Book Review- The Secret Wish List by Preeti Shenoy

Title: The Scret Wish List

Author: Preeti Shenoy

First Published in India by Westland Ltd on 2012

ISBN: 978 93 82618 18 8

Pages: 260

Price: 175/-

Rating: 2.5/5

I was too keen to read this fiction as I personally attended the book launch event and heard the authoress sharing her thoughts on this book. Therefore I was too excited to dig in the book as I avidly enjoyed the book launch event. I finished this book in two days. But I bet it can be easily finished in 3-4 hours. The Secret Wish List is the second novel that I read by Preeti Shenoy. Simple Language and elementary narration are the foremost qualities that Preeti always wins over her readers. Her theme based feministic approach of a woman's search for Identity and earning her financial independence is always dominating what her last two novels portrayed.

Peeping in the Story: 16 year old Diksha fell in love with handsome Ankit, her Brother's friend. The teenager passionate love ended when they got caught red handed kissing each other. That one silly mistake changed Diksha's life. She was sent away from her home to a different girls’ school in another state. Forced to get married at the age 19 with boorish Sandeep much older than her. After 15 years of her marriage and having a son of 9 years old, life focused Diksha to rethink about her life again. Her Cousin Sister Vibha inspired her to make a secret wish list and Diksha slowly found all the secret wishes getting fulfilled in a vicious circle. Return of Ankit in her life again and her old best pal Tanu changed her life. Now let it be a suspense what then happened to Diksha's life and how the story ended.

The prologue of the novel (taken from Ch: 15, P: 132- 133) is justly picked up which recounts the main theme of the novel. One will get a glimpse of what Diksha is going through and that will compel one to dig in the novel more and more till it ends with the happy epilogue. The novel is surely a page turner, as Preeti very skillfully divided the plot and glued the readers with some exciting turning points that matured Diksha's life. The first seven chapters alternatively oscillate 16 year old Diksha’s passion, the freedom of mind and ready to turn 35 years old Diksha's frustration and soul confinement. The first seven chapters also introduce all the major characters: Diksha, Sandeep, Sandeep's Mother, Ankit, Tanu and Vibha.

In The Secret Wish List Preeti portrayed five women who are seemed to be picked up from our real Life. Diksha's Mother was sketched as the conservative, very much protective Mother and obedient wife. Diksha's Mother- In- Law on the other hand to much understanding, broad minded and practical lady who can be considered as Diksha's life line and one of the best friends too.

Vibha, the financially independent lady is always an inspiring personality and best cousin come friend of Diksha. Being a woman she always earned the freedom and celebrated her own identity. It is Vibha who compels Diksha to make her secret wish list and secretly encourages tasting the freedom of life. But she never advocates Diksha to delve into any intrigued life. Her sudden death of her husband's life changed her life and minds her to concentrate to spend more time with her family, with her daughter. But at the end of the novel Vibha's change in the character must raised the readers eyebrows to rethink about the broad minded independent woman's thought when Vibha protested against the divorce of Diksha and Sandeep and stopped talking to her.

Tanu, the best friend of Diksha when she was 16, portrayed as the epitome of modernism. When she returned after 18 years she is highly established with a high profile job. She looks dashing, confident, gorgeous and beautiful from every side. She is heartbroken from her several past affairs and she decides to remain single until Gaurav enters in her life.

Vibha and Tanu these two ladies, work like a catalyst in Diksha's life to bring out the Independent Diksha and to taste the freedom of life. Diksha always covets to do something of her own but she has to burry all her dreams after the silly incident of her teenage life and then getting married with the uncompromising, neandertal and isensitive Sandeep. Her 15 years of marriage life is like raising her son and run her household perfectly. She considered herself as the "willing door mat"(P: 71). But the sudden encounter of her secret wish list changes her life and slowing she stepped in to the world what she actually yearns for. Preeti limned Diksha the protagonist from a fragile woman to a dauntless personality.

The readers will surely move in to Diksha's character and feel pity on her. Preeti has challenged the stereotype women and dressed up Diksha in a different modern outfit who being "a good house wife" turned in to "a cheating adventurous spouse" (P: 177). The time will come when the readers will start blaming Diksha for her adulterous approach towards life, just at that point Preeti very skillfully made Diksha to achieve the readers full sympathy when Sandeep's real brutal, insensitive attitude face off (P: 190-192). But what I didn't like here that a woman can always do something of her own without the help of rich friends and folks. What would happen if wealthy Ankit would not return to Diksha's life and Rich Tanu will be not by her side? I truly agree that we always need some motivation and inspiration when we are totally lost with our soul and what our "I" covet for. But fairy tale elements are a very rare view that can be found in the real life. At the same time a Fiction is a Fiction that we should not forget.

Overall my view is: After finishing the book I really didn't enjoyed what I expected from the book. Like her previous novel Tea for two and a piece of cake, The Secret Wish List, sounded quite similar with some alteration and facts. In the both novels like a magical world everything worked perfectly with a fairy tale ending with few unpleasant events keep flowing through out. I felt like reading a modern Cinderella story where a mediocre lady or a married lady meets her prince charming and then they lived both happily ever after with some alteration. I loved the way how she narrated in this novel a homemaker's frustration, a stereotype chauvinist husband, but the entry of the rich long lost handsome lover, intrigue trip to Maldives, entry of the highly established long lost girl friend, pour too much of the cinematic elements . If one wants to make a movie on it, it will be a perfect script for that.

Preeti described very well the Salsa portions. I really enjoyed it and learnt many things from it. Few errors that I found where Diksha was called as Vibha and Tanu two times (P: 109 & 234). And it will not be complete if I won't mention the little 9 year old matured Abhay, Diksha's son. The real judgment of Diksha's character Abhay gave by saying : "My mom is the best" (P: 203) and liking Ankit rather than her dad. The best lovable characters of the novel will be Abhay and Diksha's Mom- in- Law. The last page of the novel is also a new additon that I like too. I hope Preeti's fifth novel will bring some new plot and different story from the last two. I personally liked Preeti's last novel Tea for two and a piece of cake more than the latest one.

Published here too: http://www.bookrack.in/2013/05/the-secret-wish-list-preeti-shenoy-2/

An Evening spent with Preeti Shenoy, Agnimitra Paul & Arupa Lahiry at the Book Launch of The Secret Wish List (Starmarks, South city Mall, Kolkata)

Presented by Starmark, at South City Mall, Kolkata, the book launch of The Secret Wish List by Preeti Shenoy was a great success. Meeting the Author in person, anchored by Arupa Lahiry and the honourable guest invitee, renowned fashionista Agnimitra Paul, was like leading to a land of mesmerism with all the discussions on the novel, thoughts provoking to it, prolonged with a question-answer session. Preeti Shenoy had written already three novels and this one was the fourth one. I had read Preeti Shenoy’s third novel Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake and literally liked it, reviewed it.  

Meeting an Author in person is always a gainsaying job when prior attachment and an elusive relationship grow in between his/ her works and the reader. We, readers always portray a naïve calibre about the Author through the reads come to our way. So when we meet an Author in person it becomes quite challenging to confront him/her to match with the fictitious portrayal that we already created in our mind. But when I met Preeti Shenoy, I was too happy and inspired by her humble and down to earth characteristics. Preeti was a lady who could easily inspire anybody, too resonating and energetic when she spoke and above all too friendly who talked individually with her fans and gave her autographs to us.

The Famous Books and stationary retailers and one of the biggest uprising chain of book stores in Kolkata, Starmarks organised the launch of the Book The Secret Wish List on 26th April'13 at 6.30pm at their South City Mall book store. With a minimum of 20 audience, Author Preeti Shenoy, Fashion Designer Agnimitra Paul and anchor Arupa Lahiry, the launch event had become a booming success. I reached to the session a little late so I missed the exact moment when the book got launched. But other way lucky enough to be a part of the discussion that sprung up slowly through a question-answer dissertation. I enjoyed and loved the part when the discussion bloomed on about the Search of Identity of women and how could they achieve it. Preeti referred to homemaker's frustration and how can they too earn their Identity.  In India she referred women were mostly designated as someone's daughter or someone's wife or someone's mother.  That was one of the points that inspired Preeti to write something about the Indian woman and their daily frustration and how to cope up with it. Every woman has a dream imbedded inside her to secure a respected place for her and prove her Identity. That was what Preeti said, she wanted to portray in her latest novel The Secret Wish list, where the protagonist Diksha became from Nothing to Something. Angimitra Paul also added strong vibes how her women artisans were able to acquire their own Identity and became the proud earning members of their families.  Literally got motivated when Agnimitra Paul referred that her show stoppers for the Fashion shows were sometimes the common workers of her leading organization.

Arupa, when asked about the inspirations behind the book, Preeti shared some short anecdotes with us.  One I am sharing here:

"One lady was abandoned by her husband she was expecting that time. After some years she moved to USA with her daughter and on a snowy evening she sat with her daughter and playfully wrote 11 wishes listed down on a plain book. Before start writing the fiction Preeti talked to the lady and she informed that 9 out of those 11 wishes came true."

Talking about Diksha the Protagonist of the book did something of her own from zero to success. So Preety said that she did believe in the law of attraction what we did believe that really sometimes had come true.  Therefore at the end of her book she added an empty page which was quite a novel idea what I felt, titled it:

"What is your wish list? Go on write it down. You never know how it can change your life."

Preeti aded: "Unless and until you are writing down your wishes you are not giving a concrete shape to it".

Preeti is here launching her fourth fiction but she is already on to her fifth one. And she was characterised as a Voracious writer by Arupa. Preeti pointed out all the characters in her novel were borrowed from her own life and she had a real life experience with it.

Preeti confidently declares this book was different from her other novels and she ensured that everybody would like the book. And Arupa vouched for it when she shared her story while starting reading this book she denied visiting an invitation only because she could not leave the book in between. For her this book was absolutely a page turner and unputdownable. Arupa also wished for The Secret Wish List that may be in future it might be got screened as it has the perfect Cinematographic elements in it and Preeti wished too with her fingers crossed.

A glimpse of the Question & Answer session in between Preeti and the audience:

1.    How long you used to write?

Ans: I used to work for 8 to 10 hours a day. It took almost 8 months. 

2.    It is seen in the different part of the book you challenged the stereotypes.  Did you?

Ans: Yes I did challenge somewhere the stereotypes what I tried to illustrate in the book.

The overall experience of the event was wonderful. Preeti Shenoy herself looked very young, vibrating and enthusiastic and through her conversation she compelled us to listen to her that much confident and attitude she carried with her. Love the way Agnimitra Paul carried herself. With the minimum make up and not a single accessory on her, she is a true beauty and soft speaker too. Quite moved by the magnificent anchoring by Arupa Lahiry who is a professional dancer and studied English literature. She was well versed and swung the event giving totally a relaxed feeling creating a homely atmosphere. 

All is well when it ends well. I returned home almost flying high with pride with the exquisite joy of talking to the author in person and having her own signature in my copy of The Secret Wish List as a lifelong asset.

To know more about Preeti Shenoy visit her website and she is an avid blogger too: http://www.preetishenoy.com/

Review on The Secret Wish list will be coming shortly..