A collection of short stories that promises to linger on for a long time

By its very nature, a short story is instantly gratifying. A great short story, however, lingers on. It reaches into the inner recesses of your mind, tickles you and comes back to haunt you over and over again. And Tejaswini Apte-Rahm’s debut collection of stories, These Circuses That Sweep Through The Landscape, does just that.

Her characters are unassuming — a wife, who despite being dumped by her husband and children, looks for ways to win them back, lovers turned friends who meet again after years, a little girl who longs for her mother’s attention, two couples whose friendship is laced with strange undercurrents — ordinary beings that we probably cross paths with every day. There’s nothing unassuming about the lives they lead, though. Their stories will evoke nostalgia, make you squirm, shock you and tickle your funny bone — in whichever way, they will strike a chord.

Despite the complexities of these relationships — which the author paints with ease — she manages to pull a ribbon of dark humour pretty much throughout the book.

So pick a winter afternoon, make yourself a cup of tea, sit back in a comfortable chair and don’t read this book— devour it.

Title: The Circuses That Sweep Through The Landscapes

Author: Tejaswini Apte-Rahm

Publisher: Aleph Book Company

Price: Rs 259