Book Review: Embraces in Ink: Notes from the Soul by Manali Desai
I often look for books that don’t just entertain but offer a mirror to the human spirit, books that hold space for emotions, experiences, and reflection. Embraces in Ink: Notes from the Soul by Manali Desai is a rare gem that not only touched my heart but also left an indelible imprint on my soul.
There couldn’t have been a more beautiful way to wrap up the month than with this soul-stirring collection. In the chaos of sessions, parenting responsibilities, writing deadlines, and the ever-growing to-do lists, this book felt like a much-needed pause moment to exhale and reconnect with the quieter, deeper parts of myself.
Structured as a series of letters and poetic reflections, this book feels like you’re reading someone’s soul laid bare on paper. As someone who teaches emotional regulation and gratitude techniques to children, including my own little one with ADHD, I often emphasise the power of naming feelings and showing appreciation. Manali Desai does just that effortlessly. With every letter, she gives voice not only to people and emotions, but also to the overlooked things, such as curtains, yogurt, domestic help, or even self. It’s an act of mindful gratitude in the purest literary form.
Her letter, “When Socials Become Anti-Social,” resonated especially with me, not just as a writer active on social media, but also as a parent deeply concerned about the impact of digital exposure on the next generation. She holds up a mirror that reflects both the loneliness and longing that are wrapped up in our hyper-connected lives.
What sets Embraces in Ink apart is its accessibility and inclusivity. You don’t need to be a poet to appreciate poetry here. You just need to have lived, loved, lost, healed, or hoped. Whether it was a letter that mirrored my own journey as a special needs parent or one that reminded me to thank the often-invisible helpers in our daily lives, each piece stirred something raw and beautiful.
From a therapeutic perspective, this book can serve as a valuable tool in counselling sessions, particularly for gratitude journaling or reflective writing, with older children, teens, or adults. Its ability to validate and humanise emotions, and to gently provoke reflection, is incredibly valuable. Even, I found her words reinforcing the idea that emotional literacy and self-awareness must go hand in hand with any behavioural strategy.
I thought of reading select letters aloud to my son, particularly the ones about friendship, kindness, and self-love. While he may not fully grasp the depth of the language, the intent, the tone, and the warmth, they all seep through.
Some letters made me cry. Others felt like they were written just for me. And some reminded me of people I’d forgotten to thank. That’s the magic of this book: it helps you feel seen and also nudges you to see more clearly.
To sum it up:
Embraces in Ink is not just a collection of dedications. It’s a quiet revolution of gratitude. A heartfelt journey through relationships, regrets, realisations, and love in all its raw and radiant forms. If you’ve been rushing through life, this book is a gentle, poetic invitation to slow down and savour the moment.
Read it. Reflect on it. Gift it to someone you’ve forgotten to thank.
This isn’t just a book, it’s in poetic ink.
