Every so often a book comes along that leaves you with a smile and a feeling of peace. One such book for me is "and all the SEASONS in between" by Arti Jain. She has written a remarkable fairy-like tale woven through with delightful childhood memories.
A novel for all ages, toddlers to the ageless young-of-heart, this is an uplifting narrative of sunny days in India spent under the tutelage of loving grandparents and an uninhibited imagination. Every sentence and phrase is exceptionally well-written prose, which at times feels almost poetic in style.
Artemis, a young girl living in a valley surrounded by hills and Himalayan mountains, divides her days between a fairy world of imagination and real life with a loving family. In an early scene, she spends time with her grandfather, Papaji: "I planted myself on the cool soil next to him; my face turned up towards the lush vines watching the sun dabble with its leaves -- a dapple of bright here, a dash of dark there." Each setting is made vivid with unique descriptions, whether referring to dragonflies or radishes or yoghurt baths.
What has me most enamored of the book, along with the pleasing book cover and writing style, is Arti's reading of the final chapter, "He carried dirt under his fingernails".
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Visit Arti at her web site: My Ordinary Moments (artismoments.blogspot.com)
Check out her book at Amazon.com in ebook and paperback formats.
Listen to Arti's reading from the book: He Carried Dirt Under His Fingernails | Arti Jain | English Spoken Word - Bing video
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