GULMOHAR DREAMS BY DHARSHANA BAJAJ (2023)

About the Author: Dharshana Bajaj is a contemporary artist, freelance editor and writer based in Chennai. Both her art and books reflect her deep commitment towards nature and the importance of finding beauty in a world that is flawed, yet hopeful. Along with Gulmohar Dreams, she is also the author of ‘Gaia's Own: Every Child's Guide To Living In Harmony With Nature’ (Review coming soon).

This epistolary novel is about a young writer who embarks on a spiritual journey that teach her the true meaning of healing and life. During an idyllic  retreat for artists called Gulmohar Dreams, Kamia Mirchandani writes a series of letters to record her writing journey, friendships with like minded people at the retreat and reflections on her life journey till now.

When I started my blog, I was particularly worried about being a mood reader as I always tended to choose books I’d think I’d enjoy as my mood instead of reviewing new and popular books like most bloggers to grow my brand. Four months later, that’s still the case for me as for the past I’ve been more inclined to read healing fiction due to additional work load and health issues. And Gulmohar Dreams by Darshana Bajaj has been the perfect book for me. But my approach slightly different this time.

 Instead of reading the entire book in my sitting, I read one or two chapters every day before going to bed. And this strategy really worked as I felt like I was reading daily bog updates of Kamia Mirchandani’s peaceful and healing writing journey.

I like how the narrative weaves the main story with some really thought-provoking insights on the myth of abiding by society’s checklist, breaking the shackles of shame, developing new perspectives, striking a balance between comfort and nature and embracing new forms of art. This story is also a poignant exploration and creative deconstruction of Kamia’s trauma as it delves into the non-linear nature of healing. Kamia reevaluates the wounds of her past from a new lens of acceptance and forges a new path with gratitude. I love how gratitude consistently occupies an important place in the story with each letter starting and ending with a thank you to universe. Bajaj’s reverence towards nature is also evident in the narrative and it seamlessly blends into the central themes of self-doubt, trauma and healing.

If you are interested to read a thoughtful healing fiction, with invaluable insights on eco-activism then this is one of the best books you can read!

Healing and insightful, I'd like to give this story a rating of 4 out of 5.