Saying a lot with fewer words is a talent that only a handful of writers are blessed with. That is why maybe, there is a large audience for short stories than long novels. Another reason that short stories receive so much love might be because they are easier to grasp and tell you an enjoyable and relatable tale without asking too much of your time.

In this post, I share about a book that has ten beautiful short stories about the many emotions that we humans go through in life.

You might not have heard about it, which is why I am sharing it.

The Title

From the name you should guess that this book is uncontemporary and aims to surprise the readers. ‘Souled’ Out is a brilliant trick of the words Sold Out. The stories all have soul and are written from the soul. They connect to you and make you think hard.

The Stories

Most short stories have an unclear ending. The writer leaves it to you to take out the moral through your thinking and grasping ability. Some short stories have open endings. The reader can decide whatever outcome they wish to based on their personal understanding of the story. But not many short stories end with a twist. A twist that you never see coming. ‘Souled’ Out falls in this category.

Reading the book is like riding a train that moves along a straight path for most of the journey. It is when you are about to reach your destination that the train takes a detour so unexpected, you as a reader feel the jerk and wonder whoa! What did just happen? And this happens with each story.

There are total of 10 stories in the book, all touching upon different subjects such as child labour, love, spirituality, and many more.

The short stories can be re-read for the shock value and to understand the writing style, if one wishes to imbibe it for their own creations.

Accompaniers of the Stories

The stories, delightful and shocking, are made even more enjoyable to read with colourful pictures. They are not illustrations or drawings as is most often found but real photographs that make the stories feel close to reality.

Book Cover and Pages

The stories are worth treasuring and the book cover and pages do justice to this. The book has a beautiful design and colour that appeals to you at just one glance. The pages are glossy and give a premium feel to the unique stories.

The Author

The author of the book is Tahira Kashyap- wife of actor Ayushmann Khurrana. I was apprehensive about choosing a book by her because, well, I was misled by my prejudiced thinking that how could an actor’s wife write well. But I liked the synopsis and picked it. I was not disappointed. The writing may not be perfect but her stories and way of telling them is remarkable. She knows how to catch the reader’s attention and stir a variety of emotions.

The author has written one more fiction book titled ‘I Promise…’ and I have promised myself long back that I will read it. I will share my views on it once I have. Promise 🙂

Who Should Read This Book

Everyone! People who like soulful and heart-touching short stories, those who like short stories with a twist, and those who have never read short stories- this book is for everyone.

‘Souled’ Out is a rare gem of a book that no one should miss reading.