Book Review: People we could be by Shashwat K Mitra

 The book has 15 stories, but no names. At all. What makes that special is that while reading, if the story reminds us of someone, we can put that name in our head. And this particular care, taken by the author, makes the stories personal and universal at the same time. 

When someone used to ask who is the most inspirational woman we know, my answer usually was, my grandmother. I am sure it is the same for most of us. The real heroes? They are around us - silently dealing with loss, failure, disappointment, or hurdles that life throws at them. Overcoming obstacles that no one else even notices. Except the immediate family, and folks who care. 

This book is a celebration of such stories. It is personally important for me because at the ripe old age of 20, I pitched an idea to the editor of Deccan Chronicle - then the largest daily in Hyderabad - Let's talk about the people around us. Let's interview neighbours and publish the struggles of their lives. The idea did not fly, but reading this book led to a small and significant moment of validation. 

Keeping that personal bias aside, the writing style is easy and the stories flow effortlessly. At 15 stories and 96 pages, each story is long enough to be engaging and short enough to be crisp. The editing is flawless, and the hard work that has gone into the book really shows. I really wish more authors and publishers would bring this quality to the table. Too much casual writing gets passed in the Era of Vanity publishing. This book is not one of them. Its a book that has been crafted with care and lives up to its promise. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.