Gift of Life

Gift of Life is Shyamala's story. A seventy-year-old women, living alone in the small coastal town of Perdur. She is simple and relatable. Yet there is something bold and impressive about the way she lives her life alone, refusing to depend on anyone.
Carrying the burden of a tragic past, Shyamala believes that the only way she can survive is to follow a routine that allows her to spend most of her time outside the house that is a constant reminder of the past. For years this routine is her anchor. But what happens when the whole world is confronted by a challenge that halts normal life and Shyamala is confined to the house that screams of everything she has lost? Does she surrender to her fate, or does she fight back and rediscover herself?
This beautifully narrated, deeply felt story is told with an innate understanding of both the frailty and the strength of human experience. Based on the nationwide lockdown of 2020, Gift of Life is a story of acceptance, hope and healing in times of great uncertainty.

ASHWINI SHENOY is an Electronics Engineer by profession and a writer by passion. In addition to a Master's Degree in Technology, Ashwini has a diploma in creative writing. A fervent reader, she has an abiding interest in stories with positive life lessons. She wrote her first story at the age of eight and has been writing ever since, experimenting across genres. She believes in drawing into the literary limelight underrated yet pivotal characters, real and fictional, inspiring readers with their stories. Shikhandini – Warrior Princess of the Mahabharata (Leadstart 2019), her debut novel, was critically acclaimed by readers and booklovers around the world. She is also a lifestyle blogger and an avid painter in oils.