Sharing Lipstick Left Me Thinking, I Shall Become The Change…

Sharing Lipstick, a collection of short stories by women, brings you some inspiring stories, encouraging you to be the change.

Sharing Lipstick, a collection of short stories by women, brings you some inspiring stories, encouraging you to be the change.

Stories talk and help to build a picture in motion. When I was getting restless during this lockdown, this book, Sharing Lipstick, found me through the nature of my search history,  in the ‘books you may like’ section. Sharing Lipstick became one bunch of talks to me.

It is compilation of 25 powerful stories by different writers. Each one is empowered through its characters, words and settings. I am sure the pieces will churn your emotions and leave you thinking, “I shall become the change, for a better future.”

These stories explore stereotypes about conditioned women and their effort to liberate themselves from such set rules. A bunch of wonderful writers with attitude came together on a vibrant platform to give a taste of revolt in their own way.

How three generations of women struggle to find their pathway to a dream is etched beautifully by Shraddha Niphadkar. Priya Ramachandran narrates an acrid tale, but one meant to inspire. Pavi Raman depicts an avatar of woman punishing the demons in our society. Femininity in machines built as robots? Duh, is it possible, ask Rashmi Agrawal. Domestic violence occurs across classes, says Anjali Paul, in her story of how a domestic worker comes to her employer’s rescue. Meha Sharma shows us how beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Un/loving a child based on gender is still a part of our society, says Shalini Mullick.

One of my favourites in this collection is a story by Paromita Bardoloi, that takes off the Mahabharata until the modern era. It demonstrates that  equality cannot be established unless we fight for it under any circumstances. Kalyani Chidambaranathan shows us a successful protagonist, behind whom is her inconsiderate husband. Manideepa Lahiri touched my heart and left me awed when I read her story about two sisters connected at the heart. Meenakshi Iyer hits hard at the good girl stereotype. Vijayalakshmi Harish is a an expert at story telling and on reading her story, my heart cried for the sisters from another mother. In another story, she relates the #metoo campaign to an ancient tale. Life is always about second chances is all KrishRa and Bharati Muralidhar have to say. Saishree Ramasubbu shares the journey of a girl married at a tender age, while Sreeparna Sen takes you on a roller coaster ride to a future of single gendered men.

Whether sisterhood is strange or a stranger can stand for a sister is explored by Ujwala Shenoy Karmarkar. In another piece, she graciously shows how the broken is beautiful and capable. Applause can be miraculous, says Ragini Parashar. Read on to find out what Manisha Sahoo has to say about the extent a sister went to keep her brother’s wish. Writing is therapeutic says Khoobi Gangadevi Shah.

Lastly comes Preethi Warrier breaking the shackles of a soul trapped in a different body. Read this collection to find out how brilliantly the editor has worked to bring out these amazing stories assembled in one book.

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Book Title : Sharing lipstick: A short story collection
Publisher : Anthology by Women’s web
Editors : Sandhya Renukamba, Madhur Dave
Cover Design : Anju Jayaram
Price : ₹ 150

First published here.

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About the Author

Shilpee Prasad

A space tech lover, engineer, researcher, an advocate of equal rights, homemaker, mother, blogger, writer and an avid reader. I write to acknowledge my feelings. read more...

24 Posts | 77,202 Views

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