Book Review for When You Love a Storm by Anshuman Dash

When You Love a Storm, by Anshuman Dash, is about falling in love with humanity’s inner turmoil, however devastating it could be.

The book is separated into five parts. The Silence Before the Storm describes the inner peace of self-reflection, as well as the beauty of the quiet surrounding you. In the Eye of the Storm emphasizes the eerie feeling that something is out there, something you can’t see or hear, but you know that it’s there. The Wrath of the Storm deals with the raw emotion of when you or someone you love becomes enraged, destroying themselves in the process. The Night After the Storm describes the stillness of what happens when these emotions suddenly dissipate. The Morning After the Storm reveals a certain beauty once these emotions fade. Something meaningful lingers, and soon, life moves on for the next storm. Anshuman Dash reveals just how powerful emotions can be, all the while continuing a cycle of happiness and sorrow.

Each poem illustrates the reality of loving something, or someone, that could potentially destroy you in your fullest being. Even after the storm is over and life goes on, that emotional storm will come again. One of the poems I enjoyed said, humorously bluntly I might add, that you’re responsible for your own feelings and no one else. If you happen to feel sad or distraught, that’s your own fault. This poem, alongside other poems in the collection, reflects what it means to love someone, even if it means dealing with their storms.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection. From the painful truth that emotions can build up and destroy, to the calmness of once the storm is gone, Dash illustrates just how complicated human feelings can be. Despite this, life continues on, only for us to keep going in again. As such, I would give this book a rating of a 4.1 out of 5.0 stars, and recommend it to those who enjoy The Heart’s Lullaby by Natalie Ducey and The Words Between Us by C.J Blaise.