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Dirty Little Secrets: A Memoir

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Countries, relationships and temples form the destiny of this memoir about a woman who’s in search of her identity and is also struggling with blackmail “But here I was at temple, wishing for the gods to exalt me from pain- but secretly I was wishing for love. That’s how we are.” So, the total distance from Delhi to Melbourne is 10,213 km and the total distance to travel in search of oneself is limitless. Dirty Little Secrets exactly does that, taking people on a journey of the heart from Melbourne to India and back. A non-linear account of Nandita Chakraborty’s life and this is also the story of a woman who seeks out her own adventure, leaving everything familiar behind. Being thirty and written off had its own tribulations; sometimes truth is ugly, mutilated into stigmas, and acceptance becomes hard. An end to any relationships is the beginning of a grieving process and this book is a tribute to that. Then she met Franklin. Was he there to warn her of rising from the ashes, just like her phoenix tattoo? The affection of young Vinod had dwindled away when she came back to Melbourne and Franklin picked up the loose thread. Taking her by the arm was enough for her to fall in love with him. But then he was gone, only to reappear after many months, in love with someone else. In Nov 2011, Franklin’s prediction of her obtaining new life by arising from the ashes came true when she fell 40 metres in a rock- climbing accident, receiving an acquired brain injury. She rises again to a new life, leaving everything comfortable behind the past to embrace the new. “This is a story of a brave woman … This story is a no-holds-barred account of what it means to lose oneself, to find oneself again, to hold space in desire, courage and strength.” Roanna Gonsalves Author of The Permanent Resident, Winner of the theMulticultural Award, 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

282 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2022

2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read

About the author

Nandita Chakraborty

4 books3 followers
Nandita Chakraborty was born in Kolkata, India in a small conservative family which has always been associated with the arts. Her father won many accolades in Indian cinema; his film In Search of Famine was the first Indian film in a regional language to win the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1980.
Nandita’s sense of creativity started at a young age. The whole house would be surrounded by action and glamour, where well known artists would spark her creative mind at the dinner table or at her mother’s dressing table.
Along with her siblings, she was sent out to boarding school at the age of seven in the hills of Meghalaya, India. A few years down the track the family settled in New Delhi, where she attended Sri Venkateswara University in New Delhi to study political science by day – and at night she would attend her fashion and visual merchandising school.
In her third year in college, she went on to pursue a Diploma in Visual Merchandising, leaving behind her career in political science. She began to work with a well -known designer in India, finding fame and fortune in that path – but it still didn’t leave her creatively satisfied. Lying awake in her bedroom, she would often write poetry to herself. Secretly she wrote short stories about her adventures in her designing career. Often these would either land in the dustbin or make their way into the hands of junk dealers making paperbacks for grocery shopping.
In 2000 she came to Melbourne where she started her own fashion boutique, later went on to work for banking. It was not until 2008 she joined RMIT to do a short course in creative fiction writing under the mentoring of Rosalie Ham Attending several book clubs, writing seminars, and participating in many writing competitions, she met with some remarkable writers. Later she began to write short stories for the local newspaper and magazine in Melbourne.
Her first book, mainly written for family and friends as a diary Missing Peace: Love, Life & Me, detailing her quest for peace, love, and life. It is an autobiography that she started writing in 2010 and was later self-published in 2013.
In 2011, she met with an accident while rock climbing, falling 40 meters and acquiring traumatic brain injury. After several months in rehab, she continued working but in 2016 she was back in rehab. She has a disability which cannot be seen, also known as a blind disability, and suffers from vestibular migraine with permanent cognitive issues, resulting in fatigue. Also known as the accidental writer for her successful novellas Meera Rising and Rosemary’s Retribution. The novellas were the product of her therapy rehab in 2016- 2017.
Currently, living in Melbourne, Australia, working as a library officer at Moreland city libraries. She is also a feature writer for Melbourne’s leading Indian newspapers The Indian Weekly and G’Day India. She’s also a screen writer and has writer few screenplays that are in developmental stages. In between her writings and therapies, she is constantly creating stories, new recipes and finding ways to keep her brain active.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Jenny Writes.
1,302 reviews18 followers
August 9, 2022
A women's life is a continuous struggle from the time of birth till her death. Either it's going to school,what to adorn,where to study ,whom to marry and what not. Her existence is always surrounded by endless do's and don'ts.
Covering all the facets of a women's struggle at various points of time is all this amazing book 'Dirty Little Secrets : A Memoir' all about. It narrates all the ups and downs experienced by the author herself showing us incidents which we may ourselves have experienced as a women at one point of time or the other.
Based on a true story, it offers and insightful read an thoughtful experiences which will hinder out prospect of thought. But as we know women are always blessed with immense patience and ample determination ,this book will showcase one and all .
Worth your time and money read !
949 reviews13 followers
May 3, 2022
Do pick this up...

you never know what exactly what you will discover while reading this novel. it's about a change, a personal journey of Nandita.But given the sheer volume of stuffs will make you tensed, emotional confident and happy. In short a lot of emotions..

Few lines from movie sholay and Basanti character is used to describe authors personality and that particular phase of life and experience that she was in. It revolves around a woman of thirty five. What she faces in her life is no different from any bollywood plot. But she did face scandals, ups and downs in relationship and lot more that can be gone through by reading through authors lenses.

How she moves from abroad back to India. What all happens in her life is inked in simple language .This novel is beautifully written without any cover up of faults and with an open heart.

Do pick this up...
Profile Image for Kitabi Keeda.
625 reviews70 followers
August 1, 2022
▶A woman’s candid quest for love and purpose

•• Insight- Dirty Little Secrets is a heart-warming autobiographical memoir of an ordinary young woman as she navigates through what turns out to be an extraordinary life. From the chaos of India to the cultural shock of Melbourne, this book is a candid journey of one woman’s tryst with discovering herself.

•• Review- Author, Nandita Chakraborty, has brilliantly captured the essence of what it means to be a woman searching for love and purpose. The book traverses through her trials with everything from love and heartbreak to a life-altering accident but it does so with the intent to inspire and also make the reader question their own existence. It is a deliciously uncomfortable and yet relatable read.

•• Best Quote From This Book- You can't fight fate.

•• Strength- The story packs in everything. Romance, adventure, sexuality, identity and disability are among the many themes that have been woven into the narrative making this one a wholesome read. Despite the many sensitive topics touched upon, the book is uncomplicated and sincere. The simple language and breezy pace make it a wonderful read. The biggest plus are the personal pictures that have been added to the book. It makes you feel like you really know the characters.

•• Weakness- Like is the case with many excellent memoirs, this one too, doesn’t build the other characters as sufficiently. While this can be pardoned as a literary device for readers to focus on the protagonist, as a reader you might be craving to know more about the people who flit in and out of her story,

•• Target Readers- This book would make a great read for women of all age groups, right from teenagers to grandmothers. As for the men, if you want to know what life is like for the other side, this is a pretty good window. It can be read by anyone.

•• Genre- Autobiography, slice-of-life.

•• Rating- 4/5
Profile Image for Isha.
174 reviews5 followers
October 18, 2022
Dirty Little Secrets

Incredible, darkly compelling read. Cringeworthy moments of childhood on the edge. People can definitely be forced to survive through a lot more than one would think possible. This is one of my top 3 favourite books I have ever read to date!
Why did I wait so long to read this?! This book is superb and so good that it’s going to now be hard finding something good enough to read next. I wanted so badly to finish it and yet I didn’t want it to end.

Wow! This is one of those times when I cannot write a review that does justice to the book. It’s hard for me to get anything down actually. So what I write might come across as incoherent.

The writing and especially the storytelling is stellar. This author’s personal & family story is fascinating. The account is a page-turner. Even though it was difficult to put down, I really appreciated that there were short sections throughout and therefore frequent perfect places to put down the book and stop reading for a while. Of course, the short sections also made it easy to read just one or two or three more.

It’s really hard to write a review of a book that’s about someone else’s life. Of course I had opinions and feelings about every person. I think that the author does at least indirectly imply what it was about the mix of experiences.
The author presents a lot of good with the bad and I’m in awe of how she did that and also of how she coped and how she took actions on her own behalf. She’s exceptionally skilled at painting portraits of the people in her life and also of herself.

Thank goodness for all the humor in the account because there was so, so much that was grim. Tragic, scary, infuriating.

Worth a read.
Profile Image for Nilambari Shirodkar.
13 reviews
December 9, 2024
“My journey is of this beautiful broken mind, the beautiful broken me who rose above her own shadows.” - this quote makes up the sum total of this memoir by Nandita Chakraborty.

A mid-thirties expat from Australia, Nandita's story is a non-linear account of her travails and how she overcame them. The book flits between Nandita's sojourn in Australia, as well as India, during a very sensitive period in her life.

Nandita comes across as a naive and impulsive female, who ends up making some wrong choices. She is not only doomed in her relationships, but faces social media humiliation as well as financial ruin. Forced to return to her parents in India while she picks up the pieces of her life, she tries to heal herself through the simple and spiritual pursuits. Here she has a tough balancing act of meeting the lofty expectations of her traditional parents, as well as finding the resources to be independent again. She then suffers a near-fatal accident after returning to Australia. Even after brain surgery and an extensive recuperation period, she never fully bounces back to her old self.

I have stayed in the US for a few years, but as a happily married young Indian woman. Hence the storms faced by Nandita, in her quest to find love, were quite novel to me. I could, however, well identify her plight of being an immigrant and being torn between two worlds. She has bared it all in this book without any fear of being judged or ridiculed. Call it audacity or foolishness - one cannot remain unmoved by her journey.
Profile Image for Varma Shagun.
818 reviews15 followers
June 17, 2022
"But here I was at temple, wishing for the gods to exalt me from pain - but secretly I was wishing for love. That's how we are."

✓I believe that penning down a memoir is one of the most difficult things ever. This is because, whatever you pen down, is a part of your own life, is a part of you. While penning down incidents or experiences, you will have to go through it, feel it and live it again. It takes a lot to decide which things to open up about and which things to not put forward in front of the world. This is why, I really like reading memoirs. You can consider it as a reason behind me deciding to read this.
✓As I already mentioned, this is basically a memoir. The author has shared various portions of her life with us in around sixteen chapters. I would like to mention one thing very clearly that this book will inspire you a lot. After reading this, I have a different level of respect and appreciation for the author. This book, somehow, also helped me taking the decision of trying to overcome my comfort zone. The ups and downs are pretty relatable. Each chapter has a quote in the beginning and I loved that.
✓This is probably one of the most influential memoirs which I possess. The cover and the title is very appropriate. I really like to title of this book. The author has also shared some pictures which just added on to the feel and the vibe. Highly recommended to everyone. A must try for the readers who are into reading memoirs.
Profile Image for Dharmendra.
345 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2022
Title: Dirty Little Secrets
Author: Nandita Chakraborty

Review:

“Dirty Little Secrets” by Nandita Chakraborty is a heart-warming and riveting memoir of a woman who braves and braces the odds that life throw at her. It recounts the courageous journey embarked unknowingly and unintentionally to find individual self , identity, love and purpose of life.

The book takes readers to the momentous journey from the chaotic and bustling streets of India to the sophisticated lanes of Australia, where the author unwinds from her previous life and love. As she walks away from the trials and tribulations of the past charred by various themes of life which define the sphere of human existence. The successive pages narrate the spring that brings the new flowers of love in her live, but whose transitory nature again results in despair and wretchedness but how it eventually leads her to discover the true purpose and meaning of life.

Written in a simple and lucid language, “Dirty Little Secrets” is an absolute page turner that keeps readers hooked till the end. It evokes awe and admiration for the author and inspires those have walked through the similar paths in life. All in all it’s a true celebration of life in all its hues and shades. A treat for bibliophiles.

Would recommend it to everyone!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Avani ✨.
1,914 reviews448 followers
August 14, 2022
"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒍𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏 - 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆."

Dirty Little Secrets: A Memoir by Nandita Chakraborty, a book which will take people on a journey of the heart from Melbourne to India and back. A non-linear account of Nandita Chakraborty’s life and this is also the story of a woman who seeks out her own adventure, leaving everything familiar behind.

The book is an autobiographical account of a woman's journey which started from a small house in India to the different culture and lifestyle of Melbourne. The book holds account of very candid and raw incidents of author's journey and all the people she has met so far in the journey.

The book does hold some strong believes and situations which would in-turn make you think and also give strength and courage at the same time. Penning down a memoir is very difficult according to me and Nandita Chakraborty has done a brilliant job here with her book.

The book does hold a very interesting and yet gripping story to tell the readers, which made this a complete page turner read for me. However, the book does hold a lot of family drama, friendship, love, etc.. topics to discuss. The book takes you through the various places across the journey and life of the protagonist.
Profile Image for Narmatha.
109 reviews
June 17, 2022
✒This book is about her personal life which follows her life in Melbourne and India. It gives the authentic account of her actual life experiences and what happened in the rest of her life. The author tells us exactly about her family, friends, career and mostly her failed relationships. She shares her story in a transparent way without hiding anything.

✒It is so personal to read, to look into her life. It's about her coming out of her pain, her getting to know herself, her ups and downs. As she suffered through many failed relationships, she longed for true love and her healing became very slow.

✒She had a turning point when she fell 40 metres in a mountain climbing. She nearly tasted death. That changed the quality of her life, it changed her completely mentally and emotionally. She experienced a fair share of painful incidents, concurred her fears and depression. She bounced back from all of it to live a new life.

✒By reading this inspiring memoir, you will be able to realise and connect with the author. I think, it's important to read about other people's stories that aren't really ours. We will learn many things from their journey.

✒I recommend you all to read this uplifting, raw and honest memoir.
Profile Image for Anurag Kumar.
733 reviews8 followers
April 26, 2022
The book Dirty Little Secrets: A Memoir by Nandita Chakraborty.

The ebook “Dirty Little Secrets” written with the aid of Nandita Chakraborty is a memoir that could be a no-holds-barred account of a younger woman’s travails with lifestyles, her adventures, and misadventures en path to discovering and embracing her identification. There are various topics explored in the ebook that revolves around love, life, family, belonging, and understanding. Even as the protagonist of the story takes you alongside a adventure peppered with wish and angst alike, the tongue-in-cheek humour ensures a smile as you flip every web page. It’s approximately rediscovering her very own identity as she navigates from the tidy and comfortable lifestyles in Melbourne (Australia) and goes lower back to her roots i.E. Her hometown in India.


It indicates how self-notion could make you more potent, and inspiration comes from within or a person very near you, all you need to do is to find the source of notion for your self.


The language is straightforward and lucid yet very exciting, every part will make you fall for this ebook.

Happy Reading!
Profile Image for Charmila Yerra.
96 reviews2 followers
April 30, 2022
Dirty little Secrets : A memoir by Nandita Chakraborty is a blend of varied emotions entitled under the simplicity and the braveness of a girl to women. The book is a fictionalplay revealing secrets and notches with every another paper sprinkling a smile on your face. The book is journey of the author herself, she being expressed her struggles, fears of the accidents, the dark side of her inner peace, love etc in a very intriguing manner. Every page is a captivating journey to the next.
I adored her excellence in narration in 286 pages which will make you understand that it's only you who have to inspire motivate and uplift yourselves in life. The plot from Melbourne to Delhi and back will be truly inspiring to every reader as to how the author kept her life secrets in dark.
It made me move to a thought-provoking phase of my life as to why and how being brave and strong is important in our lives is being a women.
The cover of the book is a riddle connecting the little secrets that are perfectly blended with the title and I would finally recommend this book to every other reader.

My rating is ✳️✳️✳️✳️/5
Profile Image for Sameer Gudhate.
1,359 reviews46 followers
August 1, 2022
While all of the books give readers a chance to walk in another's shoes, the best memoirs empower the reader to live another person's real life for the length of those pages. While many readers think of memoirs as similar to autobiographies, they can range much more widely than that.

Dirty Little Secrets by Nandita Chakraborty is a heart-warming and mesmeric memoir of a female who endures and fights the odds that life throws at her. It narrates the determined and dauntless journey embarked naively and by chance to find self-identity, love and purpose in life. There are numerous subjects explored in the book that revolves around love, life, family, belonging and understanding. The author has revealed a few more topics that are typically not debated due to societal restrictions.

The author had revealed everything that she has faced in her life, and opening up so comprehensively is hard. On the whole, everything is presented with great ability. The storytelling skill is awesome, making this read more absorbing and exhilarating.

Looking forward to reading more work from the author.
Profile Image for Shweta Sinha.
704 reviews8 followers
May 4, 2022
The book Dirty Little Secrets: A memoir by Nandita chakraborty is a riveting read.

The memoir depicts the life of the author Nandita who is in the quest of her identity. During this, she faces many challenges and suffers a lot. But being braveheart she overcomes and embraces a new start.

The memoir talks about multiple aspects of life like love, pain, struggle, depression, relationships etc. I see this memoir as an amalgamation of thoughts, experiences and lesson which life teaches us. The message conveyed in the book is truly vital and valuable. I believe that there is no secret that the time doesn't reveal. And the way the author has revealed her secrets in the memoir is exquisite.

On the whole, everything is present with great flair. The storytelling skill is terrific, making the read more engrossing and exciting. The book is perfectly paced. The lucid language of the book adds more points to it.

I really liked the book and would highly recommend it to my friends and family.
435 reviews6 followers
May 22, 2022
📚📚 BOOK REVIEW📚📚
BOOK:Nandita Chakraborty
AUTHOR: Dirty Little Secrets
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is Nandita Chakraborty 's memoir.This is not just someone's story,it is a Diary of a "girl next door" having life that everyone can relate to.The Author has given a raw and honest road map of her journey to find love.

Her triumphs and failures in this Odyssey.
Also how her brain impairment was triggered by an accident that impacted her life forever.

This book is with strong autobiographical elements along with love, identity, sexuality, disability, and the cross-cultural conflict of being an immigrant.Its about Family, Friendship, Self-doubt, Self-discovery, Mental Health and most importantly Self Love.

She has unveiled a few more issues that are usually not discussed due to Societal constraints.

The author has kept the pace neutral.The transition from present to past episodes is very smooth.

The Lucid language used for this book is very easy to relate.To find out more about engrossing memoir grab your copies.

Sakshi Nair
Profile Image for Kiara.
112 reviews2 followers
August 5, 2022
This book tells the story of the author's journey down many roads.
In roughly sixteen chapters, the author has given us glimpses into various aspects of her life. This is essentially a memoir as she discusses her story in an open and honest manner. The author is frank with us about her relationships that have ended badly, as well as her family, friends, and job. I liked how each chapter begins with a quotation.
Numerous themes are examined, including love, life, family, belonging, and wisdom. The narrative describes the protagonist's hopeful quest. Each time you turn a page, you'll smile thanks to the humour. As she gives up her life in Melbourne (Australia) and returns to her homeland, the book discusses finding her own identity. Beautiful characters in the novel help to make the voyage memorable.
Every one of them exudes a strong presence that keeps the book exciting to read. Numerous chapters depict the author's prior life in flashbacks. The story is expertly written. The cover and title both pique my interest.
Overall it was an interesting read.
Profile Image for Mohini Shukla.
431 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2022
From the moment she is born until the day she passes away, a woman's existence is one long fight.
This amazing book is all about covering all the aspects of a woman's struggle at various moments in time. It details all the highs and lows the author herself has gone through while showing us situations that we may have personally gone through as women at one point or another. She longed for genuine love and her healing slowed down as she suffered numerous unsuccessful relationships.
The book is straightforward and truthful despite the fact that it focuses on a lot of sensitive subjects.
It's an enjoyable read thanks to the straightforward language and quick pacing. The addition of personal photographs to the book is its biggest asset. You get the impression that you know the characters well. Women of all ages would enjoy reading this book. For the men, this is a fairly good glimpse into what life is like on the other side.
Do read and try this biographical book to understand the complexity of women's life.
502 reviews9 followers
August 17, 2022
As quoted by Aristotle, ‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom’ and hence, it can be deduced that the greatest and most important adventure of our lives is realizing who we really are.

This self discovery is a path that we all must embark upon during some or the other point of time in our lives and hence, reading about the real life stories and getting inspired by them can prove to be truly motivating.

In the book, ‘Dirty Little Secrets’ by Nandita Chakraborty, the author has not only given a simple account of her life, but has rather expressed her journey and the decisions that she took that are simply stimulating to read.

There may come a point of time in our life when we might just loose our focus or get a little overwhelmed with everything that has been dealt to us.

In such cases, a book like this will teach us how to stay true to our own selves and to never let go of what we want, keeping a clear mind and a consolation that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hence I am going to give this FIVE STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Hepzibah Becca Jael.
689 reviews9 followers
September 1, 2022
Dirty Little Secrets : A Memoir
Nandita Chakraborty

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐

Review

There are books and there are books that make us look at life differently and this book is one such book. Memoirs have the ability to let the reader into the author's life and their journey through life, this particular memoir focuses on the author's life from Melbourne to India, the life lessons she learnt and the transition from a girl to a woman. The journey is a journey of finding herself, finding true love and purpose in life.
She has faced many hardships and love lost in life but she battles it out everytime, the way she has expressed it through fantastic narrative is spectacular in its own right! I loved how she's told her story and the raw and unfiltered truths that she's faced in life. The cover is a beautiful representative of what to expect inside the book it's sort of an Easter egg for what's within and I absolutely LOVED that. Overall a book everyone must read sometimes we need to be someone from the outside looking in to get new perspective for our own lives!
Profile Image for Prajwal Shettigar.
526 reviews8 followers
March 26, 2022
The book “Dirty Little Secrets” written by Nandita Chakraborty is a memoir that is a no-holds-barred account of a young woman’s travails with life, her adventures, and misadventures en route to discovering and embracing her identity. There are various themes explored in the book that revolves around love, life, family, belonging, and wisdom. Even as the protagonist of the story takes you along a journey peppered with hope and angst alike, the tongue-in-cheek humour ensures a smile as you flip each page. It’s about rediscovering her own identity as she navigates from the tidy and comfortable life in Melbourne (Australia) and goes back to her roots i.e. her hometown in India. The manner in which she fights and overcomes her personal battles will definitely resonate with the readers. Overall it’s a riveting and essential read, especially for female readers who will connect with this storyline.
Profile Image for Book Blogger.
451 reviews7 followers
July 31, 2022
This book depicts the author's journey through various paths.

There are various themes explored like love, life, family, belonging, and wisdom. The story elaborates the protagonist on her journey filled with hope and angst alike.

There is humour that ensures a smile as you flip each page. The book talks about rediscovering her own identity as she relinquishes her life in Melbourne (Australia) and comes back to her hometown in India.

"It is a magical moment when we understand that the quest for love and peace is always around us, within us – and it is indeed a never-ending and never-dying process."

The book has beautiful characters to make the journey a memorable one. Each one has vibrant presence to make the book an interesting read.

Flashbacks of the author's past life is portrayed in many chapters. The narrative is well written. The title and the cover are intriguing. Recommended to all as an enjoyable memoir.
364 reviews3 followers
August 3, 2022
The book Dirty Little Secrets composed by Nandita Chakraborty is a diary that is a no limits record of a young lady's struggles with life, her experiences, and misfortunes in transit to finding and embracing her personality. There are different subjects investigated in the book that rotates around adoration, life, family, having a place, and shrewdness. Indeed, even as the hero of the story takes you along an excursion sprinkled with trust and tension the same, the whimsical humor guarantees a grin as you flip each page. It's tied in with rediscovering her own way of life as she explores from the clean and agreeable life in Melbourne (Australia) and returns to her underlying foundations for example her old neighborhood in India. How she battles and beats her own fights will resound with the perusers. In general it's an arresting and fundamental read, particularly for female perusers who will associate with this storyline.
267 reviews3 followers
August 12, 2022
Nandita Chakraborty's memoir, Dirty Little Secrets: A Memoir, is a page-turning read. It is a journal that contains a frank account of a young woman's challenges with life, as well as her adventures and setbacks on the road to discovering and accepting her unique identity. The author pens his own autobiography.

In around sixteen chapters, the author has given us glimpses into various aspects of her life. She decides to stand up for herself and pursue her desire to enjoy the adventures at the expense of all else. Her life changed after she plummeted 40 meters during mountain climbing. She came so close to dying. That dramatically altered her mental and emotional state and altered the quality of her existence. She shared in the unpleasant events that contributed to her worries and melancholy. She recovered from everything and started a new life.

The way the author describes everything and the point she wants to make most appeals to me. I adore this book so much.
Author 1 book11 followers
August 19, 2022
This book is a trip down the memory lane.

The author has beautifully highlighted a variety of emotions such as the quest to find herself, affection, pain, heartbreaks, the battle within, bankruptcy, depressions, healing as well as her lifestyle and upbringing and finally accepting her own self.
An unadulterated account of her adventures, in minute details, a journey from the bustling and lively streets of India to the stately lanes of Australia, heightens the feel.
The sheer frankness of the author at the very onset of the book mentioning the incidents and characters as real is commendable.

The cover gives a hint of the surroundings, while the title is intriguing, though I personally dont find anything dirty about revealing a true account of your life secrets.

The language is lucid and the narration is gripping, giving a very real experience.

I loved the book, looking forward to more such books from her.
Profile Image for Abhishek Pathak.
525 reviews6 followers
April 6, 2022
Sometime we like something so much that we become ready to do anything just to get that thing. But it’s our heart which decides how to get that what we love or like. As often it is also right that the end of one thing leads to the beginning of another.

The story is all about the ups and downs which life offered to the protagonist of this story. Life is not always fair. Being brave is the ultimate need.

Its an Inspiring account of a lady who has risen against all odds. Read the story to unveil the moral which holds redefining your capabilities; rise from the ashes of your self-doubt, and strive against the things that hold you back.

It shows how self-belief can make you stronger, and inspiration comes from within or someone very close to you, all you need to do is to find the source of inspiration for yourself.
Profile Image for Sucharita Parija.
238 reviews6 followers
April 27, 2022
The book "Dirty Little Secrets: A memoir" completely engaged me from its first page until the end. It has entwined pain, pleasure, paths to spirituality, and physical activities. The definition of love via family, career, marriage, and friendship has been depicted in straightforward expressions.

The book portrays an in-depth reflection of various stages of human life. While it adds complications when a girl from an Indian conservative family views life through her own window. Life never sails smoothly for a single woman, whether one remains in India or outside India.

The author "Nandita Chakraborty" has unlocked her life's chapters without fear of getting assessed by society. So for me, it's not "Dirty Little Secrets" but "Well Kept Secrets till time." A terrific book to go through without passing a cold review.
Profile Image for Dr. Monidipa Dutta.
1,070 reviews16 followers
April 27, 2022
“Dirty Little Secrets” by Nandita Chakraborty has amazed me. The writing is so fluent, I am just in awe. This book is about the author's life itself. It is all about her dreams, adventures, misadventures, and her route to find and discover her identity. She had been surrounded by certain ugly truth which she gracefully faced. Sometimes it is better to release every secret, every fear, and every weakness.

This is an amazing story that has a plot that would be thought-provoking. The language is simple but neither too ornate nor too bland but simple and lucid. The writing style was gripping. The cover was apt.

The book of 282 pages has taught me one thing, that I should not be afraid of taking risks. Overall, it was a unique read. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.



Profile Image for Susan_ Writeups.
591 reviews16 followers
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June 6, 2022
At some point in our lives, we start searching for our identity. I usually question myself a lot - like what I need exactly in my life? What actually makes me happy? And we go on a journey to achieve our needs.

This book, Dirty Little Secrets written by Nandita Chakraborty is a memoir which deals with the life of the author. As many of us, Nandita too had a thirst to find an identity in her life. On this difficult journey she faces a lot of struggle and suffering. But, with huge courage and hope she proceeds further. Mixed emotions like love, pain, struggles, stress and depression were showcased in the book without exaggerating anything. 

This was a wholesome read with not many negatives to mention here. The narration and writing style are perfect and crisp. A good book to read on weekends !
45 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2022
Title - Dirty Little Secrets
Author - Nandita Chakraborty
Genere - Non-fiction
Page No - 286 pages


The author has shared various portions of her life with us in around sixteen chapters. She shares her story in a transparent way, this is basically a memoir. The author tells us exactly about her family, friends, career and mostly her failed relationships. Each chapter has a quote in the beginning and I loved that.

I personally found various lessons of love, pain, struggle, depressions etc. Inspite of facing so much still the author never gave up and that was the biggest lesson thing. After reading this I would like to mention one thing very clearly that this book will inspire you a lot.

Overall, The writing style was excellent and the language of writing is very simple. Highly recommended to read everyone.
Profile Image for Arindam Ghosh.
115 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2022
Nandita Chakraborty's memoir, Dirty Little Secrets: A Memoir, is a page-turning read.

In roughly sixteen chapters, the author gives us glimpses of different aspects of his life. It is essentially a memoir as he discusses his story openly and honestly. The author opens up with us about her relationships that ended badly, as well as her family, friends and job. I liked how each chapter started with a quote.

This book is all about the journey of the author herself. she being expressed her struggles, fear, love, pain, depression, strength, courage, etc.

personally I enjoyed this book. If you want to know more about this book then you have to read this book first.Loved the way author has portrayed the book.plot flows easily .which keeps the readers hook till the end . Narration is simple and good.


I recommend this book to all readers

⭐⭐⭐⭐
520 reviews5 followers
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October 18, 2022
This memoir has to be one of the most unique memoirs I’ve ever read but donot expect spoilers. The author shares the raw and honest story of her childhood leading up to adulthood. I had multiple emotions throughout reading this book. It becomes fairly obvious throughout reading the author’s story. This book is written really well and I could barely put it down. I didn’t want it to end and craved more. The author is an amazing writer and the fact that she is so caring and forgiving of the people is heartwarming. I believe the author is a very positive person and she’s taught me a lot about family, perseverance, and forgiveness after reading her story. If you haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend it. I wish a movie is made on it.
If you haven’t yet read the book, please get your copy.
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