Marigold - the Golden Memories

by Manali Debroy

Marilyn Monroe once said, “I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes. I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best,” and I couldn’t agree more. Life is like a paradox of love and pain that may never leave each other, but in the end, the coexistence is worth the journey. Striving for the best is human nature, but are you really prepared for the roller-coaster rides or do you give up?

Genres: Short Stories

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2019

Reviews

[Aakanksha Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marigold: The Golden Memories by Manali Debroy is a collection of eighteen short stories. They are woven around love, family, desires, dreams, and realities of life. The cover page is soothing. The blurb didn't give much information about the content, but the prologue will clear the picture.

The collection of stories is inspired by real-life incidents which make them connectable to the readers. Every story portrays a strong and independent female character. The first and last story have the same resemblance, the only difference is that one character left the Casanova while the other one chooses him and live happily ever after. The plot went smoothly, but the characters felt pain and love at the same time.

The language is crystal clear, but the fonts are small, and it makes reading a difficult task. Manali Debroy's writing includes a roller coaster of emotions, and it touches the heart. The stories were amusing and have a deep effect. It is fast-paced. If you like short stories, give this book a try.

Read the full review here - https://www.bookscharming.com

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Marigold - the golden memories' is a wonderful collection of eighteen short stories each with a distinct set of its characters and their raw emotions. Short stories are my favorite and this book didn't disappoint me in enjoying one of my favorite genres. 

The stories are short, crisp, and polished. With no-nonsense narrative, the stories slip inside our hearts effortlessly. While the writing style won my heart, each independent plot amused me with its connection to reality. No flowery language, no fancy storylines - only the truth served beautifully. The cover indeed complements the content with its simplicity. 

The characters and their individual stories filled with love, challenges, ambition, betrayals, strength, pain, vulnerabilities charmed and moved me. The stories kept lingering in my head as I moved to the next. I really felt connected to the heartwarming life stories of Ashley as she waits for someone, Rosaline and Marshall with their sweetest happily ever after, Farah's captivity, Blair's faith in herself, and Joanna's strength and candor. 

If you are looking for beautiful and real like short stories, please do read it. The book has some fantastic stories to touch your hearts and engage your spirits. In fact, if you are just starting out at reading, this one could be a suitable pick.

[Motivationaldailythoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found the paradox,that if you love until it hurts,there can be no more hurt,only more love.- Mother Teresa .
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Title - Marigold the golden Memories
Author - Manali Debroy
Publisher - partridge
Genre - short stories/fiction
Pages - 118
Format - paperback .
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Marigold the golden Memories consists of 18 short stories. Each story is unique and different from each other which tells a lot about author's encounters in life and what she have heard or seen.
My favourite stories of them are -
1) Knock at 1 am.
2) My Icon
Grab yours now and let me know your favourite stories in the comment section. .
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Review -
💥 The cover of the book is calming and soothing just like golden memories.
💥 The title of the book is totally apt and relatable to the content.
💥 The plot of each story is good and different from each other based on the same concept of relationships. Human emotions are very well narrated by the author.
💥 The language used in this book is simple and rich in vocabulary.
💥 Characterisation is done well and one can easily relate to the characters.
💥 I really liked the concept of the book and the prologue given at the beginning. 💥 The flow of each story is well paced which keeps the readers hooked till the end.
💥 Overall,a satisfying read.
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Rating - 4.8/5
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I highly recommend this book to all who love reading short stories.

[Sourav Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marigold the Golden memories is a collection of 18 short stories. I just loved the book. The book is full of emotions. Specially I loved the story - "The only Escape".
Some stories are really relatable, the narration is up to mark but some are ordinary. The narration could have been more better.
The characters are really strong that is one of the plus point of this book.
The readers can relate some stories from the book.
The language is lucid and clear.
The cover is light and beautiful.

[Pungidasa Pungidasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a precursor to greater accolades to arrive

Manali, this book is a beautifully written book. I just loved the way the story rolls off, its very well portrayed. The character's are chosen beautifully, the endings are crafted wonderfully.

There is a charm to these stories, that make you want to come back to. Some of them made me teary eyed. ( May be the best compliment i can give a writer) .

The next time we meet, I need an autograph.

[Monika Satote ( Monikareads_ on Instagram ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marigold: The Golden Memories by Manali Debroy is a rich collection of short stories that one can read while sipping a cup of hot tea on the rainy days. I needed something calming and refreshing, and this collection came to the rescue.

This book consists of 18 short stories with differently flavoured themes, characters and life lessons. All the stories are crisp and very well written. Each story starts with a meaningful paragraph that conveys the importance of a particular thing in our lives, and then the story orbits around the same. What I liked the most is, none of the stories come with whitewashed situations. To the point narration and simple language help you engage with every story with the raw emotions attached to them.

The characters from these stories are relatable and deliver the message that we all are equally vulnerable to different kinds of challenges in our lives. All the characters and circumstances seem real. There is no filter. We often need stories that strike the reality. I feel great when simple stories make a place in your heart and remind you of the essence of little things in your life.

The cover and title very well match with the stories inside the book. The stories are empathetic and colourful and also gives you homely vibes. Most of the stories serve the purpose of an emotional experience and leave you pondering, but I found some stories to be very short and little sprinted. There were some points where I wanted to know more, but the story ended with a conclusion. I know that’s how it is supposed to be in short stories, but I wanted more from some of the stories, especially in those that came with puzzling situations. It is the only shortcoming, but I am so glad that none of the stories seemed incomplete. I can surely say that, these stories will stay in my heart for a long time.

If you want to read something short and warm, I recommend this book to you. Also, this will be a suitable read for the people who are trying to get back to reading or maybe stuck in a reader’s block.

[Urvi (thekitaabkhaana) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.8
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Stories about people. People we meet, people we don't meet, people who are mysterious, people whom we know, people whom we don't know. How fascinating is it to read stories about people? How interesting does a short story become when it's people-centric? Tales of love, heartbreak, a person who's gone, tales packed with emotion that's so strong, tales that will stay with you forever, stories that you'll tell people around you and they'll find
those relatable.
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This book revolves around people. It's for the people, about the people. It's an exciting ride to read these short stories by Manali Debroy in her book 'Marigold - the golden memories'. In a beautiful prelude by the author, I was enthralled by her words, her writing style. The way she expresses herself into words is beautiful. In a collection of 18 short stories, my favourite has to be 'Crossing The Bridge.' She weaves emotions , builds characters and incidents that feel so real. I must say that the characters are people. Real people. I was able to connect with a few as well. Somewhere, someday you come across people who never leave your heart. They become stories and you gather them into a book. That's exactly what Manali has done; reminiscing memories, remembering people and writing stories.
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Usually, I enjoy reading short stories and that's one reason why I enjoyed this book.
One of my favourite genres, well-built characters and a good narration style proved it to be a nice read for me. I really love how the title has the word 'Memories' and it feels so apt.
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If you're looking for a book that's fictionally non-fiction, it is this. Realistic fiction is something that I enjoy reading and that's a major reason why I loved this book. If you're looking for short stories, a good Weekend read , this has to be the book.
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Happy Reading and enjoy!

[Deepan Maitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Marigold: The golden memories” is a set of sun-tanned, gleaming and vintage short stories that perhaps allows the author Manali Debroy to narrate her experiences through the eyes of fictitious characters. Very strangely, an inherent quality of this anthology was the sense of yellowish tinges that somehow seemed to surpass all. Starting from the word ‘marigold’ in the title, to calling the memories ‘golden’, as well as the vibe of the stories—it was all very warm, sunny and bright. I love these kinds of vibes that loom large as a repercussion of the concepts mentioned in the book. I do not know whether this is a quality of the book or a figment of my own imagination. But even then, I thought of mentioning this to serve as a prelude, if you choose to read these stories.

Manali Debroy instils a sense of homeliness and serenity into her stories, making them sound familiar and close. Family, friends and mutual relationships form the basic framework of the tales she weaves, which elevates her concepts to a very everyday setting. Manali constructs her characters without any disguise, and portrays them as perceived—raw, flawed, forgiving and loving. The innate quality of understanding human emotions, and analysing human behaviour based on context: it comes as an afterthought of this anthology.

The author’s sincerity and honesty coat the stories with a tinge of inspiration and relatability. She hasn’t tried to feign emotions, or hasn’t tried t swerve reality. Rather, these stories speak to us with all they have, good or bad, white or black. The settings of the stories, combined with the way the characters move in and out of the storyline—it makes way for a very crisp yet riveting narrative. The narration, on a larger perspective, is extremely simple and unhindered, and preserves the traditional spirit of storytelling.

The characters sketched in the stories comes with a sense of familiarity and empathy. Manali hasn’t indulged in crafting characterizations that are unconventional, but she has emphasized on the staunch ordinariness of them. The characters do not seem to have any starkly unique attributes, nor do they put up contrasting ideals. Mostly, they swim about in the vicinity of what is usually seen and experienced by common men and women, in their everyday walks of life.

Manali also has tried to incorporate a theme of unconditionality and constancy in the concepts she has chosen to write upon. She harps on human faith in what cannot be seen or analysed, but can be felt and perceived. Nowhere do we find streaks of pessimism or cynicism in the thematic representations. Additionally, hope and light and righteousness speak between the lines.

Some of the stories came off as a tad too short to me. They often ended without touching upon the ultimate climactic situation, and thereby felt like they have been hurriedly executed. The context of the story was predominantly streamlined and crisp, but even then, a little more adherence to storyline establishment and plot exploration was expected. The events and dilemmas were getting diluted before the crescendo has been reached, and more time could have been given to have the flavour of the story to be soaked in. It will be false to say there weren’t critical moments, abrupt crises, dilemmas and hubbubs—but it all kept appearing to be simplified and toned down of its adversity. As a book that hopes to be very lifelike and fascinatingly narrative, this shortcoming was bugging. Overall, the reading experience of the stories was very speedy and to-the-point, without much opportunity to delve deeper into it.

Disclaimer: This review is in lieu of a review copy

[Farha Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely one of the best read of 2020 for me.
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This book is a collection of 18 short stories which are so good that my words will not be enough to describe the beauty of this book.
It has some of the great, crisp short stories which actually makes you think a lot. The author has poured her life lessons and had tried to preach some great things through her short stories. The stories are breathtaking and can actually make you seated with the gripping writing style. The cover is soothing as
well. The stories are simple but what makes them so engrossing is the fact that they are deep with a compelling narrative. The Characterisation is done well and one can easily relate to the characters. I liked all stories a lot, my favourite being My Icon, The only escape and Happily ever after. Each story taught me something different and these lessons will be carried forward for the whole life. They taught me how to love the right person, what love actually is and many things. The writing style of the Author is more beautiful than words could describe. If I have to gift a book to my friends and even my younger self, this is the book that will be on my list.
Thank you Manali Debroy for writing this.

[Sree Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marigold the golden memories is a book compiles 18 different short stories. The short stories are writtened on the basis of human life's it covers topics like love, emotions ,dream, happiness etc. This book is something different from other short stories collections because each story start with a prologue instead of introducing the character in the beginning. So it's the highlighting point in this book Marigold.

The author have penned these stories by taking the characters which she met in her real life and got impressed. It is not the stories writtened on some blank imagination. She wrote it with her experience which made the stories more realistic.

The cover is so beautiful and attractive. I loved it. The same way the stories also beautifully crafted without having unnecessary explanation. It interact with the readers and in some places or in some stories we can relate with the characters. The writing style of author is very good.

The language is flow and easy to read and understand. It is also suitable for very beginners. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's really interesting and gripping. A best time killer and page turner. I recommend this book for all short story readers and lovers. Worth spending time on it. So go for it.

[Aswathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Marigold the golden memories" is a collection of some amazing short stories. The first thing that attracted me to the book was the cover.


Like the cover, the short stories are amazing too. Each short story starts with an introduction from which the reader gets an idea about the theme of that particular short story. All the short stories are entirely different from each other and they deals with different topics like love, heartbreak, self respect, dreams, family relationships, ambitions, mystery etc. Some stories will make you happy whereas some stories will leave you surprised. Some of them will make you sad whereas some of them will make you think.


Through the stories, the author has tried to give some important messages/advices which could be applied in our everyday life. The writing was really simple and Lucid. The font size was small. As I have already mentioned, the way of narration was pretty unique. Overall it was an interesting read.

[Anuj Tiwari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love reading short stories. This book is really a masterpiece in this section. Most of the stories are based on love. It tells you about what real love is.

You will feel a lot excited while going through the stories. There are several views mentioned by the author. You will enjoy the emotions that you will feel while reading the book.

The author has tried to motivate us as well as teach us some life lessons while narrating us amazing short stories. The narration is very good.

The book is filled with emotions and desires. You will get to know about the woman empowerment and struggles in this book.

By concluding I will say it's an amazing and worth read. It will provide you with the quality for the money you spend on it.

[Ishan Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories has been my preferred genre especially in the times when my TBR list is growing at a rapid pace. These little pangs of emotions have the potential to captivate reader's attention in a very short span.

"Marigold-The Golden Memories" by Manali is a brave attempt in weaving stories around strong female characters in a straight forward, no nonsensical approach. Every story bears uncanny resemblance to real life characters and it's beauty lies in the fact that all tales gives the reader an impression that they are somewhat linked yet different.

The title is quite unique and cover page is simple yet exhumes peace. The font size should have been bigger as it's straining for eyes especially for my parents to read the book. The characters are sketched perfectly and feels so relatable.

All in all, an amazing book, which I shall certainly rate amongst the finest short story reads I went through this year.

[Sushma | thegeekybookreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Marigold the golden memories’, just the title of the book, brings a smile to my face. It is a collection of beautifully written 18 short stories, and I must admit I loved every one of them. Every story starts with a context that provokes the reader to think. And I loved how each of these stories was so distinct yet connected at the same time. The writing was simple and lucid, but impactful considering the author is a budding writer, and her simplicity with words is worth noticing in each of these stories.

Although some of the stories felt the same and obvious, some others left a deep impression on me. Especially the bonding between Arya and her mother in the plot of ‘The unforgettable’ left me heartbroken. The Character development was top-notch, and nowhere I felt that it was just a story, but rather, I was living the life of each of these characters in their stories, and that says a lot about the author and her writing. Adding to this point is the strong female protagonist plot in the majority of the stories, and that itself has made me love this book even more.

The only thing I wish the book to improve further is with editing and proofreading, as there were quite a few mistakes to be unnoticed. I am not sure if it was just in my copy or with every other book printed, and because of this very reason, the reader in me was getting distracted every time from the reviewer in me. Nonetheless, after all the heavy reading with ‘the book thief’ novel, this book came as a boon of fresh air to my lungs, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Since it's just 120 pages, one can finish this book merely in one sitting. Recommending this book to all budding readers and also to those who wish to have some light read.

[Sonam Nagpal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marigold is a collection of 18 short stories on mutitude of topics ranging from dreams, desires, love, ambition, and so on. Each story carries a meaningful message for readers, in the form of a story emulating it by the end. I liked the stories, below ones being my favourites:

A premonition or a dream - This was a great one. Gave me the spooky, october feels. A perfect Halloween month read 👻

Happily Ever After - I loved this story of eternal love. This one almost had me in tears. ❣

The only escape - Intriguing and a captivating story of the desires, and demise of a young dream. 💔

The seat beside the window - This one had a really great plot, which I personally feel can be materialized into a good, thoughtful full fledged novel. 🙌


The rest of the stories however were bit of a miss. Though I liked the message in each, the execution to convey it didn't strike a chord with me. I couldn't feel emotional connect, and for many of the stories, felt like they were concluded too soon in a rush without giving any real substance before ending them up.

The writing was lucid, but I wish there was more to offer by the other stories as well.
I did like reading all the stories though, and having loved few, the book overall was a middle ground for me!

[Manvi Narang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Manali Debroy's book Marigold The Golden memories is a collection of 18 short tales that traverse your mind and soul and captures voices with all their nuances beautifully!

The book starts with a poem "One Wine Day" and from there on flickers with charisma into different genres giving out an amalgam that deals with family dynamics, relationships, love, death, future and what not. The stories are intricately woven around the characters that Ms. Manali knew in her life, introducing them to the readers in their raw and vulnerable form with full authenticity. This book will make you relive your past in a way, and it has something for everybody, you won't feel left out while gorging this beauty. You may find atleast some of the stories served with a dash of relatability to you!

Talking about the writing style of the author, the book is written in a simple and easy to understand way, so if someone wants to start reading a book, they can totally go with this one!
What really impressed me about the book was the myriads of subjects it deals with and the impressive breadth of the themes. The synchronisation of the stories was also on point with the Beautiful narration! Even the prologue was gorgeous!😍

While reading this book, I was hoping for some different endings to a few stories or maybe for them to go on further which I felt was missing. Moreover I felt that some of the stories weren't from a very unique perspective. But overall, it still made a very sweeet read!

To be Honest, it's title was the one that made me pick the book up, it's not often you come across a title named 'Marigold', so I read it's blurb and checked out the book! The title and the cover totally go with the stories and all the sincerety that it offers you!
Do give this book a shot if you want to begin reading or you want something to read on a shot on a lazy Sunday evening!

My Rating: 3.8/5🌟

[Solitude and books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 18 short stories by banker cum authoroess 'Manali Debroy' , revolving around scenarios that carry intricate human emotions craved into tales within 113 pages only.
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The book starts with a quote of Mother Teresa :
I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts there can be no more hurt , only more love.

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The cover is minimal and pretty.
She has mentioned that the tales have characters inspired by her real life encounters with people who shared their part and few have some of her experiences blended in.
What I liked is that every story had an intriguing title and the first page contains thoughtful philosophical touch after which the plot basically started. Narrative style is good.
Stories are fast paced.
The situations and characters with in only few pages are described indepth.
Some stories have backdrops inside India, few are settled outside.
The first story had a catchy title but it didnot make a path to my heart.Felt ordinary but The crossing of bridge i.e., the second one was interesting and had good mysterious plot.
Few stories similarly felt heart touching , emotionally engaging and some felt little bland.All readers have their own likings :) so do I.
All in all for me it is a 3.8/5 read.
This is priced at :

I thank authoress for sending in her book for honest review . Views are my own thoughts.

[noorthebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

MARIGOLD- THE GOLDEN MEMORIES.

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only love. "- Mother Teresa.

Life is like a paradox of love and pain that may never leave each other, but in the end, the coexistence is worth the journey. Striving for the best is human nature and life is a rollercoaster ride, we need to be prepared for.
"Marigold" is a beautiful compilation of short stories. There are 18 short stories, a total of 132 pages but a quick read. "Short- stories" is a piece of prose fiction that can be read typically in a single sitting. It is written with the intent to invoke a single emotion. A very interesting genre indeed. It is easy to read them because they demand very little time to invest from the reader. They are crisp and succinct. Instead of playing with a range of plots and emotions, a short story focuses on conveying a single experience.
Writing a short story is not easy as it involves, saying a lot, convincingly, in a few words. The author, Manali Debroy, says this book tells a lot about her own encounters in life apart from what she has heard or seen.
" It is not very common when your emotions do find words, and when they do, it is well advised to draft them before the memories are lost in time. "- Manali Debroy.
There are a total of 18 engrossing stories, in this book, each different and unique from the other, conveying a precious emotion or life lesson. The plot and the characters are well sketched and portrayed.

" At the end of the day, it is always about the love that you feel from within." The first story talks about perceptions and true love. There's wine, a Casanova and loads of emotions to make the story interesting and heart touching. It is a beautiful love story, about true love and conveys that our perceptions about a person can be wrong too because the outer appearance and demeanour does not define the true self if a person, perfectly.

"Sometimes you lose the reason to expect. Sometimes you lose the trust in your expectation. Sometimes the want of expecting hollows you from inside. But still, you never stop loving, and you wait because you never know love to be an illusion. You believe it to be the truest of all." This is a heartrending story of childhood love. It talks about true love, expectations and marriage. It also touches a very important characteristic of human nature, our ability to put on a mask to conceal our hurt, our true emotions.

Nicole said, ‘Yeah, Ash! The only spooky thing here is that this was the exact dream me and Fran had last night.'- an excerpt. This story is very short but touches a very interesting concert of premonition and dreams. Can dreams be real? Can they be true? Do dreams convey anything? Are premonitions true? This story answers all these questions.

"Does ‘happily ever after’ go beyond life? What happens when one embraces death and leaves the other in the ocean of life to struggle alone and strive for living all alone. Does ‘happily ever after’ go till eternity?" This story gives one an experience of soul-to-soul love and explains the true meaning of Happily Ever After.

"Ever wondered what sacrifices and separations really mean? How do people really have that strength to persuade themselves for the separations that they believe would be best for their loved ones, sacrificing their selfish desires for the sake of their love?" This story talks about love, marriage, misunderstandings, priorities and reconcilation and accepting one's mistakes.

"Often lying in the same place and position, she used to think about what life was still trying to communicate with her, and why she was still alive."- an excerpt. This is an interesting story about journalism, the risks and obstacles they face, about friendships that get smitten with jealousy and of course, true love.

Almost all the stories have the strongest emotion, " love" as the underlying base.
"How does enlightenment come to you? Or how do you get enlightened and follow the righteous path that is chosen for you? And what is that righteous path that is chosen for us? And who chooses this path for us?" This story talks about dreams and our mortal idols who shine in the limelight. But the reality can be very different from what we see or perceive. It gives a reality check and ends on a thoughtful note.

In the words of Joyce Carol Oates, ‘In love, there are two things—bodies and words.’- an excerpt and another beautiful gem. This story begins with a poor family with a drunkard, abusive father. The protagonist is ambitious and works her way to her dreams and achieves them, irrespective of the path she takes. The later part of the story says how even when we feel we have realised our dreams- our destination, we can still feel stranded and have to start again.

Solitude is meant to be a peaceful space—but what do you do in that period? This story highlights how digital world has entered and taken over our lives. It also hints how we start taking each other for granted in a relationship and how our priorities change because of work, ambitions etc.
Each story is unique and perfect in its own way and ends teaching us important life lessons.

Every time when you think that it is over for you, life finds a way to surprise you. This story brings to light that it's okay to follow your dreams and work towards it, but it was also important to listen up to the people who have made you what you are today. So be happy about your success, but don’t act like a dividing wall between you and your future goals.

"You have always been good enough". This one discusses how girls are questioned and judged with respect to their "marital" qualifications that is their ability to cook, their work preferences etc.

Similarly, there are total 18 stories celebrating life and giving life lessons. The emotions involved are intense and relatable. The plot and storyline is realistic. The book, in totality, forms a quick and insightful as well as an enjoyable read.

[Yuva Ranjini · Rating 4 out of 5]

What'd you expect from the book you read, regardless of genre or hype of the author as it creates in the promotion? Fantastic narration? Mindblowing sense of story? Smooth pace? If asked, I'd say, I’m up all for no cliché story with simple narration is my scoop. In that means, Full credit goes to the author for this book which creates a hum in your heart while you devour each, and every story she had penned declining the minus side of the world. The author has focused on narrating on the things only with which she could affluence the reader's mind, obsessively efficient. The stories she wrote in here are very cheery kind yet detailed the delicate parts with so much attention and attenuation. This book has 18 different stories that contain from what she experienced to what she witnessed or heard, so far. The stories mainly cover themes like life, love, betrayal, sacrifice, identity and contentment on the whole. Every story has its own way to deal to bring out the moral without diluting the very essence of rationality in the process.

To be honest, I have never griped over while reading this book, for it is so charming and astounding. Normally, segregating the theme or storyline would be hard for me, given the narration style - as most of the times it'd either dwells into the insights deeply, leaving you no choice. Or the rich vocabulary usage will be felt monotonous. But to my surprise, every story encapsulates with so much ease and without divulging the moments that made this read so satisfying and sensible. The following quote is the proof from the Crossing the Bridge that sums up perfectly poignant the gist.

“Sometimes you lose the reason to expect. Sometimes you lose the trust in your expectation. Sometimes the want of expecting hollows you from inside. But still, you never stop loving, and you wait because you never know love to be an illusion. You believe it to be the truest of all.”

And how do we know about what life has in its store for us? Mere questioning and wondering are entirely different. Knowing the outcome through the experience or let it go is the way you choose when life butters up with constant inner struggles. Down the lane you read all about the life, love and all tasting unseasoned and sweet delicacies, You’d feel a sudden jerk when skimming over the story “A Premonition or a Dream” - Like witnessing the urban trails with classic horror vibes. I mean what-a-composition was that amid such a relatable flow of the tales. “Happily ever after” deals with the reiteration kind of not-so-heard happy ending sort of Rosaline and Marshall story which gives a different perception to me. “A persuasion letter to self” made me see the failure of materialistic things and realise the light it throws through Riley and Gordan’s life.

Coming to The seat beside the window where the author penned down the life of Farah, Emily and Daniel revolving around the war journalist captivity. The philosophical reach in this quote gives us a deep insight into the content. “Often lying in the same place and position, she used to think about what life was still trying to communicate with her, and why she was still alive. The hope of life or the determination to live seemed like an unknown truth that she was forced to live.”

I love the enlightenment that The Only Escape presents via the Cheryl and Naomi life about the societal pressures and corporate life have it on us as the following sums it up: “One question leads to another and the other to another, and it just goes on till the human brain reaches that rationality where the heart directly speaks to the mind to follow the instincts that it feels.”

A Silver gown is about the Self-made woman story that grapples the region pleasantries and culture etiquettes that preaches us - as long as we have our will and power, we would definitely soar up high. What I loved the most from these stories are: Do you work?, The Food Truck Guy and The Chocolate - where the protagonist's lives make us believe in the power of Love, Passion and Perseverance once again amid the trials of life. As far as the story The Label concerned, we often reel away from the importance of our feelings and thoughts away due to the societal pressures and people around us. But in this, the author has explained how crucial it is to be and big time to know and composed regardless of the fellow nature and their orientation. I love how she embedded the core of her thought via this:

“Identity is not just a public representation of yourself but a definition of your personality. Identity is to accept what you are rather than veiling it with shame from society or pretending to be someone else. Think about it— if you do not really accept your true self then how would you even defend a framed identity in front of this unknown world? It is a fact that no one knows you better than yourself; hence, you can defend yourself better than anyone else. But if you are framing a different identity from your true self, then you are the weakest person to face societal attacks.”

On the whole, It is so engaging and fun though you witness the authors' unique style of substances and slangs profoundly, you will not feel the lack of enthusiasm definitely. The sense of learning and spreading the positivity from the characters and the bases of opinions she builds are the most prevailing in here more than what we construe. The stories composition and language usage are pitched perfectly. Only let-down I felt was the depth of the examples got lost in the mazes of context, un-thoughtfully of at certain instances when I perceived at the end. Maybe adding one or two another genres in between would have been better. Nevertheless, My expectations are completely satisfied, given the random lining up of stories that were carefully woven, one by one.

[SAMVEDNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories, each with a significant enchantment surrounding it. The essential touch of emotion completes the stories the author has woven, encompassing relationships, incorporating moments and memories.
All with the ink of emotions, all for the stories of life.
The author has remarkably kept the narration simple, and in simplicity touched the heart of the readers and has been successful, mostly in conveying her mind and heart to us.
Some stories shall get you thinking, while some have been thought of.
The decent blend of characterization and narration is the most attractive part of the Stories.

My rating: 3.8/5
2w

[Mehaque Khanum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marigold by Manali Debroy is a collection of eighteen short stories.
The cover too is subtle, simple but nostalgic and endearing.
Most of the stories are those which we can relate to our everyday life. And I'm sure out of 18 stories, anybody could relate to a single one at least. Very well written with proper grammars and nice endings.

My favorite stories of them are -
* Knock at 1 am.

I would highly recommend everyone to read this book as it touches something deep with few words and sentences. It was a pleasure to read this and would love to read more from this author. Good work!

[Akhila Saroha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books become a pleasure to sight the moment readers set their eyes on them. They are tempted in the very first instance to see and check what the book could be about. If the book matches their expectations, it becomes a memorable reading experience for them. Such is the air of Manali Debroy’s work, “Marigold- the Golden Memories.” As soothing as the title sounds, the cover matches the serenity it gives, and the readers are already in the world of positivity and are ready to read the work right away.
The blub of the book shares an interesting line as it says, “Life is like a paradox of love and pain that may never leave each other, but in the end, the coexistence is worth the journey.” This supplies the necessary information that the tales by the author are not mere fragments of her imagination. They are rather born from her thoughts, experiences, and feelings that she has had in her lifetime so far.
Debroy begins her collection of short stories with a prologue or prelude wherein she makes an interesting comparison of short stories and novel writing to different stages of life, and the readers can’t help but agree with her words. This also gives an introduction to the insightfulness of the author and her close observations of life and abstract things. She writes, “This book of mine tells a lot about my own encounters in life as well, apart from what I have heard or seen.”
After this, the readers are ready to embark on a journey of the 18 stories of “Marigold- The Golden Memories” that the author writes. She is very careful and selective in giving titles to her stories, which altogether make them have a grip on the curiosity of the readers. This factor also contributes to ensuring that the readers go through her stories once before concluding anything.
The stories may be born from the author’s experiences or her perspectives of the various events in her life, but what the readers can not ignore is the truthfulness with which she portrays both emotions and characters. The feelings shown in “Marigold- The Golden Memories” are raw, close to life and easily relatable for the readers. Debroy constructs her characters in a manner that they seem to step out of the canvas of the text to make a more substantial presence in the hearts of the readers. This is one of the critical factors that makes them unforgettable. The other salient factors that make their contribution include the variety of themes that the author addresses. These include love, life, friendship, the realities confronted by human beings, and the problems in the lives of people. Such themes reinforce the fact that life is not simple or easy for anyone, and it certainly is nowhere close to a fairytale. It takes hard work, perseverance, and persistence to make everything work and bring it close to perfect. These in-depth observations make the book recommended reading for everyone no matter whatever field of reading they are into.
Every story that the author writes has a unique individuality of its own. The stories like “A Persuasion Letter to Self,” “Happily Ever After,” “A Wedding Parasol,” and others speak volumes about the author’s experiences and her close observations of life. Apart from these, other stories are also equally memorable for the readers and they have their own impacts on the minds of the readers once they have finished reading them.
The language used by the author is friendly to the vocabulary of an average reader. Since the genre is of the short story, this makes the book an open reading to all those who intend to venture into the world of reading and those who like to read quick content. People who are into fiction reading would find “Marigold- The Golden Memories” holding on to their interest in an effortless manner. Every reader should try reading Debroy’s writing after her maiden attempt in poetry writing in her collection, “Twists and Turns of Life: As it Surprises You..” Her poems like “Why?” and “Crossing the Great Divide” give an introduction to the artistic bent of mind that the author has. The readers can only expect anything to be in store for them that the author has to offer. Debroy has been into blogging and writing for a long time, and “Marigold” shows the maturity and enhancement of the artistic talent she has. Readers who have gone through “Twists and Turns” would agree to this and have the same observations. Although both works are of different genres and comparison would not be the correct thing to do. Yet, the readers are bound to find both books equally interesting, enthralling, and having the potential to hold on to their interests.

[Mrs Javvad Hasan Rizvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marigold: The Golden Memories🌻

By Manali Debroy

Pages - 132

Genre - Short Stories

My Ratings - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

Synopsis - Marigold🌻 The Golden Memories by Author Manali Debroy is the book that consists of Short Moral stories. There were a total of 18 stories in this book which is not more than 3 to 4 pages long. You can complete the whole book in very less time with some strong coffee and snacks. Out of All my favorite one was the Happy ending of Rosaline and Marshall in "Happily Ever After", the infatuation between Vivian and Rachel in "The Unattended Kiss" and the vow between Ashley and Henry in "Crossing the bridge" and some more. Each story is either Emotional or surprising at the end but every story have some spiritual Moral which gives us inspiration and makes the book a more intriguing read.

Review - I Choose this book as it comprises of Short Stories which is my favorite genre to read. I would like to Thanks to the Author for giving me the opportunity to review her Book. I received this book 3 days ago and I am so curious to read it. The first look of the book is very pleasant and beautiful which makes me obsessed to read it as soon as possible. I personally explore the title of all stories and I start to read it from the last Story "The unattended Kiss" and from that story, I speculate that the book is very beautifully written. The second one which I read after the last one was "Happily Ever After" I personally never read a book series wise which comprises of short stories. I am glad to have this book on my shelf and I would definitely like to recommend this book to every reader to read and enjoy the shortest stories with powerful endings.

The title of the book is very beautifully chosen by the Author which clearly depicted the content of the stories. The book is written in that way to recalls Golden memories of one's life, even you can start to remind your Golden memories by reading this short book.

The Cover design of the book is very beautiful and mesmerizing that anyone can grab this book by looking at its cover.

The language was easy to understand by any readers of any age, the book is perfect for all age groups from teenage to old age anybody can read this book and enjoy the short memories from the different protagonists. The font style of the book is also fitted with the content very well.

The narration of the book is lucid and smooth. The author plotted every detail in very apparently in the form of short stories. The characterization of the book is also very clear to the readers with no confusion. The writing style of the author is captivating that one must want more and more from her like the stories in this book.

Overall, the author did a great job in writing this book and expressing her Golden memories in the form of short stories. I really love reading her book and I really want more stories from the same Author.

[bookswithsakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marigold the golden memories is a collection of eighteen short story that are so unique in itself and yet so beautiful.

I have never read a perfect book of short story before this and i am so glad to have read this book and enjoy each and every bit of it. It tells stories of love, dreams, passion, death and everything that passes through life.

You might be wondering what different this book offered me that no story book could do before, right? Author is really a master of short stories i feel because the way she started each and every story was so unique and gripping. She didn’t just bombard her readers about the characters from the very first line but rather she created a zone around the subject, the whole story was going to revolve. Her questions were rhetoric yet so thought provoking in the initial lines of every story.

I liked “Happily Ever After” so much as it talked about being there with your partner until their last breath. I cried. I have never cried while reading short stories or any novel until and unless it is extremely heart breaking but i felt sympathy towards the main protagonist of this story. I liked how well in few words only, author was able to carve all the emotions and touch her reader’s heart. Moreover stories like this are so important as they solidify our faith in love and that we should value what we have today as every day is precious and things or people can be lost in no moment right in front of our eyes.

There are many more stories and all of them are so meaningful and beautiful. Writing style of this book is extremely magical that it will hold you until the last page of this book and i bet you that you won’t be bored in any story from this book. Do you know the best part about this book being a collection of short story? This book can be read by beginners as well as language is pretty much convincing but don’t underestimate this book if you are a bibliophile and looking for some good reads. This book is made for each and everyone i feel as everyone will enjoy and take away something from this.

Words. Words are so beautiful, isn’t it? Words have the power to make or break anyone. I loved the selection of words and storylines in this book as they were cherry on the cake.

I recommend this book to each and everyone as it will relax your mind and will take you completely in a different world. Books like this are so precious and should be cherished for life.

[Polomy Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Marigold the Golden Memories" is a beautiful collection of 18 Short stories that touch the core of your heart.
The stories mainly revolve around the lives of various characters & narrate their emotions, struggle, & regrets which are inspiring too.
Most of the stories has a glimse of Vintage western culture.
Every single story even though it is fictional, connects the readers towards reality of life.
The stories I loved the most are
1) Crossing the Bridge
2) A premonition or a Dream
3) A persuasion Letter to Self
4) My Icon
5) The Unattended Kiss

The stories & it's theme is beautiful.
Stories like One Wine Day, Happily Ever after, Do you work, The Food Truck Guy bring out the beauty of Relationship which makes the readers to believe in True Love.

Stories like Crossing the Bridge, A persuasion Letter to Self, A seat beside the Window, The Unforgettable also bring out the True love but they are emotional because the characters in these stories hold either a regret, or never ending wait which is caused because of Selfless Love.

Few stories such as A premonition or a Dream, Knock at 1Pm, The only escape has a glimse of horror that reavels in a suspense manner.

I must appreciate the Author for such well balanced theme & pace..
Crossing the Bridge & A persuasion letter to self are sufficient to prove that the Author is not baised towards any gender.
As readers proceeds with the stories, one can understand that in life Career & Personal relationship are the two wheels in a chariot & giving importance to anyone will not help in a smooth life.
I would like to address these stories as inspiring because they teach "Self acceptance".
Silver Gown & The Label are perfect examples.
My Icon is related to Literary Field & it has brought out the essential quality of an Successful Author.
The last story is something that I loved & connected the most & I am sure every bookworms might connect to it.

The appreciation for the Book never ends when we love it the most.
The Cover & Title is too beautiful just like the stories inside.
As title says, golden memories, it indeed becomes a golden experience for a reader who picks this book.
A perfect Weekend read over a cup of coffee.
If I say in Vintage style, a perfect read when you are in your country side house on a winter night infront of Woodfire.
Overall it was the best short story collection I came across..
Strongly recommended to everyone.

[Insha Anam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marigold the golden MEMORIES is like, the aperitif that has such beautiful smoothing collection of simple short stories.

My favourite story from the book is "Crossing the Bridge"
This story is about a woman Ashley at her 30s and still is deeply is in love with a man from a long time that she lost the count, I will not narrate the story but there is a line from that story stateing, "I never knew I wanted so much happiness that Henry still thinks cannot give me", this striked me hard. I don't know what to feel about it, once you read this story you might feel she's not right to wait so him even tho he left her but I guess it's not easy to let go of certain things. You do not fall in love overnight, you love a soul not a body. What I understood in the story is that you cannot allow your heart to be pinned to the shirtsleeve of a man you are no longer in a relationship with. You cannot allow yourself to hold onto what needs to be let go of. Things definately takes time but it's never impossible.
Another favourite story, "A Persuasion Letter to Self"

This story brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful.
This story is about a very ambitious woman who wants to the best neurologist in the city. She wasn't able to give time to her husband even tho when he confronted her that he's losing his memories and would feel better if she's around him more, she thought it's his sentiment story to keep her around and she decided to take a break from this relationship and he agreed with her for her happiness but in this 10yrs of gap she never made contact with him but only to see him after years when she got to know he was saying the truth 10yrs back. At first I was really irritated at her but keeping myself in her shoes I wondered is it really easy to leave the dream you have been working so hard or to even keep it in the second priority ? The two aren’t mutually exclusive by any means, but I won’t lie and say I don’t think it’ll be hard to juggle killing it in my professional life with maintaining a fulfilling, passionate romantic relationship. I may not be able to have it all, but if I had to choose between the perfect career and amazing love, I'd go for love.

[Namita Pal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝑨 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒅"
- John Cheever.

➡️ The above line holds its authenticity in itself. Short stories are like those meditation practices that help you to leave your anxiety and tiredness of novels. It will provide you with the overlook of the whole world while refreshing your mind and thoughts at the backend.

➡️ I have recently read Marigold – The golden memories by Manali Debroy and this is definitely going to be one my top recommended short stories books. The cover, prologue, every story, writing style, and everything that this book holds inside it is marvelous.

➡️ The first story starts with a small, witty, and intriguing introduction of characters and conveys all the true feelings of love. The love that is pure and knows nothing apart from the warmth and charm it has. The next story is all about hardships and trust. Another one is a horror story and then there is this story of ambitions and inspirations. This book will tell you how beautiful love is, and then teach you that nothing lasts forever. This will say about all the hustles to achieve your dreams but at the same time asks you to value each and every relationship in your life. You will be dumbstruck by the morals and values this book can impart to you. Never judge a book by its number of pages.

➡️ The beauty of this book is that it will come as a surprise to you and will leave you haunting with so many unanswered questions. You will crave and cry at the same time for the stories to continue. You will demand answers to those question marks from the characters but they’ll vanish. At one moment you will find yourself deeply engrossed in the plot and the very next moment you will find yourself flipping the last pages of the story. This book will tease you and please you at the same time.

➡️ The writing style of Manali is fantabulous. She somehow uses the right words to say just the right things. Fluent and expressive sentences with a good vocabulary will keep you hooked till the last page. There was nothing more and nothing less with the stories. Everything was on the point.

[Social Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Name: Marigold The Golden Memories

Genre: Short stories

Summary: This wonderful book is a collection of 18 short stories which are written in a very simple yet a very deep language, anyone who is fond of reading in general will love this book for sure without any doubt.


My Opinion: I love short stories, this book is one of the most amazing short story collection I have ever read. It's written in such a consise way which made me forget what's actually happening around me. Debroy's writing is extremely magnificent and doesn't make the readers uncomfortable even for a second, this book provides a built-in comfort which makes it very easy to connect with each and every story, the book revolves around many characters and at the same time it covers many topics in general, it talks about about human bonds and emotions in depth.
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This is a book which brings the forgotten good memories and gives the reader courage to live life in most unapologetic way. After starting it, not even for a while I felt I am reading instead I felt I am watching a play where the characters did their part so well. I would love you to read it.


Good and Bad: The writing is extremely simple yet delightful, that's why anyone can read it. I don't think there is anything bad in it.


My favorites from the book: My favorite stories are A Premonition Or A Dream? A Persuasion Letter To Self and An Unattended Kiss
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My favorite lines from the book:

"Who chooses the path that we need to walk through?"


Target Audience: I think all sorts of readers and non - readers too, even beginners but a certain amount of maturity is needed to understand it's depth.


What to expect: Expect a lot of heart touching moment, nostalgic memories with fun, love, realization and drama, lucid language and a calming effect at the end of each story.


Final verdict: It's certainly a book that I loved and I think if you haven't read it yet, you are definitely missing something big and beyond beautiful.


Rating: 5/5

[Bhumika Bajaniya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marigold The Golden Memories by Manali Debroy is beautiful collection of 18 short stories. I was much fascinated while reading. It's story of true love, strong bonds, relation between Mother Nature and Human, a girl who turned her dreams into reality, courageous woman and many more.

Starting of each story is very unique that creates great interest in whole story. Many characters of stories teach us lesson on hope, failure, desire... Author described characters in a very real form of way and I genuinely liked about it cause after reading many books now I feel that character is soul of story.

If someone ask me which is your favorite story from it. My answer is that I really love the whole book but if I have to choose one then
Crossing The Bridge - This is story about long term friendship turned into relationship and then reach to marriage. On wedding day of Ashley And Henry, Henry - the groom is gone with small chit. He has written that I wanted to chase my dreams and be that man you deserve. I will come back to you but you have to wait. He became billionaire but not come yet. Ashley still waits for him with broken heart and hope. After reading this story I had to take a break coz I got very emotional and my eyes filled with tears.

This is the starting phase of the book and it's very heart touching imagine how would be the whole book ?

Manali Debroy is writer at heart. This is written on book cover, it's very true and totally agree with it. She is very beautifully expressed her love towards writing in her book. Laungage is simple and graceful. Each story made of less than 10 pages except one. So, it's short and fresh. The design of book cover is so pretty and title is also very apt. I can happily say that it became my first best read of this september.

Author connects readers not only from mind but also from heart. If your heart is connected to stories then you will definitely enjoy it. I recommend to all readers out there. Pick up this beauty and feel the vibes of it.

[Christeena Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt,only more love"
_ Mother Teresa

Memories have the power to warm you from within! They sooth your soul, often caress your heart, also they can leave you heart broken! Agree?

"Marigold, the golden memories " by Manali Debroy is one such book which has the power to relinquish your own memories!
They pull the lid off normal.

There is freshness in every story, life in each characters and hope at the end. Neither romanticizing nor glorifying of characters are there. The characters are drawn from everyday life. They are simple and flawed. The crude reality of life in all its tainted glory is presented before us in eighteen beautifully woven tales.

Some books, I repeat, only some books have the power to be appealing to all types of readers. This is one such book which I believe can be enjoyed by both beginners and advanced readers!!

All the stories are crisp and I really loved the poetic touch in the author's words.
"You are truly the air beneath my wings and my floater in deep water...."

Also , the narrative is really riveting. Out of all the stories, I loved "Knock at 1A.M "the most. I loved the way it ended, it was so beautiful and surprising!! Also the strong message of damage the digital world is causing to relationships is so important!!

Yellow is the colour of compassion, of courage, of passion, of longing , of magic and wisdom!! We find longing for love in Ashley's eyes, true courage with the girl from "the only escape ", magic essence of true love with Rosalind and Marshall, wisdom to accept flaws and start off new, with Riley and Gordon and many more.... thereby doing complete justice to the title!

"The wine in the bottle doesn't quench thirst". Yes, only flaw I felt with the story collection was that it ended so fast. I wanted to relinquish more and more, but nonetheless its a wonderful anthology. Go for it. You will definitely love it! A 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read for me!!!