The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani

I didn't even realise that it had that many chapters. This is an epic story of the unrelenting force of love, the power of healing and the invincible desire to dream. What is his secret? Would it have made a difference to Amisha's end? Find out in the book. Jaya finds her answers through the stories of Amisha told by Amisha's faithful servant Ravi who has been hiding a secret all his life. What happens in the end to this strong fiercely-protective-of-her-family-kind-of mother and wife is really tragic and kind of broke my heart. She is torn between her duty to her family and what her heart desires. Ignored by her husband Deepak who is never around and when he is home, he pays attention only to the family mill and their three boys, Amisha unexpectedly falls in love with a British soldier.

Amisha's story seemed a bit too close to home. Its a heartbreaking story but it shows us that she is a resilient women. We learn the story of the protaganist Jaya's pioneering grandmother Amisha who lived during the British occupation in India in the 1930s and 40s. The description of British occupied India interwined with modern day India was also beautifully written. This is a touching story of a woman searching for answers, wanting to know the secrets that have been hidden by her family for generations. 'How can I believe I have a tomorrow when today I feel so lost?' Amisha cried tears pouring down her face (page 342). Being a history buff, reading that a part of the story took place in British occupied India immediately reeled me in. Where were we? So, I chanced upon this novel in the library and the synopsis caught my attention.

But I have been given a slot only once in 2 months because of the overwhelming number of volunteer storytellers registered with the library.

I tremendously enjoy sharing the art of storytelling to the children and would love to conduct a session weekly. I chanced upon this precious gem in Marine Parade Library in the east of Singapore when I had made the trip to borrow books for my bimonthly storytelling for young children. It must have a good storyline and most importantly though its fiction, the story has to be believable. It cannot be meaningless rambling of words. Though I like reading fiction, I'm quite picky about the type of books I read under this genre. I don't remember uttering these words for a long time. 'Wow, What a book' I whispered when I finished this novel late on Saturday night.

The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani