#LITEROMA Book Review :: ‘Soul Curry’ by Shikha Gupta**

Thanks to our reviewer Satabdi for reviewing the book on behalf of Literoma. **

Soul Curry is a potpourri of emotions, thoughts, and feelings. The author has a keen eye for detail and has woven her observations into poetry and prose with great care. 


The common thread among all the poems, personal essays, and stories is the author's positive outlook. Even when she's talking of tragic events or injustices, she adds a hopeful note. She appears to be looking forward, ready to forgive and forget. I loved that about this book!

The collection of poems --both free verse and rhyming verse -- is of high quality and offers deep insights. The author has the skill to turn the mundane into something magical and ethereal. Each poem reveals something new about the way the author thinks and how she views the world around her. She can be a passive observer, recording events and behavior without comment. Or she can subtly insert her opinion into her observations. 

She talks about a variety of topics in her prose pieces - relationships, family ties, motherhood experiences, time management, the COVID-19 pandemic, and so on. It feels like she's speaking to you and every word is heartfelt. I enjoyed reading about her experiences as a young mother. She advises other mothers to pay more attention to their children, to let them visit their grandparents often, and to let them enjoy their childhood. 

She also talks about the change in life and the atmosphere at home due to the pandemic. How her children have returned home and she feels alive again. 

She has a few fictional pieces where she talks about the burdens of a housewife, the equation between a husband and a wife, parenting values, women's rights, mental health, sexism, mindfulness, body shaming, labeling, recipes, healthy eating, and so on. These stories are a joy to read and have useful lessons for readers to follow. 

Soul Curry is a good, leisurely read. You will want to return to the book, again and again, to soak in the positivity and beautiful thoughts. 

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