Earning The Laundry Stripes - Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

 Title : Earning The Laundry Stripes

 Author : Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

 Pages : 300

 Genre : Fiction

 Publisher : Rupa Publications

 ISBN : 978 129 109811

If you want to see what versatility means, read Manreet's books. I mean it. I have read all three books by her now and I know what I am talking about here. She has penned down a thriller, The Taj Conspiracy, which is still ruling the bestsellers list, a book full of emotions, The Long Walk Home, my favourite book and Earning The Laundry Stripes, a witty take on the life of an IIM Calcutta graduate and her sales stints in an all boys club. 

Earning The Laundry Stripes happened pretty late to me. I ordered the book few days back and got it last evening only and I started on with it. Absolute page turner and if you are by chance a management graduate (which I am not), you are surely going to enjoy the read. And if you are into Sales field, you would completely relate with the book. I am saying this because one of my very good friend is currently working as a factory manager in one of the leading FMCG ( Fast Moving Consumer Goods ) of India and during his training days as a management trainee, he did all that what has been written in this book. He used to call me up and rant his guts out about whatever he was going through back then. 

The book opens with tensions related to placements session in IIMC. Noor Bhalla, the protagonist of the book goes through some unexpected adventures during this tenure and lands herself in a sales job at HLL (Hindustan Lever). A well educated lady from Firozpur, Punjab lands up in Nagpur, Maharashtra for her first sales stint as a TSI and there begins an adventurous  roller coaster ride for her which sounds so true. Once you get the hang of the book, it turns out to be a complete page turner, that is witty and practical at times.

Noor moves to different cities for her training and that included a month long stint in Bombay too. I must not forget to mention here, there is a beautiful poem in the book about Bombay. I wanted to share it here, but I won't because then you would buy the book. If you love Bombay, buy the book to read that poem. (Am I trying to pitch a sales thingy here ?) :P 

Manreet's writing impressed me as usual. I love her books so I might sound a bit biased here but who cares. I book is definitely a light read that you would enjoy and for management graduates who are planning to land up in the excruciating yet exciting field of Sales, this book is a must read. I am sure Manreet, being an IIM alumni and an ex-HLL employee has put in her personal experiences too in there. 

Book Source : Personal Copy

The Long Walk Home - Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

 Title : The Long Walk Home

 Author : Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

 Publisher : Harper Collins 

 Pages : 270

 Genre : Fiction

 ISBN : 978-81-7223-828-5

My long lost hobby was resurrected by The Taj Conspiracy, Manreet's latest book. Yes, reading has been a hobby since childhood, but I could never really develop it. Too many factors came into play, but lets not get there. I was lucky to meet Manreet at one of the blogger's meet organised by Westland Books when she was in Delhi for the launch of her book. It was my first ever rendezvous with an author and that experience is something I am never going to forget in my life. In that bloggers meet, Manreet shared the story behind The Long Walk Home also and how Gulzar sahab liked the book and wrote four lines to summarise the book. The excitement was clearly visible in the author's eyes.

That's when I decided to pick this book and read it and I read it last night again, because it is one of my favourite books. The way it has been written makes me want to read this book again and again. The plot, the narration, the structure of the book is something very fresh. If someone wants to learn how characters are developed in a story, then this book is a must read. And all the Gulzar Sahab fans, they must not miss out on reading this one because he himself liked it which pushed him to write and summarised the book in his own signature style, the four lines I am posting here

Yeh faasle teri galiyon ke humse tay na huey

hazaar baar rukey hum hazaar baar chaley

na jaane kaun si mitti watan ki mitti thi

nazar mein dhool, jigar mein liye ghubaar chaley

                                                                                                              - Gulzar

So, summarises the whole book and Manreet was overwhelmed when she read these lines for us that day.

The book swings between present and past, more in the year 1984, the year of sikh riots in India. Also the protagonist of the book Baksh travels down the memory lane when he used to live in the border town of Ferozepur, Punjab. He was a lawyer and have sailed through some of the harsh and circumstantial realities of the life. From pre partition India of 1947, to the post independence era, the India Pakistan war and last but not the least, which is still a major issue in our country, religious extremism. Baksh had seen it all. While he takes his last walk before he reaches hospital in search of a doctor, all these memories haunt him, makes him think about his family, faith, fundamentalism and misguided passions.

Also, the Bhalla family tree given at the first page of the book must be understood before you start reading the book.It would be slightly tough for you to read this one if you don't understand the family structure. Also, the book touched my emotional side, which is not easy. The way riot scenes have been described would send shivers down your spine. You feel disgusted and helpless. As Manreet has experienced all these times herself, the way she has narrated the scenes becomes more realistic. The book is definitely not a light read, at least for me it wasn't. Also, the relationship of Baksh with all his family members have been told so beautifully that would instantly connect you to the story.

I strongly recommend you to read this one. It is a fine piece of writing w.r.t. whatever knowledge about writing I have.  I have already read it thrice and I am sure I am going to read it again and again. :)