THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW

by Vaishali Hamlai

This is a poignant, compelling and unflinching depiction of the powerful yet delicate bond between a mother and her daughters. Through the Open Window follows the lives of three independent women—Jannat Kaur and her daughters, Mahira and Tamannah—who lead life on their own terms. The story is as much about love and longing as it is about three women, who are able to look at their mistakes honestly, even if the realization happens later. The novel goes back and forth in time and looks at how Jannat came to be where she is today—a managing partner in a leading company, with twin daughters in college. The strand of the past starts during Jannat’s college days, with her getting pregnant and then rejected by her then-boyfriend. From the worries of becoming a single mother, to falling in love again with a man who accepts her daughters as his own, her life is shattered yet again and she is forced to raise the twins on her own. Tamannah and Mahira have to deal with their own share of complex and sometimes emotionally wrenching situations. For Tamannah it’s the men in her life (much like her mother) and for Mahira it is the everyday fight for her sense of self and her battle to emerge out of the shadow of two fiercely assertive and headstrong female influences she’s had all her life. Through the Open Window is a depiction of how love can create, destroy and recreate.

216 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2021

Reviews

[Harshita · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I spoke to the author about this book and asked her what she would want" her readers to take away from the story, she said "How to be a strong woman even after taking the wrong decision and after wrong judgement … how to get out of a hell hole and just believing in oneself … and never depend on any man/ woman entirely - being Independent down what may - believe in oneself".

Trust me, this is exactly how Vaishali built the story around the relationship shared between the mother and her two daughters. I was so moved after finishing the books. It made me ponder about how much a single mother can endure for her children.. how she needs to change the equation she shares with her children at different points of time in life. At the same time i love the way she has portrayed the pole apart daughters, Tamannah and Mahira.

The story touches upon a lot of topics in just 200 odd pages. And I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Taking one thing from this book... Be fearless.. be confident.. own up your mistakes and work towards rectifying things, afterall no one is perfect. Be the lioness of your jungle!