood caught in a storm. At such times, she descends into a deep well of depression and turns away from a world that is cruel and unrelenting.
The essence of the book is contained in the words of Dr. Ramasubban. “Yours is the story of a life, where, in spite of all the trials and tribulations, you didn’t give away your dignity in the end... a life where you have fought for emancipation from the worldly shackles... and redemption of yourself into the society.”
There is deep restraint and beauty in Soumyadeep’s language. Nowhere does his style turn mundane, even at the lowest points of Maya’s life. He turns into a poet at intervals with lines that resonate. “She wanted to hold still the evanescence of the magic of the world, and lose herself... in the golden aura of the floating Diyas, in the wild flower bathed in afternoon shower... and in the changing colours of nature.”
This is a book that could have taken the tortuous path of low worldly passions, but Soumyadeep’s skilful handling of the subject and his sensitive portrayal of his heroine, Maya, make this a beacon of hope in a merciless world.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the author approached me for a review of this book, I was not accepting any requests due to the back log on my review copies. But I so wanted to read the book because of its premise. The rate of crimes against women may be at the highest right now, and as a woman myself I find the situation around me quite depressing and demoralizing at times. This book felt like it could offer some hope. And so I accepted it.

Maya has only ever known violence and cruelty in her life. Born into a household where a girl child is unwanted, she hasn’t experienced anything otherwise. But things take a turn for worse when she is left to fend for herself while trying to come to terms with her gang rape, her mother’s imprisonment and her father’s death. But her spirit never diminished, not even when she was dragged into the flesh trade business. Slowly and after a lot of struggle does she free herself enough to reach for the stars!

Before there is any confusion, as the author says, this book is a work of fiction but is inspired by many true events. It may well be the reality of some girl from any part of the world. The book does a great job of depicting the reality of today’s generation as well as gives us some hope to hold on to. The myriad of characters bring in something unique to the story and help create the complete picture of our society. There are people who are victimized, there are people who do despicable things, there are people who are indifferent to everything and everyone except for their own needs and then there are people who still take that extra step to help someone in their hour of need. Maya, our protagonist, obviously stands out the most in this book. As I was reading the book, I felt for her and sympathized with her. But mostly I loved and admired her spirit. She is someone who never gives up no matter what life throws at her and toils on. She is brave, stubborn and strong. She is not only a victim, but also a survivor. Even in her moments of self-doubt, one can feel her strength. In short, she is someone you would want to cheer on.

The emotions captured in this book are beyond words. And the best part was the way the author has delivered Maya’s story. It would have been easy for him to become preachy while narrating. But he kept the story going and letting the plot speak his mind and opinion about it all rather than saying it through a speech or something through the characters. The ending is full of hope, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if it was just the part of fiction or whether it was an actual possibility in the real world. The author has kept his language simple and while that made it easy to read, I did wish for some refinement at times. The flow lagged a bit at a couple of points, where I wish that the continuity was smoother. Other than that I had no issues with this book.

[Subir · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Maya is a heart wrenching,painful one...It seems to me women like Maya r born with pain,unhappiness etc...From the tender age of 5 to her age of youth Maya has been afflicted through this disease called rape,prostitution or sex trafficking which Maya has no fault...I think the society needs to grow up when it comes to the subject of women...Women r not for puppets or fun at the hands of men...In fact Women like Maya r treasures n diamonds in every household...Women like Maya r not only talented but they r courageous n intelligent...Fighter to the core...In fact Women like Maya r winners in the eyes of urs truly...They deserve every bit of love n respect in this world...The problem of rape,prostitution n sex trafficking is damaging the entire fabric of our social system...For this the people of our society is mainly responsible behind this kind of massacred which keeps happening to women like Maya every now n then...Women like Maya needs to step up n fight for thier rights when thier prestige,pride,respect n honour is on the line...This peculiar problem of so called rape,prostitution or sex trafficking won,t go easily...We (the people n society) of this country must take a pledge that stuff like these should be stopped at all costs...These kind of things actually brings a bad name to our country,society etc for which every sensible citizen of this nation puts a shame above everything else...For this to happen education is n absolute must when our society views women like Maya...Secondly mindset of the people needs to change...Thirdly empowerment of women should be given top priority for thier upliftment in the society...Lastly Public awareness also goes a long way in solving the problem to a certain extent...The most important takeaway from this story is if one respect women than one can respect humanity...For a developed nation n society one should respect women at all costs...Becoz women r the pillars n backbone of our society...In this day n age Men n Women both r equal..No one is inferior...This truth should be accepted by one n all...Finally congratulations to my friend Soumyadeep Koley for bringing out n outrageous topic which has certainly shiver though the spines of our bones when one actually goes through his emotional roller coaster of a story which kept us all hooked till the end...From brilliant cover design to excellent presentation plus the sensational happenings of this incredible yet sad n painful story which is good enough to bring tears to one eyes...Superb stuff bro...Would like to see another shade of ur personality when u penned down another historic novel just like ur debut venture...Live up to people,s expectation...Keep up the good work...God bless u !

[Neha Tannavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fight against the orthodox patriarchal thinking of the society, striving hard to pursue one’s own dreams, being strong and determined even when life’s adversities knock you down hard, dying thousand deaths trying to make it alive in the world where no one actually cares to know who you are, Her Resurrection, by Somyadeep Koley, is a story of a survivor, a warrior in herself and an inspirational character, who even though had, plenty of reasons to die, yet she was alive pursuing the divine goal she had to achieve.

Although the story is dated back to around the late 90’s, yet this story is sadly, the unfortunate truth for so many women in the world. Although we say the society has progressed, we have got a liberal and more open approach, yet at some point, be it a male or a female, we have come across situations where we have had to fight for what we think we’re capable of, deserving of.

The hero of the story, Maya, hails from a village where educating girl child is somewhat unimaginable, being a father to a girl is considered to be the worst case that can happen to you and god-forbid if she becomes and is sexually abused for hurting a male ego knowingly or unknowingly, that is the last nail on the coffin. The girl, or the female is to be blamed at the end for bringing shame and ill-fortune to the family. The extremities of the situation might be different, but honestly, even today, right from the birth a female has to fight for her rights, even for the basic rights; is been taught to be mum even when she knows she has to speak-up; she is trained to be as submissive as she can be and is at times forced to abandon her dreams just to satiate the male ego, or to save her family. A few brave-hearts who dare to dream are silenced in ways, which will shake you up to the very core of your soul!

Honestly, I cried, smiled, cursed the people, the situations, the sick mentality of the people, I rejoiced with Maya’s achievements, in short, I lived with Maya, what she felt, I felt. This is such a powerful story that I recommend every one, every single human to read. Its not just a story which speaks about the survivor but also is a massive source of inspiration for everyone who at one point of time abandons all hope to pursue further even if they’ve come quite close to their goals and haven’t realized it yet. This book, this story in itself is of immense strength which will fill people not only the females but everyone with strength to carry on, till the end.

Somyadeep Koley, sir thank you for such a powerful story. After Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes, Her Resurrection touched me to my very core. Thank you!

[Kamal Paneru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Point: 4 out of 5
Author: Soumyadeep Koley
Publisher: Gargi Publishers
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9789384382087
Page Count: 260

Platform:
Narration is done about the journey of Maya from childhood to her late twenties, failure to success, happiness to sorrow and patience to struggle. As being the part of village filled with narrow minded people, she faces adverse conditions since childhood. Her own family specially father shows disrespect for her. Time changes and she finds herself all alone and fighting for the survival in the crowd of unknown people and with absence of destiny. Lets come and feel her joy and sorrow with this book "Her Resurrection" and know what would happen with her in journey of better survival.

Strength Of The Book:
An amazing and ignored part of the Indian culture and society is taken which directly involves the presence of women and their survival. Natural appearance is given to the novel by depicting each and every factor very keenly and beautifully. To keep readers away from confusion in prologue-epilogue and story, nice writing technique is used. The line "every saint has a past and every sinner has a future" from the novel is completely justified in the story. Depicted emotions seem very real and make readers to feel the visualization in front. Good ending is given to the book.

Weakness Of The Book:
Story has much fluctuation of interest. At many points, it goes down and does not meet with the originality. The actual turbine doesn't appear with the flow of story. Sometimes it seems story is stretched with unnecessary incidences happened with the main characters. In the second half of the novel, typos appear after every couple of pages.

Conclusion:
By revealing emotions with very deep feeling, author has presented an awesome book for readers. This book promises best entertainment. Touching the heart of readers, "Her Resurrection" is a platform to communicate with the presence of those women who are really forgotten in the absence of help. It makes readers cry and secures respect in their heart for writer Soumyadeep Koley. Cover page and title completely suits to the narration. If you are seeking to have it as a blend of love story and lust, it will disappoint you.

Reviewing Point:
4 out of 5

Review By:
- Kamal Paneru

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[Aditi Ray]

Genre: Literary Fiction

In One Line: Like a phoenix, Maya, the protagonist of this story, rose from the ashes every time she was doused in one.


Characterisation: It is Maya’s story all the way. And yes, she is truly Maya – the power by which the universe becomes manifest. How else can one who has gone through so much make it to where she reaches ultimately? Maybe it’s the ‘woman strength’? Or maybe this is the kind of courage that one develops after one is completely broken. Maya’s character has been so deeply developed that she feels real. While reading the story, more than once, I asked myself whether she is someone who the author really knows. So, here’s a question for him – is she real?

The other characters play their part well. Right from Siddharth – disgusting photographer who turns sissy at the mention of a child, to Maya’s horrid alcoholic father, to her gutsy mother, to the ‘shitty’ Shittuppam, to Damien – her ‘saviour’. Even Sucharita, who is ‘positive’, and who comes into the story for only a few lines, leaves her mark. This might be the author’s debut novel, but I believe, that only when one feels emotionally attached to the subject that he’s writing on and has, in some part of his life, really experienced it, can such writing come out.

Language: The author is a woman’s right activist and it is brought out in the way he has narrated the story. He knows what he is writing about. the way he tells the tale has all the information in place (and sometimes quite a lot of it that’s difficult to digest) and yet he leaves you teary eyed. His writing is a smartly packaged one.

There is one paragraph in the story in chapter 3, where the author describes the places that Maya wants to visit and capture with her camera. It’s my favourite description in the story.

Plot Setting: ‎One reads the city names Mumbai and Jaipur but the tale is so set that opportunities to describe nuances of the cities are minimal. Of course, the Arabian Sea and it’s changing colours that one sees in the financial capital of the country, like always, hasn’t been forgotten by the author. Also, reminders of certain places in cities Kolkata and Mumbai – like the Sonagachi brothel in the former – are starkly brought out towards the end of the story. And it will take more than a strong heart to read through these portions without choking.

More here: https://lovewordie.wordpress.com/2016...

[Divya Ramnath Bandodkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Maya is not any ordinary story. It’s about her fight and her success. Childhood is the time when love and care play a major factor in any child’ upbringing. Maya is not that blessed child. Her father considers her to be a burden. She is not allowed to study. Her would-be father in law shows her some love and sends her to school. Her passion for acquiring knowledge does not leave her at peace. She wishes to go to college. It is when her father-in-law shows his real colors and calls off the wedding. Maya is happy to be freed from the shackles of marriage. But destiny has something else in store for her. She is gang-raped by a man. Yes! The same man who was supposed to marry her. She fights back and as expected no action is being taken against the accused. The village disowns Maya and her family and takes their revenge. Her father is furious and attempts to kill Maya. While in the process, Maya’s mother ends up in killing her husband. She is sentenced imprisonment and Maya is left alone in this world. She decides to continue with her studies. But that hope also dies as she could not concentrate in her studies. She comes to Mumbai to try her luck. Mumbai does not offer her any luxuries. She is being forced in to prostitution. Life plays cruel games with her. What games are they? Does she win her fight against her life?

Her Resurrection is a survivor’s journey. It gives the reader an inspiration, zeal to fight back against all the odds of one’s life. It teaches you that no matter how many dark shadows are lurking in your life, there is always a faint light waiting for you at some corner. Maya is an epitome of love.

An excerpt from the book that I loved the most:

“We are the scapegoats of the vagaries of men’s desires. When a man is here having sex with us, you know, somewhere in the city, a girl is saved from being raped. We are a bunch of women – soldiers of the country, who give up their lives for the cause of nation” (page 89)

The author has done an awesome job by writing this novel. I am surprised to know that a male could portray feelings of a girl so beautifully. The narration was realistic. I enjoyed reading it. Maya is going to stay with me throughout my life.

I rate:

Cover- 3.5/5

Story- 4.5/5

Characters- 4.5/5


My overall rating for this novel is 4.5/5.

[Harshit Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of “her resurrection” is based on journey of Maya, which was full of struggles but she faced all her struggles with full courage. This Story is quite inspiring for me, not only for me. Whoever read this book, will surely get inspired from her character. We all face problems on our life, but we are not as courageous as Maya is defined in this Book.


From the very first page, I felt myself connected with character of Maya. Every chapter is written in the way that it’ll surely motivate the readers. The story was one of that kind from which you’ll never get bored while reading it. Author has done a very good job, in creating such an interesting plot and story line. From the start to the climax, Author’s writing style keeps your eyes hooked on the pages. The starting part in the second half of this book looks quite stretched, this disappointed me but I also can’t neglect the climax which is full of suspense, thrill, love and motivation. I’ll like to say a huge thank to the Author (Soumyadeep Koley) for penning down such an incredible story.


+ Points:

#1. This story of “her resurrection” is unique, served in a very innovative way to the readers.


#2. Author’s writing style has the power to keep readers engaged with his story. It simple but effective.


#3. The main character of this book “Maya” is defined so well that you’ll feel yourself connected with the story.


#4. The cover of this book is very beautiful and catchy and attracted me to turn through its inside pages.


#5. I loved the tagline of this book which is written below title in cover, “A Survivor’s Journey of Emancipation, Reclamation and Redemption.”

-Points:

#1. In this book, I found one editing error in page no-133, 3rd paragraph. (She continued staring at Maya) Form my view there should be “He” instead of “She.”

[* If I did any mistake in identifying the error, then do inform me by commenting below.]


#2. As I’d mentioned above, few scenarios in this book looks too stretched, this may disappoint the readers.

(From my views, everything else in this book is fine. )

[Amita Sehrawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first posted on - Amita's Pen

The Cover:
The cover page is very colourful and has done full justice to the plot. I would definitely pick it up at least once if I see it in a bookshelf.

About The Book:
It's unfortunate and sad for any part of the world to have a fact that 'we have to fight for the rights of a girl child'. It's actually sad to fight for rights of any child irrespective of it's gender. The book takes the reader to a depressing but real world of cruel fate and tearful facts.
Her Resurrection took me straight inside the heart of a an innocent child, a mother, a teenager, a victim, a survivor and the Winner

Imagine a child telling her dream - "...I want to go to school and speak English like Gavaskar".

I was all smiles on reading this. Its was such an innocent yet realistic dream. A dream which subsequently led Maya to dream more.

The story is so tragic and Maya is constantly failing with her luck. Yet the human nature to wish and pray for better is very well visible in the story line.

What I Liked About The Book:
1. The End: though some parts of book were predictable, yet I so loved the end. It was well constructed and beautifully written.
2. The little dreams: The small dreams in the eyes of different characters were so real. Dream to speak English, dream to buy a SLR camera, the dream to own a Camera etc.

What I Did Not Like:
Only flaw I found was that some parts were just left behind without any conclusion. For example the so called court case and something which Maya's mother wanted to tell her someday.

Other than this, I was absolutely glued to the book till end.

[Krishnendra Sanyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rarest book of its kind, Her Resurrection by Shri Soumyadeep Koley is a tragic saga of Maya's life - who after having had a miserable childhood, happened to pass through horrible experiences of atrocities, rape, gangrape and even forced into prostitution. As a helpless girl, with none to stand by her, she could not resist assaults on her body by the miscreants who overpower her everytime. But all these could not destroy her inherent purity and courage of mind. Betrayal by her lover after her conception, and a disaster that follows, shatters her dream of living with her baby; while her utter despondency and frustration results into a suicide bid. A visionary psychotherapist saves her life and instills in her a desire to live for a great cause. At this juncture, a man comes into her life as a saviour. He gives her everything that she needed for a meaningful life - a good job, honour, home, and finally his love, which was to culminate into marriage, but for a misfortune that befalls her. Maya, however did not tield to her misfortune and ultimately fulfilled her cherished desire to finishing the novel of her life.

As a maiden attempt, the young writer Soumyadeep has shown an uncanny skill and remarkable courage in depicting Maya's extraordinary character in his eventful novel. He has very deftly handled the most delicate and sensitive issue of the day - Violence against women. It will however be wrong to generalize Maya's case with all the womenfolk of India. Soumyadeep is a talented and mature writer with humane outlook and interest in social issues. He possesses all the qualities of a good writer, and I am sure, a very bright future awaits him in the literary field of India.

-Krishnendra Narayan Sanyal.

[Aditi Malhotra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has been very aptly dedicated to Jyoti Singh and all the innumerable victims of sexual violence.
It takes you through the tragic journey of Maya,the protagonist of this highly moving and poignant tale.
The author has beautifully captured the ethos and pain of Maya tracing her journey from a young eight year child,a burden,as referred to by her father. From child sex abuse to the rape of a teenaged Maya.The hatred and ridicule of the Society which still considers women as the weaker sex to be lorded over and abused by the so called superior species of man, this book discovers many shades of her persona, beautifully captured in words.
The centre of her strength through these early disasters in life of Maya is her mother who installs a sense of purpose in her.
Maya from a remote village who despite all opposition sets out to realise her dream of education.
The journey takes her to Mumbai where she is forced into prostitution and her subsequent getaway from a brothel to further deceit and abuse at the hands of men to her eventually overcoming her utmost desire to kill herself and redeem and reclaim her dignity form the crux of this moving story. The book literally showcases the cruelty that our society has to offer especially when it come stop rape victims and women involved in flesh trade. But it also shows the power and strengths that every woman possesses and the fact that she can overcome any challenges life throws at her and emerge as true winners.
A very beautifully penned story capturing the pain, the grief and the undying underlying grit of Maya.
A must read.
Grab your copy today.