Seeking Redemption by Madhu Vajpayee : A Review

BOOK TITLE: Seeking Redemption

ISBN/ASIN: 978-9384315153

AUTHOR: Madhu Vajpayee

GENRE: Fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 176

FORMAT: Digital / PDF

SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK:

I thank Debdatta D Sahay of b00k r3vi3w tours for this review copy!

SUMMARY:

Story of a girl Meera, who is unwittingly drawn into a conflict from where she finds it difficult to emerge unscathed. It's her journey from being a simple, medical graduate belonging to a middle class family to the uncharted territories of corruption and caste based politics. Her path is crossed by the two men, both compelling yet completely contrasting characters, who are forever going to change her life. If it is Aman who can challenge her ideals and defy her resolves, and makes her the person she finally becomes, it is Abhay's sublime love which enables her to go through the vicissitudes of life. It's also the story of her loss as well as triumph against her own demons to find her true self.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

The cover looked interesting enough and the title was short and clear. But the summary of the book, starting so abruptly, gave me a sense of vagueness. The book seemed like a story of self discovery and growing out of the influence of dominant characters and dormant demons. And by the time I finished reading, my suspicions were confirmed.

REVIEW:

Some stories offer much promise in the way they are written. Some stories might have a very short plot, but the development and narration may make them shine. But there are some stories that have the potential to go places but still falter due to inconsistent narration and abrupt loose ends. Meera - typical middle class girl in a household with a silent father, a domineering mother who thinks it is wise to spend a lot on her wayward brother instead of spending on a daughter. While this seems laughable in some advanced societies, it is still a sad reality in many houses these days. 

Meera is a successful MBBS graduate and appears for a PG examination. Her mom is intent on marrying her off to someone. A chance misfortune puts the family in peril and she decides to work rather than study, to support her family. But Meera faces discrimination there too, and somehow gets a job. The character of Meera shouldering the difficulties is portrayed well, but at times shown as too naive for her own good. 

Her friends and extended family are all varied characters, but none of them create much of an impression. The plot veers into a different direction, with Meera and her friends and family being affected by bad political climate. The story progresses from there and follows Meera's life as she takes decisions that sometimes make her delve deeper into the mess and sometimes come out of it, albeit with pain and loss. The premise is good and the prologue very interesting. 

The author had good potential to take it from there, and make the story much more interesting. But from chapter one, it falters in characterisation and story development. The dialogues need grammatical correction and the overall story needs more proofreading. There are many errors in homophones and sometimes the difference in meaning disturbs the understanding of the story. The narrative could also do with a little more organisation to make it more interesting. The climax (where the prologue is explained), seems to be a forced twist. 

Overall, a good plot that could do with a better narrative.

WHAT I LIKED:

• The plot - it had huge potential
• The title

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• The language and narration need lots of improvement
• The characterisation needs to be a bit more forceful
• The political climate can be used with better effect

VERDICT: A good story that could go places with better organisation and narrative.

RATING: 3/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr.Madhu Vajpayee- the writer was born somewhere in those hospital corridors where she has spent the last two decades of her life. Witnessing life at such close quarters pushed her to capture its enigma in her words and slowly it became her passion. After writing several scientific papers and chapters in books, this book is her first step in literary world. Having done her graduation, MBBS from King Georges Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow she went ahead to pursue her post- graduation, MD from AIIMS, New Delhi. She was a consultant at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi having been associated with management of patients living with HIV/AIDS. She is now settled in Melbourne, Australia with her family, where she is devoting most of her time to writing, the passion that she couldn’t pursue earlier because of the demands of medical profession and commitment it requires. When not creating stories, Madhu enjoys reading and travelling.

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback

PRICE Rs. 150

BOOK LINKS: Amazon