‘A Slice Of Life explores a whole range of relationships-romantic, family,friendship, work, and even the sort that can’t fit any category. An enthralling read!’ - Shraddha Sahi, Author of Anamika Khanna Falls in Love & The Case of the Counterfeit Currency
Every human wears a mask. Behind the cheerful facade lies faith, hope, trust, love, despair, confidence, insecurity, et al. Everyone has a story.
A DINK couple finding Work From Home a challenge... The Couple who wasn’t one... A rigid person who deviates from a lifelong habit... Two people who remain in touch for 35 years, without talking... A daughter who has sacrificed her dreams for her mother…
A fictional potpourri of extraordinary narratives of ordinary people who have more to their everyday lives beneath the surface, these stories reflect myriad hues of human behaviour.
From the author of the suspense thriller ‘The Lost Identity’ comes an anthology that touches the human heart.
‘The story is so well crafted that it keeps the reader intrigued from start to end, eager to know what happens next!’ - Review for Smita’s First Book ‘The Lost Identity’
Smita Das Jain is a writer by passion and writes every day. Samples of her writing are visible in her home office, her sunny terrace garden, her husband’s car, and the kitchen napkins. Her debut short story collection A Slice of Life was named among India’s top three fiction works by Writefluence, and her debut novel A Price to Love found a mention in the Top 50 books of 2022 by Delhi Wire. She is also the first-prize winner of the prestigious Bharat Award for Literature, 2023 for her short story ‘Purchased Love’, and the only Asian to be named in the Top 20 flash fiction winners list in the Spring 2022 contest of the prestigious US-based Women On Writing (WOW!) magazine for women writers. Smita’s award-winning short stories have found prominence in various anthologies around the globe. She was also shortlisted for the Women’s Web Orange Flower Awards 2022 and 2023 for her writing.
Outside the world of writing, Smita is an Executive Coach and Personal Empowerment Life Coach enabling people to get better at what they do, a TEDx speaker, a keynote speaker at prestigious corporate conferences and a guest columnist on personal development matters for leading magazines and platforms. Smita lives with her rockstar husband and adorable thirteen-year-old daughter in Gurugram, India.
A Slice of Life by Smita Das Jain, a collection of short stories each focusing on different relationships and emotions in our individual lives. Ranging from romantic relationships to friendship as well as your professional and others which doesn't fit into any specific category.
This book gave me such joy and sadness at the same time with its lucid narrative as well as very different stories from different walks of life. The stories genuinely made me feel like I am attending a reading buffet instead of a food one.
A couple who is finding it difficult to work from home in COVID times, as well as a couple who realized they are not meant to be. We would have heard similar stories around us as well and even while reading this book, I could empathize with some characters as well.
I am definitely gonna be reading some stories from this book in future. The story of Surekha and Mohit touched my heart the most and I definitely did not seeing the ending twist coming. Short stories have always touched my heart more than any novel would have, merely for they having endings which are majority open-ended.
I have hardly come across an anthology that can really move me . After getting a hang of quite a few books which are a culmination of various stories aimed at different strata of society , I finally pick this one which beautifully captures the emotions of human and soul of their everyday lives.
Getting a cue from daily happening is not easy . And expressing those unsaid sentiments in words is even harder. But here author pulls of this feat quite effortlessly and delivers a poignant book full of heartfelt moments . In a collection of 18 stories author has tried to highlight most subtleties of life ranging from humor , relationships and pandemic days. What strikes the most about this anthology is the highly observant pedantic eye of the writer
The narration is spellbinding. The charactersation is also quite apt as it creatively presents that no one is perfect and everybody comes up with their own set of flaws and weaknesses. Infact these very attribues is what makes us human and different from one another. The title is very appropriate too . The cover could have been better.
Overall a thought provoking work . Would love to read other books of the author as well
A Slice Of Life is a collection of dazzling short-stories by Smita Das Jain which portrays distressed hearts and confused minds that are struggling in unknown situations, striving to accept strange ways of life while clutching the bag of their emotional baggage close to their hearts and ending up in those neverlands where they find themselves still slightly apart from the place where they now belong.
There are 18 short stories in the book equally distributed in 3 parts. Each short stories has remarkable depth, richness and resonance. Part one 'In Loving Memory' consists of six stand-alone love stories. Part two 'All in Good Humour' consists some of the funny short stories with subtle humour and witty dialogues. The third part called 'What a Relationship' explores the beautiful relationships between parents and children, couple, and friends.
Each story has a wholly different premise and different main characters, and takes place in a completely difference place and time, from the opening story about a small town couple finding hard to spend time with each other and their unique way to rekindle their romance, to the concluding story about a ten-year-old girl with special-need and her adopted parents. And each has its own power—some hit you between the eyes while some slowly build in your mind.
As in most short story collections, each reader will likely have his or her favorites. One of mine is 'Forever Love' written in an epistolary format that follows the relationship between Surekha and Mohit who are torn apart early in life, but who nevertheless spend a lifetime trying to communicate with one another. Smita Das Jain did a marvelous job of expressing feelings through epistolary manipulations without being too emotional.
There is almost always a sweet-sad human touch to author’s prose and stories which one cannot stop but admire. Her writing style is utmost evocative, you almost go through the world she so carefully portrays. She is so apt with an innate caliber to put life in her characters that you aren’t just reading about them but you are in their heads, in their homes, in their lives, in all of those awkward and nostalgic situations, that you are almost living their private lives.
I absolutely love the way Smita Das Jain points out raw unsaid emotions in myriad of situations. She kind of explores that void that exists in all of us of which we never talk and that is precisely what makes the reader connect with her writing as it leaves you a little raw and empty inside, provoking the most immaculately sensitive emotions. Each word, each line is almost always soaked in her exemplary style which is simple yet most striking. The endings of her each short story are the happy endings type, and yet somehow, what this book offers, remains subtly in your memories longer than you can imagine.
With understated elegance, Smita Das Jain has drawn in the reader to become immersed in tales of families, lovers and friends. She has the unique ability to simply, but fascinatingly communicate the features of the characters' behaviors, thoughts and emotions. In addition, she is able to express such dimensions so well that I felt I had become acquainted with these people. I was immediately captivated by her style and the tales that she wove in 'A Slice of Life'. It was an unprecedented experience for me to read each story, from sheer delight, or humor, to grief and regret.
“I paint a slice of life, whatever it is that day.”- Geoffrey Holder.
This beautiful quote by Holder very aptly sums the compilation of heart warming, closer to life short story compilation by Smita Das Jain called A slice of Life. She has actually painted the minute emotions one feels, experiences and goes through in their everyday course of life.
Life, today has become extremely fast paced, brutal in fact, if truth be told. In such a scenario, these little canvases of daily life incidences as portrayed by Smita come across like a breath of fresh air.
Every story written and conceptualised by her has been woven around a delicate human emotion. Be it love, betrayal, pain, sacrifice, humour, she has managed to capture the essence of them all and put them across in an effortless manner, successfully capturing the reader’s attention.
All stories which are akin to incidental paintings depicting humanity at its extreme points, powerful as well as vulnerable are absolutely spell binding. Smita has managed to put them across seamlessly in a manner which is not only engaging to read but stays with you for long even after you have finished reading a particular story.
For instance, a story ‘Forever Love’, a series of love letter exchanges between lovers over a period of a lifetime culminated in a manner which was sweet and heart touching. What scored the brownie points for me was the way the climax and the ending transpired out, making it way beyond a regular ending to an everyday common place story. The surprise element (which I shall not put as I want to refrain from spoilers) absolutely had me taken aback with the thought, “Is this really it?? Does life surprise us like this?". I was gobsmacked indeed with the innocence of the thought processes of the main protagnist in this one.
So, like a mentioned there is a little nugget of everyday life in each and every story of this compilation. The language is simple, free flowing and lucid giving the narrative a very readable demeanour.
So many of her words and instances created through these stories not only feel like a true creative aesthetic and release but also capture and replicate the joy of living. Chronicling the daily facets of life is a very strong point of the author’s work and how!!
Smita surely has worked her way industrously in this compilation, understanding the needs of the readers to absorb little nuggets of life emotions rather than diving head long into lengthy narratives and getting overwhelmed. In fact she has in the past mentioned this about reader audiences and I believe she has the ability to truly understand what we call as the readers nerve whilst creating a piece of writing. That knowledge coupled with the fact that she is a writer makes it up for a stellar combo as far as her work is concerned.
I am pretty sure she will keep up the closer to life feelings of her writing exactly the same in her next, in fact she will excel and surpass this one fabulously. Keep it up Smita.
Life is full of missed opportunities and hard decisions. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to actually do. In 'A Slice of Life', Smita Das Jain creates an image of an ever moving exchange of people who experience the reality of life. And that’s the whole point: realism. Not everything goes well, not everything is perfectly constructed. Life is random and unpredictable. If we’re not careful it may escape from us entirely.
Most of the 18 stories are a beautiful golden glowing nugget of controlled power, insight and wisdom but as a collection, the book is such eloquent proof of the perspicacity, intelligence and all-round humanness of author.
The stories do not intertwine, but you are left with the impression that they are not that far from each other: their proximity feels close as you read further into each one. The true mastery of author’s writing reveals itself in what she doesn’t say, the subtle suggestions, the lingering questions, as each story closes. Highly recommended.
A Slice of Life by Smita Das Jain is a collection of short stories having 18 deep, enigmatic narratives. This collection pinpoints the moment a person is forever altered by a chance encounter, an action not taken or a simple twist of fate.
I found my self entirely engrossed from the very first page. Author Smita Das Jain is not pretentious, She weaves the most complex of stories and abstract emotions with simplest of words, just like that. With a rare clarity of vision and magical storytelling, she takes us to the very depths of our minds. She says so much with a very few words.
Without being overtly philosophical I must say that Smita Das Jain knows the crisis of life and the battles fought each day. She shows how the greatest of our conflicts are not without, but within and all the regrets and desires that consume us, gradually but definitely. The collection has all the intricacies of life and its simple pleasures, the bliss of a happy marriage and the pain of unrequited love. This book has everything we call “LIFE”, nothing is missing and nothing forgotten.
Do you like reading short stories? Tell me about your favourite short story writer?
Let's just take a minute to appreciate how beautiful the cover is? Mesmerizing! Isn't it?
If I were to recommend a short story collection to you, then I would certainly recommend 'A Slice Of Life: Every Person Has A Story by Smita Das Jain'. It is an amazing collection of 18 heartwarming short stories about relationships.
Narrations are lucid, smooth paced and gripping. Each story has an intriguing plot and perfect twists which keeps the reader invested in. The author has done a great job in describing and developing all the situations that one can easily visualise.
The author with her words wonderfully painted every story which forever stay with me.
My favourite story was definitely Forever love. A close second was Daddy's Little Girl!
This is definitely a book I will be re-reading soon with a cup of Coffee.
A Slice Of Life By Smita Das Jain is a collection of 18 short stories. The stories have been divided into three sections "In Loving Memory", "All in Good Humour", and "What a Relationship". For all the stories, the author has also mentioned where the story was first published. Simple, mundane, routine life has stories hidden in them, and the author has tried to showcase them through the medium of the book. The stories show the gamut of emotions that we face in our life. For what is life but a mixture of sweetness, love, bitterness, sadness? The tagline of the book, "Every Person Has a Story", describes the book perfectly. For me, the high point was how very well the author was able to capture the unseen emotions in our day to day life. My favourite story was "Forever Love". Written in an epistolatory form, the letters exchanged over more than 30 years shows the changes a relationship takes. The end leaves the reader sighing with wistfulness. I think there are bare-bones for a wonderful novel in this story. The story "Much Ado About Nothing" had me chuckling, while the story "Daddy's Little Girl" had me going aww. "Twist Of Fate" had me shaking my head at the vagaries of life. "Go Back Home, Where You Belong" had an interesting premise, but I felt a little dissatisfied with it. I think it had the potential for more. For me, the first and last sections were outstanding, but the section, "All in Good Humour" felt a little flat. A wonderful read if you are in need of a quick fix of stories with your cuppa a tea!
Short fiction seems more targeted – hand grenades of ideas, if you will. When they work, they hit, they explode, and you never forget them. Long fiction feels more like atmosphere: it’s a lot smokier and less defined. - Paolo Bacigalupi
A Slice of Life by Smita Das Jain is a collection of short stories peppered with raw emotions and simplicity integral to each one of them. Stories that are woven meticulously for them to intrigue their readers in as many ways as possible. Could be through lovely characters or their heartwarming life stories.
You know all of our lives are so much more than just ordinary. We might find our everyday routine mundane, we might see our living as plain and dull. But look beneath the surface, you might find a treasure trove of feelings and experiences. For others, our stories could be so much exciting.
I absolutely loved the stories in this collection. A few more than the rest. How the stories contained love, sacrifice, pain, longing. How these stories ended making me crave for more. How they brought a smile to my face with their innocence. How the author worked upon bringing out minute details finely.
Writing being lucid and accessible, A Slice of Life allows its readers to have a sneak peek into this entity we call life. Be it a smooth narrative or engaging storytelling, this collection at 84 pages is worth a shot. Do give it a read.
Smita Das Jain's "A Slice of Life" is a pack of 18 short stories featuring the ordinary challenges that one might face on a daily basis, human mistakes, feelings, fears and desires, and basically humans. Author makes one feel how all of these characters are living; you will get swept up in their lives. In this book, as with all the short story collection, some stories are better than others, but they all had something to bring to the life.
These stories usually span from a few hours to a few days to many years with many life events overtaking the lives of the characters. Author’s ability to tell a story keeps the reader engaged and detours are interesting in themselves and always land us where she has intended our sympathies to be. The setting is often a Indian town where life is very humdrum and ordinary. In this environment, shocking. tragic, bittersweet and sometimes humorous events can arise. They are chronicled with a detached, often ironic and yet intense clarity.
I appreciated the skill with which this author brought a narrative to life in such a short space. I'd highly recommend this charming and thought provoking collection of short stories.
A Slice of Life: Every person has a story, written by Smita Das, a book depicting different lives of different people through short stories. The book has a beautiful collection of short stories, and the author has penned them very well. The best part of the book is that you will relate yourself with at least two to three stories for sure. Every story has unique characters, different plotlines and a meaningful ending. The book has a total of 18 stories, 'A tribute to love' was my favourite among them all. I really liked the way she started and ended each and every story, I was so curious to read every story more than the author has given in the book. I enjoyed reading all the stories. Language used is simple and easy to understand. Happy reading!
'A Slice Of Life: Every Person Has A Story', is a collection of eighteen warming short stories. The stories in this compendium takes us through vivid phases of the human lives. The stories create moments, talks of love and affection & takes back to some long-lost memories. It creates an essence of nostalgia, takes you through the darker side of living, and at the same time gives you hope.
This collection is definitely a soul-stirring one. It comforts a reader with its simplicity. Definitely a must-read book, if you are looking for a short read to enjoy with your cup of coffee.
A Slice Of Life is a collection of short stories, that are well categorized and carefully crafted by the author Smita Das Jain. An excellent writer who excels in the art of storytelling and connects with the readers easily. Each story in this collection is special, for they brought forth relatable instances and true aspects of human life.
Rendezvous Oh, the twist in the tale took me by surprise. Not a single drop of hint, and the story managed to hold the suspense. A simple yet well narrated story with a good message at the end. The author pumped in some fresh air into the boring lives of a married couple showing the way to many.
Parched What I liked best about this story is the positive turn of events. I felt relieved knowing that the call didn’t bring in sad news, as usually portrayed in many stories where newly married soldiers leave never to return. Simple yet impactful storytelling and the twists at the end of the tale made the story an interesting one.
Forever Love Gosh! Unbelievable! Every word of this story tugged my heart. The exchange of letters, those carefully chosen words, the emotional impact, thoughts, and the way the author expressed the bond of love, are simply beautiful. The author's storytelling made me connect with each character personally and made me feel for them; made me respect their choices and understand them completely. Each letter was carefully penned, with lots of love. The twist was heartbreaking, yet the warmth stayed with me. Two men, though strangers got strongly connected by one common bond- Surekha, the love of their life. Phew! My heart’s heavy. Simply loved this story.
Twist of Fate This is another heartbreaking story. And like the other stories in the book, the twist at the end did sadden me. The choice Shivani made sounded fair, yet somehow I believe it would’ve been better to disclose the truth and spend the moments creating happy memories with Ajay. Just my thoughts though the plot and narration did impress and interest the reader in me. Well, life plays it own trick and people are compelled to make difficult choices, for good, at times. This story comes with a message too. A love story with a twist.
My Heart Will Go On Uh oh! This was a cute yet sad love story. Felt bad for poor Sandesh yet, I guess the author tried to send out a healthy message through the story. Often a friendly smile or a hangout date gets interpreted as a romantic inclination and someone or the other is left heartbroken. A well-narrated story, though a common scenario, the storytelling, exchange of dialogues, and the way the twist was revealed… all made it an interesting read.
A Tribute to Love A heartwarming tale about a man’s tribute to love, for his wife. The moments came alive and I could see the cairns and the surroundings clearly. The father-son moment, the back story, and the significance of cairns were well penned and shared for all to know and feel. A beautiful story of innocence and the bond of love that humans share with their loved ones. The language, the plot, the narration- all were well done.
If I Remembered Quite a funny story of a forgetful wife and a workaholic husband who didn’t mind helping his wife to find her things. A short and sweet tale of a work-from-home scenario of a couple who handles situations wisely sans fights and arguments.
Where There’s A Will Another humorous story from the author that I completely enjoyed reading. The story is about the common issues that come with new residential units, a lady who is yet to adjust to the modern fixtures, her way to get things done at the earliest and a husband who tries to balance every situation. A cute husband-wife story that made me chuckle and enjoy it till the end.
Warning! Computer Virus Spreads to Humans A good one, surely. The story made me laugh out loud, especially the way she put forward the pay rise request. Totally humorous and contagious it was indeed. The out-of-the-box plot, well narrated, and the fun element made me enjoy the story thoroughly. One needs to read the book to enjoy the stories here.
Much Ado About Nothing A very apt title for the story here. Two friends quarrelling over a guy who was equally polite to both. I liked the bond Neha and Payal shared, the maturity and understanding they showed and decided wisely. The story was a simple one but the author Smita Das Jain’s way of presenting it in a funny way added charm to the story.
Old Habits Do Die The message here was refreshing and yes, “old ways do give way to new beginnings when the underlying reason happens to be beautiful.” Yet another short and sweet story, with a twist at the end. The title was apt, and like the other stories, this one was short and fun to read coz it made me wonder about the turn of events, the language was simple and the plot was a fresh one.
It Wasn’t The First Time Another humorous story about a boss who keeps talking to the staffs about his in-laws, and projects himself as a dutiful son-in-law, but eventually blames them for wasting his time. His sad story was quite fun to read about and many can relate to the situation. Another short but interesting story from the author that didn’t fail to amuse me.
Graduation Day Such an inspiring story this is. A daughter celebrating her mother’s graduation, fulfilling her mother’s dream pausing her own studies... what an amazing thought! Rare but a positive one indeed. The author shared a wonderful message through this story. A proud daughter who has set an excellent example...through the author’s pen.
The Couple The serious girl meets a jolly boy kind of a story where the girl, Rhea learns to see life differently. They meet on a trip to the beach and eventually get along. Though a common plot, yet the dialogues and witty approach made the story a good read.
Go Back Home, Where You Belong Home is where we belong and sometimes we feel more comfortable in a place that becomes our home gradually. This story had a touch of reality and sent out a message like many of the stories in the book. The WFH scenario, the impact of Covid 19 lockdown on the lives of the common people, its harsh effects on people's lives, and finally the changes that gave way to new beginnings - all were carefully and thoughtfully jotted by the author. A slice of life that many can relate to.
The Other Side Indeed we often miss seeing the other side of a situation; the flip side of someone’s life and assume things. We judge and feel jealous of others without knowing what the other person is actually going through. Lack of empathy leads to misjudgment and through this story, the author has portrayed it clearly. This story is a lesson for us to remember that not all we see and perceive is true. Another gem from the author's pen.
Star-Crossed A story about friendship and delicate human relationships where a minor misunderstanding between two good friends separates them forever. Time plays tricks and we usually fall prey and decide in haste. The twist in the tale was surprising and equally interesting. I wanted to read more about the two friends and felt as if their story ended too quickly. A few more instances about their differences would’ve given the readers some time to absorb the sad ending.
Daddy’s Little Girl An inspiring tale where the couple adopts Sona, a special needs child and how they managed to communicate with her. The author carefully penned the story of how the little girl reciprocated her father’s words and dressed up to celebrate her birthday. A story with a good message and the author's presentation of the whole situation made me connect with the characters. Enjoyed reading the story.
I must admit that I enjoyed reading the book completely. The language was simple and Smita Das Jain’s storytelling kept me hooked till the end. I’ve been reading stories from the author at Penmancy where I won this book at one of the monthly writing events and must say that each story in this book was worth the read. Some were short and sweet, most carried a good message, a few brought tears and some tickled my funny bones. Through her stories, the author showed us ‘A Slice of Life’ from the lives of many humans; like you and me. I surely recommend the book to all the book lovers out there. Go grab the book, read and share your thoughts to encourage and appreciate the author. I’m sure many will relate to the stories and connect with the characters too.
A slice of life is one of the cutest anthologies I have ever read ! It is a collection of 18 short stories dealing with a lot of human emotions like happiness, grief, sadness, guilt, pleasure , loss and excitement The very first story made me smile and I knew then that was going to be a sweet book and Its safe to say I wasn’t wrong . Usually I have one or two favourite stories when I read a collection of them but with this book I find it so hard in all honesty to choose just one or two not even three. I liked so many of them.
Kudos to the author for penning down such a beautiful book with stories that are easy and simple to read but won’t stop lingering in ya mind.! If you are looking for something quick yet sweet to read , pick up this one ! Its like the wind on ya face , refreshing and soothing !
This book is collection of 18 beautiful short stories of relationship, that talk about we should give time to Relationship to nourish, we must have patience when relationship needs it. 35 years of relationship that was made over a promise to women they made in different situations and time of life, Stories that ended because they don't want to give to there partners so they left so that the living one can move on in life, sometimes confessing love or having one sided is enough because infatuations and unable to speak up cause damage to many relationships. Love can be done to anyone just need a heart for it. Amnesia can be difficult but a couple made it beautiful relationship with it. What you love ones can be nightmare later so stop being in love with materialistic things. Relationship with gadgets make us mechanical one should take time for themselves. Never choose anyone who break your another relationship, love make people change for good, only trusted one can found a work companion, In there boss. Daughter doing what her mother did for her, strangers become friends when destiny play its role. Even extra marital relationship demand respect but for granted attitude destroyed everything. Love one sided or same gender is new normal express it as you like it. Now the princess ones she was an orphan.
This book is compilation of 18 short stories , that are about relationships different relationship, where army families , families with working couples, couples that got separated due to financial constraints, couple who got separated due to terminal illness, love story that promises they kept which they did to there lovers. Infatuation love and then ground reality checks, love even after person is no more, love with medical problems but it never fades. Love that they did to materialistic things but nightmare cut there happiness short. Love towards parents and there dreams. Adultery is also a kind of love but that Also demand respect from both person involved in it. Love is genderless but can be one sided, and adopted child receiving love from all is the love that many wants to be there but lucky ones are those who got it..
This book is collection of 18 Stories have been divided in 3 types , Relationship where husband and wife want to spend sometime alone, army men families have to be patient with they coming home, Love story of death lover and her husband replies to her later came out truth, angry better than heartbroken because she ended due to terminal illness, infatuation gone wrong, Cairns for dead wife to be with her afterlife, couple love in time with amnesia, fight for Jacuzzi , but end up selling it after a nightmare, a gadgets controlling life of human's will be destructive, love changes habits, daughter take care of her mother dreams, strangers become friends when loneliness make them get together. Adultery also demand care and effection and doesn't go on with rudeness and taken for granted. Love of everyone is different and we must respect there choices, Adopted child got treatment like princess and every happiness.
Husband and wife secret getaway dinner plans because of there hectic career life that left them with very little time to be together at home. An army guy who is taken to his duty in Kashmir after 370 revoked after his wedding night . His mother and wife waiting for him at home 2 years have passed since they last met and things changes with time. Lovers were separated from each other because of financial condition and for next 35 years they talked about there pain, love and survival through emails and when boy demands to meet the girl truth came out the Surekha died for love husband too her responsibilities for life. Love story ended because of terminal disease and they don't want to hurt there partner its better angry then heartbroken. A guy who attracted to girl from office was about to ask her out after there first lunch together during office hour but get shocked when he find out she is married already. A man making cairns at his wife grave because he wants to be with her in after life. Son listening to story how father met his mother and start making cairns with him. Amnesia for fun but love of couple is greater then problems. A fun story during covid time as couple shifted to new home and maintenance problem started and they take things seriously and things got sorted later but wife got a fear after a horrific nightmare in bathtub. A sci-fi what if our life get connected to our gadgets what will happen then. Nothing over a best friend. People changes when love happens. Boss with understanding. Daughter put her dreams on hold for her mother dreams of education, like she did when she was born Strangers become friends when loneliness make you expand more. Even if love is out of Adultery you have to be with person and have to give time. Best friends from childhood but one sided lover because of gender preference both get separated out of love. Adopted child is treated like a princess.
"Love is not the goal but a journey with countless life lessons."
Well, this book proves it right!
So, have you ever thought about the awesomeness of being loved, the beauty of a relationship?
Or, are you a fan of short story books, looking for an awesome read?
If yes, then this book is for You!
With its wonderful stories and awesome elements, it's definitely one of the best books I have ever seen and a must-read for all of us.
So, let's see.....
📕What's it about?
This book is a combination of short stories on:-
•The process of forming a lifelong bond, •The different aspects of relationships •The lessons we will learn from it
•And most importantly the beauty of a parent-child love
It literally depicts almost every phase of our life, plus the best ways to live it.
💫So, as I have seen it's divided into 3 parts:-
1️⃣. The Awesomeness Of A Relationship:-
Here, the author shows us that how beautiful it is to be loved, the push it gives us to be a better person, the sweetness of making a bond with somebody.
And much more.....
📍My favorite stories here are:-
•The one where an army officer's wife waits for her husband, days turn into months and months into the year.
Then finally she gets a good message. Plus her excitement, nervousness, everything felt so nice to read.
•Second is the cute conversations between a husband and wife
2️⃣. Breakup Makes Us Wakeup:-
In this part, you'll see that how we get a new life, a new opportunity on having heartbreak.
Also, it's not just about between couples or friends, but it's about every kind of bond we make in this lifetime. And how it feels when someone breaks them.
From a crying heart to regathering the strength, lots of things are discussed in it.
🌀Some of my favorite stories:-
✓When a guy realizes that all his life he was in an illusion of being loved by this one girl
✓And when there's this man who cheats on his loved ones but gets rejected himself and then accepts his mistakes.
It's the must-read part of this book. Loved it!!
3️⃣. The beauty of having parents:-
Well, I think most of us need to understand this one. It's very eye-opening.
Here, the love, compassion of our parents is mentioned.
That is how they always put us above everything else. They sacrifice their dreams, their desires so that we can move forward.
And still, we somehow ignore this. Very bad, isn't it?
But no worries cause this part's short stories are enough to make us realize the magic of this beautiful bond.
🎄Stories which you would love the most are:-
•When a father sees her little daughter growing up and adoring her with all his heart
•The proudness in a mother's eye when she sees her child graduating, etc.
🔷What I liked the most:-
(1). The concept is very impressive. I mean unlike other books it has so many different stories all interconnected to each other.
Plus, the lessons it shares are lubb ♥️
(2). The writing style is just WOW. Couldn't believe that someone could share so much within 80 pages.
Hat's off to the author!!
🔭 The USP as I already said is the lessons in it.
And you know the best thing.... They Are So Simple But Yet So Impactful.
Plus, the broad aspect it covers is incredible
💥So, if you are looking for something really cooolllll. Then this here, is the best option, my friends.
Just give it a read. 🌺🌺 . . #ASliceOfLife #SmitaDasJain #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookstagrammer #reading #bookaddict #bibliophile #instabook #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #readersofinstagram #read #bookphotography #ebook #booklove #love #instabooks #bookblogger #bookcommunity #bookreview #igreads #booklovers #reader #amazon #kindle #yogita #themoonlight242 💕
Want to curl up with a breezy read on a lazy rainy afternoon? Look no further – Smita Das Jain’s anthology of flash fiction and short stories promises to be just that and more! A relishable collection of eighteen stories, the book is divided into three broad segments — In Loving Memory, All in Good Humour, and What a Relationship, each containing six tales based on the respective theme.
In this anthology, Smita explores the entire gamut of human emotions — love, anger, camaraderie, competitive spirit, betrayal, selflessness, sacrifice, parental affection and the like — with love and romance taking precedence over the others. While Rendezvous is a sweet tale of love with an endearing twist at the end, Twist of Love explores the outcome of selfless love, often heart wrenching but probably necessary. While the first flush of love washes over the reader in The Couple, a young bride’s impassioned wait for her duty-bound soldier husband, finds fruition in Parched. The epistolary form of narration makes a surprise appearance in Forever Love where our heart goes out to the pining, lovelorn Mohit who has waited a lifetime to meet his ladylove. The unexpected reveal at the end changes the entire trajectory of the story but not before injecting a deep humanitarian strain into it.
What is life without a few gags?! It is this philosophy that makes the reader smile, grin and guffaw when a not-so-deadly virus attacks the human race in WARNING! Or when a much coveted newly installed jacuzzi in the MC’s dream house showers trouble for them in Where There’s a Will. The universally enigmatic equation with in-laws finds a humorous makeover in It Wasn’t the First Time which urges the reader to peek into his or her own dynamics at home.
The writer’s deeply sensitive side and sense of social responsibility touch our soul with a few other stories like Graduation Day, Star Crossed and Daddy’s Little Girl. If the written word has the power to change the world, then we certainly need more stories like these which focus on areas like adult education and special needs children.
A particular number that made me pause and ponder was Go back Home Where You Belong. Smita does a great job in turning Prerna from a cloying woman blinded by her love for a much-married man, to one who realises her self-worth and chooses to end a one-sided relationship.
A particular feature that stands out in almost all the stories here is the urban professional setting with its hi-tech office spaces, busy corporate climate, looming deadlines and sincere, elite personnel - makes one wonder if it has something to do with the author’s own corporate background! But it certainly strikes a chord with the town and city-based readers and the way their daily lives pan out.
As the title suggests, this delightful collection of stories makes us sit up and take note of so many vignettes of our daily life, buried under layers of mundane oblivion. Smita Das Jain’s deft penmanship delves deep and crafts them into heart-warming literary pieces that are both relatable and relevant, doing complete justice to her laudable story telling skills!
A Slice Of Life By Smita Das Jain is a collection of 18 short stories. The stories have been divided into three sections "In Loving Memory", "All in Good Humour", and "What a Relationship". For all the stories, the author has also mentioned where the story was first published. Simple, mundane, routine life has stories hidden in them, and the author has tried to showcase them through the medium of the book. The stories show the gamut of emotions that we face in our life. For what is life but a mixture of sweetness, love, bitterness, sadness? The tagline of the book, "Every Person Has a Story", describes the book perfectly. For me, the high point was how very well the author was able to capture the unseen emotions in our day to day life. My favourite story was "Forever Love". Written in an epistolatory form, the letters exchanged over more than 30 years shows the changes a relationship takes. The end leaves the reader sighing with wistfulness. I think there are bare-bones for a wonderful novel in this story. The story "Much Ado About Nothing" had me chuckling, while the story "Daddy's Little Girl" had me going . "Twist Of Fate" had me shaking my head at the vagaries of life. "Go Back Home, Where You Belong" had an interesting premise, but I felt a little dissatisfied with it. I think it had the potential for more. For me, the first and last sections were outstanding, but the section, "All in Good Humour" felt a little flat.There are 18 short stories are divided into three sections. The three sections are • In Loving Memory, • All in Good Humour, • What a Relationship. Further these 3 sections are divided into 18 stories who's titles perfectly suits the story and section. These stories begins with adventure but end up with life lessons. Each story tells about a new phase, a new relation and a new way to deal with situation. I liked this novel too much bcz these 18 stories are really interesting and i just can't stop myslf to turn the page and read the next one. Secondly the author explained the hindi words at the end to the ones who don't know it properly to reduce the language barrier and to help the reader to understand. The title and cover is so fascinating and this was one of the reasons why I opted for this book. Overall a must read novel. A wonderful read if you are in need of a quick fix of stories with your cuppa a tea!
• "where there’s a will, you will have your way.”• I prefer short stories especially when I am not well. And Smita Jain's slice of life made me feel better today!
A perfect blend of Humour, love and nostalgia, Smita Jain 's Slice of life- everyone has a story is a book that you must not skip, especially if you love reading short stories.
How small moments make life beautiful and how one Lil mistake can change our lives forever. In this book, you'll find love, loss, hope, friendship, sacrifice and fun.
Yes, with the slice of humour and love, this book will make you think, about the love of your life or about your childhood friend, or your first crush!
It's a collection of 18 wonderful stories that you are going to enjoy over a cup of tea! Each story is amazingly written with a perfect twist.
There are some stories that I craved to not end, some stories made me think, what could have happened next.
Stories like daddy's Lil girl, where's a will, it wasn't the first time, and forever love will astound you. With a gripping and pleasant writing style, one could relate to each story well.
These are some fresh, raw and wonderful stories that I enjoyed reading the most. With the simple and descriptive narration, each story has its own depth, its own fun while we read.
I loved reading forever love, where there's a will, go back home, where you belong, and warning! Computer virus spread to humans.
The characters are wonderfully described by the author. Some stories were long while some had a perfect, crisp ending.
A story that is written in form of letters, a story that bonds Son and father, a story that connects two unknown people, a story that shares a beautiful between the friends, a story of sacrifice and loss, and many more that you will connect emotionally with.
Not to forget the beautiful cover.
Overall, it's a light, refreshing and a breezy read that you will love. Do not skip this one if you love reading short stories.
🗣️𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: Smita Das Jain’s short fiction debut, The Lost Identity, was published in February 2021. She is a writer by passion and writes every day. Samples of her writing are visible in the surroundings around her- her home office, her sunny terrace garden, her husband’s car and the kitchen napkins. She loves writing contemporary stories with a twist. Readers will find her characters either in a land of suspense or in the throes of romance. Her works have been published on StoryMirror, Penmancy, and Women’s Web.
✨SYNOPSIS: When the seats finally became available, after a tiring standing-room-only ride in the crowded subway train, why did the woman in high heels choose not to sit down while her 10–year–old did? When made to compete in the kids’ activity of arranging wood blocks one on top of another, why did one manager falter at just 5 blocks while another managed to stack up an impressive 20? Are we able to learn things, like swimming or riding a bicycle, without any memory of having undergone such learning?
✨NOVELTY: I always gravitates towards the book which has something new to learn and insightful and this is one of those rare books.
✨GUESSWORK: The author has done commendable reasearch in jotting down the nuances of this subject. The plotline drew by the author is really well researched and articulate.
✨LANGUAGE: The language is beginners friendly.
✨FINAL CALL: I was really intrigue when I had read the blurb about the book and glad that book indeed fulfilled my expectations.
Book: A SLICE OF LIFE Author: Smita Das Jain Genre: Short Stories #bookmail
"A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage: Lorrie Moore"
Whenever I heard the word "story", I am lost in the "real world" of Munshi Premchand. He took Hindi storytelling to Mount Everest.
As the stage is set, so let me introduce today's book!! It is a collection of "18" beautifully crafted stories to add a new spark to your life. These stories are divided into three parts. "In Loving Memory", is the leading protagonist of love stories, "All in Good Humour", as the name says is leading a team called "Humour", while its third part titled "What a relationship" is focused on friendship. I also believe that "love, humor, and friendship" are like "oxygen, water, food" for life.
"Write a short story every week. It's not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row: Ray Bradbury"
Smita Jain took up a creative writing course at Stanford in 2018 alongside her corporate job. When she won the "Author of the Month" in one of the literary platforms for her story, the idea of compiling some of her best stories in a book arrived at that moment. For the stories themselves, she takes inspiration from real life. For instance, the inspiration for ‘Parched’- one of the stories in this book, came from the dried-up basil plant on her terrace.
Coming back to the book, it is a collection of short stories which touch the human mind and reflect the reality of life. Its characters remain so close to our hearts after every story. This short story collection will always be my favorite as they are written in a simple language and yet they hold such power that can just move the reader. A must-read for everyone.
Smita Das Jain’s ‘A Slice of Life’ is an anthology of stories on relationships, love, loss, and everything in between. It is a potpourri of narratives that chronicle human behavior and is set against a contemporary background. Some stories will make you chuckle at the quirks of some people, while others will make you feel emotional, rendering a lump in your throat. The subtitle of this book is ‘Every Person has a story’- and is reflected well throughout the narrative. The book is a compilation of eighteen stories of varying lengths. It has been subdivided into three sections- In loving memory, All in good humour, and What a relationship, based on the tone and the emotion. Some of the tales are connected to corporate life and how it was impacted during the pandemic, especially the lockdown, something that many readers would resonate with. The language is lucid, and the text has been well-edited, making it a smooth and crisp read. My top three stories (incidentally, one from each section) are Forever Love, Much Ado about Nothing, and The Other Side. I like these stories for very different reasons; this shows the spectrum of emotions the writing invokes and the keen observation skills of the author. A special mention to Daddy’s Little Girl, the closing story of this anthology. It showcases a love so pure and filled with light, making you want to smile and cry at the same time. Having followed the author’s works on online platforms, I had high expectations, and this book did meet them. I felt that some of the themes were repetitive, though their treatment was different. This book makes for a quick read, but one that stays with you for a long time. Hoping to read more of the author's works, soon!
A Slice of Life is a beautiful collection of eighteen short stories. This short story collection is divided into three parts : In Loving Memory, All in Good Humor and What A Relationship based on the themes of the short stories.
The first part In Loving Memory mostly contains love stories of the kind you would have never read - A newly married woman waiting for her KunwarSa to return from his posting at Kashmir, a story written in epistolary form conveying that the conversation is between old lovers only to end in a heartwarming and unpredictable revelation. The stories in this first part will make you smile, while some will make you teary eyed and overwhelmed with emotions.
The second part, All in Good Humor have stories that are written in good humor, these are not as emotionally involving as the stories in first part but they are amusing to read and some of them are as heartwarming as the stories in the first part. The stories in the third part What A Relationship has short stories based on different relationships, a daughter sacrificing her dream for her mother's dream to get fulfilled, a heart - touching story of daddy's little girl who is an adopted child with special needs, the stories in the third part will surely touch your heart.
Overall, A Slice of Life is a beautiful short story collection. The book is less than hundred pages long and is a good short read. The whole story collection is very heartwarming and amusing to read. Even if you are someone who doesn't usually read short stories, I would recommend that you read this one as some of these stories will stay with you for a long time and you can't afford to miss them.
There are very few books that can leave their image on your mind after you have finished reading them. Smita’s book finds its place there. The first thing that came to my mind after I finished reading the first story was awe and surprise for the sheer twist at the end. As I moved ahead, this became a common thread and I would really commend her on the fact that while the stories are short, the twists are equally well crafted. Another interesting aspect of the book is the way the stories are organized. In the first section, we see love as a common thread, humor in the second and relationships in the third one which helps the reader connect the dots. The storytelling is engaging and keeps the reader yearning for more. Irrespective of the plot of the story, Smita’s keen eye for detail and crafty twists give a sense of individuality to each of them.
An aspect of the book, and what I felt justified the title as well was that the stories are almost like what we would have observed around us in our daily lives. What the author does is take them and add her touch to it to make them interesting. Reading this book is almost akin to having a three-course meal with each of the sections acting as a course and each story a separate dish which leave distinctive flavours after you have experienced them. If I had to pick favourites, I would choose “A Tribute to Love”, “Warning! Computer Virus Spreads to Human” and “Graduation Day”.
If you love reading short stories that make you contemplate, then this is a book I would highly recommend.
This is a collection of some beautiful short stories by the author Smita Das Jain. Each story has their own theme and flow in different pace. They are like a bouquet of wildflowers creating a beautiful bunchwith different colours. Each story portray some aspects of our lives with its intricacies described. The nuances of the relationship between the characters are well painted. Various emotions are touched from love, happiness, grief, guilt, hope, faith to humour and amicable feelings.
There are total eighteen such short tales that are pivoted around some mundane lives living creating extraordinary hues in the lives. The stories are thoughtful. Few again bring to us a feel of melancholy and nostalgia too. They leave almost an afterglow even after they have finished.
I really liked reading Rendezvous that is the very first story. Later the story Parched made me almost have tears in my eyes. I liked reading the story named "Forever Love" which was very different emotions attached to it and again few like 'If I remembered' , 'Go back to Home, Where you belong' and few more like these made their way to my heart.
____________________ QOTD: Do you like short stories? ____________________ #bibliophile #instabooks #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #readersofinstagram #read #bookphotography #booksbooksbooks #bookshelf #booklove #bookblogger #bookcommunity #igreads #bookstagrammers #bookworm #bookworms #booknerd #booknerds #booklover #booklovers #bookphotography #booksofinstagram #bookblogger #bookbloggers #bookobsessed #bookstagram #bookstagrammers
My ratings: 4.8/5 A collection of 18 short stories, this book is like a breath of fresh air in our everyday lives, forcing us to take notice of the little things that go amiss in the hubbub of responsibilities and deadlines.
What I liked about the book: -> The author has managed to bring out all the emotions one feels, experiences, and goes through in their routine life. And quite well so. -> The message in each story has been put across in a manner that is not only engaging while reading the story but stays with us even after reading a particular story. -> Most of the stories have an unexpected, yet delightful ending. -> It is impossible for all and any reader to not find themselves or someone they know within the pages of this book. -> The author ends and begins the book with very sweet stories, making you smile right at the beginning, and leaving you with a smile at the end of it as well.
What I did not like about the book: -> Some stories felt too short, ending abruptly or not leading to much development. -> A few stories were dull and predictable in comparison to the other ones.
Quotable quotes: -> Time flies past but leaves shadows behind. -> Home is where one is complete. -> In the hustle of making a living, people often went about their work not knowing or noticing the person sitting beside them. -> What's in a relationship when one doesn't have time to share the ups and downs of life?
It's a collection of 18 wonderful stories divided into three sections of six stories each- In Loving Memory, All in Good Humour and What A Relationship. A perfect blend of Humour, love and nostalgia. Some Stories are really good and written thoughtfully. The book is intriguing.Even the glossary is given as some Hindi words are used. The narrative is lucid and smooth and the writing style is subtly impressive and it is 84 pages. One of my favourite was 'Forever Love' the way they the author has proven that some relationships do last for long is incredible.'Forever Love' which is narrated as a series of letters from Mohit to Surekha for a time span of 35 years after Surekha gets married to another man. This story is very evocative and the final twist was good although this was something that I had expected. Some of the stories were even set in co-vid times too which has made book worth the reader's time. But some stories were too short and ended abruptly. Few parts made me emotional and a few inspired me. As the title itself suggests, every story did have a slice of life in it. This stories give ideas of different life's having different ups and downs which portrait's love, betray, acceptance and forgiveness each emotion displayed in a realistic manner. All the characters are well potaryed! I liked the title of the book too ! Do give this book a read, it is soothing. It is refreshing for sure.
A Slice Of Life: Every Person Has A Story by author Smita Das Jain is a mesmerizing read. The book is a short read divided into three sections. ✨In Loving Memory✨All In Good Humour✨What A Relationship. These three sections consists of eighteen insightful and engrossing stories. The stories are based on love, relationship, romance, friendship, humour, separation, sorrow, joy and pandemic days. These stories are quite relatable that one can easily connect to. The author has effortlessly depicted the emotions and feelings of individuals when they get to know the different aspects of life.
The book gave me choice in form of many short and amazing stories.This one single book gave me the feeling of both joy and sorrow. The narrating style of the book is quite captivating and I went with the flow. I especially liked the way the author has come up with these stories is raw and gritty. Each story has an unpredictable ending which I liked the most.The story of Surekha and Mohit from the chapter Forever Love touched me as I was not ready for such an unanticipated ending. I also liked Daddy's Little Girl. Quotes are also used in the stories to make them more appealing and impactful. Here is the one quote from the chapter Old Habits Do Die:
✨Old ways do give way to new beginnings when the underlying reason happens to be beautiful.✨
Overall, I loved the book. Each story has special message to convey. The title is apt for the book as different shades of life are beautifully potrayed in form of short stories. I look forward to read more of your collections
No one can ever read enough about life because every part of everyone’s life is unique and unknown. The more you try to predict the more it shows it has no assurance at all. To peep into one slice of that life this book is a satisfactory one.
18 short stories comprise this book where we get to know eighteen different kinds of turns that life has taken in the case of different people. Some stories connect us with our childhood, some make us remember our crushes, some bond a son with his father, and some again are based on how a relationship finds its depth in some unexpected manner. To live is itself a wonder that we get to experience every day and someone says this right that some days can actually turn out in the most unanticipated way. This book just holds the intermittent yet colossal variety of life.
Short stories are my thing as it leaves a lot in my assumption so I enjoyed reading the book throughout. I want to mention the stories “It wasn’t the first time” and “Go back home” especially as I adored them the most. The small and overlooked parts of life can sometimes put a great impact on us- was shown in the stories gracefully. I loved how the author made every story extremely relatable by putting each tiny detail of people’s daily lives. A few stories ended too suddenly even to be a short story that felt like a buzzkill in between all these continuous pleasures. I connected to the book mostly so I would still want to rate it as a four-star. A light read, very convenient for the beginners, can recommend it to all my fellows to have a good time spent.