Munmun Rudra

Dance to My Tunes a collection of 18 stories by Tanvi Sinha is a splendid journey in the literary field. Each of the stories is punch and vivacious, reflecting myriads of emotions with which we can identify ourselves. It centres round the lives of women, their social taboos, their inner turmoil and their never ending struggle for their own voice. The stories punch at the heart of your thought, make you cry, smile, sad, grave, horror stricken. Each story has its own individual appeal as each character. Divya, Jyotsna, Ramya, Sarita all the female figures come out from different strata of lives, different social scenario, different ages, different outlooks. But their diversities get unified in a single chord, their free will and their deep rooted desire to live their own lives, not succumbed or suffocated by so called Patriarchy. They make their own tune mingling own 'sense and sensibilities'. It's a super collection. I can proudly declare that after Shashi Despande I read such heart touching short stories that make me feel wonderful as a woman.

A story in full circle, story of winter demon and the magic girl, afflicted by step mother, the story within a story but ends in a different way. The girl of Duniya's story came back with chest of gold and gem and married to another man with a great dowry forgetting all of magic but Vasya, never forgot Morozko, travelled for the end of the world, the nowhere to reach the open door of him. Greatly mystic and enfolded in symbolism, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is exceptional in its presentation of character under the foil of human folly and ignorance, unreasonable fear and humility.

I appreciate the book and the captivating story plot from the core of my heart.