It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Planet Spins On Its Own Axis, Regardless by Kavita A. Jindal. Published by Serving House Books 7th April 2025. Tour by Kenyon Author Services.
About the Author
Kavita A. Jindal is an award-winning fiction writer, poet and essayist. Her novel Manual For A Decent Life, published by Linen Press in the U.K., won the Eastern Eye Award for Literature (2020) and was shortlisted for the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize (2022). Her poetry publications include Raincheck Renewed and Patina. Her short stories and poems have appeared in anthologies and literary journals worldwide and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Zee TV UK and European radio stations. Selected poems have been translated into Arabic, German, Italian, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
Reviewers have said of her writing: "witty and wry, with a steely heart" and of the novel "the book's boldness, beauty and courage are utterly seductive." Kavita previously served as Senior Editor at Asia Literary Review and is the co-founder of The Whole Kahani collective for British-Asian writers. She enjoys collaborating with other artists across a range of projects. Visit https://kavitajindal.com/ to learn more about Kavita. Or follow @writerkavita on X
About the book
Meet the inventor of pre-conception contracts. The foodie high roller. The menopausal student shamans. The young window cleaner. The aspiring philosopher. The people taking it one-day-at-a-time.
These astute and prescient stories zigzag from England to India, from Europe to Hong Kong, and from the past to the future. As they traverse youthfulness to late life and everything in between, fault lines trip the characters, revealing rifts and the gift for resolutions.
Review
I've said this before, short stories are a fine art and not every writer has the knack. It's not the same as poetry, which is a subjective expression of the written art or whichever way it is presented to the audience. Being able to capture a whole story within a few pages is a skill, especially when they leave you asking for more, for another page, chapter or brief look in the window.
Jindal has that gift. It's almost as if the mind's eye can see the narrator drawing listeners in as they spin the yarns full of experiences, reflections, moments of emotional turmoil. Soundbites of stories become tongue lashings of awakenings. Shout the warning, scream about the injustice, whisper the concern, think the unthinkable or indeed close the eyes and ears to the truth and reality that surrounds you.
I really enjoyed the variation and the way something so innocent turns into a story of misogyny, oppression, abuse and the futility of lack of control over our existence. Then equally those moments of uprising, of choice, self-exploration and discovery.
This would be the part where I mention one or two of my favourites, but I have to admit I would find it hard to highlight one above the other, because they are all very good. They also leave a lasting impact. I did wonder whether the stories are purposely written in a way that results in a variety of interpretations, depending on the background, gender, and experiences of the reader. I can imagine that Tipping Point would result in an interesting group conversation, as would Where He Lives.
I highly recommend this selection of short stories and indeed the work of the author.
Buy The Planet Spins on its Axis, Regardless at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.
The book is published by Serving House Books in the USA - https://servinghousebooks.com/theplanetspins/
Their Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servinghousebooks/
