May ’21 Book of the Month – Whereabouts

Oh hello! It’s been a while since I have made a blog post, but a mini-hiatus was the need of the hour. With things gradually returning to normal, at least on this side of the world, I’ve been taking some time off to binge-read, binge-watch, and catch up with loved ones without worrying too much about my posting schedule and content calendar.

However, it is good to be back, and apologies in advance for the incoming book spam 🙂

My Book of the Month for the month of May features a beloved author, whose works I have admired for over a decade and who last published a book in 2013. It has been a long wait indeed, but without further ado, here is Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Summary

First written as Dove Mi Trovo by Jhumpa Lahiri in Italian, and then translated by Lahiri herself into English, Whereabouts is a collection of personal essays of a woman who lives a solitary life, alone but not lonely. It is soulfully narrated in a flowing, evocative prose.

What I Loved

Imagine finding a diary or a personal journal. You don’t know who left it behind, but you are curious and you start leafing through it. And a for a little moment in time, you are transported to a serene world. A world inhabited by the woman who wrote the journal. She goes for a walk, meets friends for dinner, walks a friends’ dog, goes on a day trip, spends a quiet afternoon in the piazza. And all throughout, she finds little snippets of profound thoughts and recollections that she pens down.

This is the world you see in Whereabouts – Jhumpa Lahiri’s captivating new book, written in a flawless, dazzling prose that is so characteristic of her.

Although I loved reading her books like the Namesake, which is basically a single storyline, I most enjoy her short story collections like Unaccustomed Earth. It just goes to show the breadth of her talent and why Lahriri is one of the most prolific writers of our times.

Final Words:

There’s always an air of melancholy in Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing. In a year where we have found our priorities shifting drastically, Whereabouts is a must-read. It fills you with longing and compels you to slow down and savour the little aspects of life; like buying stationery, or reading the newspaper. This is a book that will be my top recommendation for everyone this year.

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri released on 4th May 2021 and is now available to purchase from Waterstones, Amazon or any of your local bookstore.

P.S. A big thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for sending me an Advanced Reader’s copy.

P.P.S. Cover image courtesy Bloomsbury

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