Book Review: 'Dented & Painted'

Name: Dented & Painted
Author: Tirupati Khemka
Publisher: Notion Press
Rating: 3.5

This collection of tales will touch your soul. Each short story tells of a woman, a woman who is oppressed — by her family, by her husband, by her lover or by society. Some tell of women who avenged their injustices, retaliated and survived. Others of those who submitted and were subdued. It will make you cry and gasp, reel in shock, scream in anger and make you ponder in silence. The subjects are serious and the book will leave you with questions and hopefully fill you with fight to stand against the injustices that you may be witness to.

Most women will understand the sentiments and maybe even be able to relate to parts of stories. Men too have much to learn from these bare tales and to challenge themselves to rise above by ensuring that women stand shoulder to shoulder, and not walk over them. The author brings himself into each story by posing a question or two at the end of each story — questions that would do us all good to mull over.