The Unforgettable Woman by Pankaj Giri | Book Review

Some of the best moments for the readers are not only to discover new books that they enjoy reading, but also to connect with the authors who create the stories that touch so many lives. When we reviewed author Pankaj Giri’s debut book The Fragile Thread of Hope, we also had a chance to have a conversation with him. You could find these posts by following the links below:

• The Fragile Thread of Hope by Pankaj Giri
• An Interview with Pankaj Giri

Continuing his journey as a writer, Pankaj Giri has recently presented the readers with The Unforgettable Woman. Published by Bee Fiction, this book came to our attention and here are our views on this book on behalf of Team Thinkerviews.

Book Cover:

Let us take a look at the cover page of this book.

The cover page of this book is created using vibrant colours and evokes a romantic feeling with the profile of a beautiful woman with the snowy mountain caps in the background. A forlorn looking, dejected man sitting on a bench makes up the bottom half of the coverpage with the name of the book and author inscribed in the rest of the coverpage.

As the back coverpage continues the beautiful landscape, it states “Set in fictional towns in the beautiful state of Sikkim, this book is an inspirational, heart-touching story that explores the themes of regret, love, and forgiveness”, compliments from other authors and readers…

Overall, I found the cover page really attractive and similar to coverpages of yesteryear romantic books.

Storyline:

The book introduces us to an elderly doctor Dr. Adarsh Chettri. The year is 2007, but circumstances have brought back to him flashes of past memory – especially years 1981 and 1982. He was young then, recently married to Meena. He adored his wife but the marriage started to feel shaky as the household now saw the conflicts developing between Adarsh’s mother and Meena. Aama was spiritual oriented, vegetarian, traditional woman and when Meena started to bring non-veg food home, refused to wear sindoor and eventually came home drunk, late at night, these incidents led to friction in home on daily basis.

As Adarsh struggled to find his way through this, he met a patient called Savitri Pradhan. Savitri was pregnant and over the course of her visits, Adarsh learnt that the father of the child had abandoned Savitri. Although Savitri was broken-hearted, she had decided to have the baby and raise it by herself. She had no loving parents, or other family to support her either, and as Adarsh learnt of the hardships, she had endured, they became friends. Savitri gave him good, sensible advice to save his marriage.

But as luck would have it, when it was time for Savitri’s delivery, Adarsh himself was in hospital as a patient, just having survived a car accident. When he inquired about Savitri, his nurse Doma told him that Savitri had given birth to a son, but died in the process.

Adarsh’s marriage eventually broke down and he lost all contact with his wife Meena and daughter Srijana. In 2007, his only companion is his nephew Siddharth, as Adarsh’s Aama has also left this world. Feeling sad and afraid of the years of loneliness ahead of him, he is jolted when he starts to see visions of Savitri.

These visions are not ethereal, however. This young woman is none other than Smriti, a young woman who has recently relocated to Adarsh’s town to start working as a chemistry teacher. Within few months though, Smriti’s life also goes through a huge upheaval that leaves her bereft and alone.

What is the connection between Smriti and Savitri? How are all these lives interconnected? Will they find the answers to their questions? Is there any hope of happiness in their future?

Views and Reviews:

First published in 2023, this second book by the author is similar to the first book in terms of writing, tone of the story and the positivity and would not disappoint the readers. It is filled with the hear and soulful themes of working your way through life’s difficulties, sorrows and troubles to find your way towards spirituality, forgiveness and peace. The sentence below appears early in the book and will reach out to most readers who feel the same way:

Most people tend to ignore the essence of humanity equality. They fail to look beyond skin colour, gender, caste, creed, and religion. Only a few manage to uplift themselves, transcend these differences, and treat people equally. Only they truly deserve too be called humans.

While the central thread of the story revolves around Savitri, there are many other good, realistic characters around her. Adarsh will be loved by the readers for his simplicity, his wish to appease the women in his life without showing anger or resentment, his good natured service towards his patients and his willingness to find forgiveness and happiness by reaching out for what is lost. He also admits how we all sometimes make big mistakes in life, unintentionally, that leave long term impacts from which recovery seems impossible. And it is through his character that the author gives us many good quotes about forgiveness:

Forgiveness frees your heart from the clutches of negativity and soothes it. Just because we fail to forgive, we tend to hold on to grudges for years and allow them to maim relationships to such a degree that they seem irreparable. But, if you can forgive, you can restore wrecked relationships.

While the towns featured in this book may be imaginary places, the backdrop of Sikkim is not. It is lovely to learn about the Nepalese influences, the culture, the customs, the food and lifestyle of these characters and their hometowns. The author also shows us the scary parts including consumption of alcohol and drugs leading to addiction problems in today’s youth. But as Smriti helps her half-brother through his struggle with addiction, she reminds the readers that:

You may feel happy when you escape reality, but that happiness is just temporary. Eventually, you have to return to the real world.

Through Adarsh and Meena’s married years, the author has captured a very realistic glimpse of what millions of people go through. When two young people from different upbringing start a life together, there are so many small differences to reconcile. Sometimes, due to youth, immaturity and inexperience, these small issues lead to big rift between the couples:

The worst part about realisation is: it rarely comes at the  right time. Much later, when things have fallen apart, it strikes you like a wave, drowning you in regret.

The book is written with multiple narration threads, switching between past and present, and so thus also have a bit of mystery element as the reader puts together the pieces of this puzzle to form a complete picture by the end. It is easy to read and filled with relatable characters and events. Throughout the book, the author continues to give the readers that thread of hope and inspiration, the knowledge that we all must face sorrows and dark periods in life, and yet, if we have the courage to look for it and are prepared to let go of the baggage, then we may find happiness:

Life is like a black and white portrait…some areas have dark shades, while the others, light. You should neither be complacent in the bright phase when everything is going your way nor lose hope in the dark phase when life hurls sorrow, failure, or loneliness at you.

As the book ends on a positive note:

Life works out after all. Sometimes it tortures you, pushing  you onto wastelands of despair, but it has a way of bringing you back to the oasis of stability.

Summary:

An enjoyable book that showcases the life of a woman who embraces her life with positivity in spite of hardships and leaves a legacy of love and inspiration for others..

ThinkerViews Rating:

Around 7.5 stars out of 10.

Quick Purchase Links:

• Buy - The Unforgettable Woman by Pankaj Giri - Paperback - Amazon IN
• Buy - The Unforgettable Woman by Pankaj Giri - Paperback - Amazon US

Over To You:

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