The Princess of a Whore House by Mayank Sharma
I was intrigued by the title and wanted to see how the author dealt with it.
The book is a quick read. Events flow one into the other. It is very obvious that the social issue of how children of sex workers are treated was what Mayank Sharma wanted to focus on and the story does that. It focuses on the life of Aparajita from her childhood to her happily ever after. It documents the problems she has first getting admission to a good school to colleagues accepting her. She is as the synopsis says a go getter and she is not ashamed of the fact that her mother has been forced into prostitution.
The story feels like a mixture of Cinderella and Pretty woman, but the characters are a tad unbelievable. It is difficult to imagine a 12 or 13 year old kid, who has been born in a remote tribal area and then spends a couple years being tutored with other children from the brothels, saying things like, “Life sucks when the stereotypes like you look at a million year old yardstick to decide what we deserved. Again and again you position us in your hierarchy based on prejudiced notions of a restrained society”
As far as the story goes, it is pretty good till the end. Then it disappoints. It could have definitely been handled much better. As they say, it not just the end of the story that is important, it is the settling down that comes after that that gives your reader true satisfaction.
THE PRINCESS OF A WHOREHOUSE: THE STORY OF A
SWAMP LOTUS
by
Mayank Sharma
Blurb
Aparajita is a tenacious go-getter. Her name means unconquerable in Sanskrit, and she lives up to its meaning.
Just like any other ambitious girl, she desires to fulfil her dreams and become an independent individual. Far and wide, the shadow of her melancholy past chases her passage. The fact that her widowed mother is a former sex worker irks the community. Nonetheless, she is not ashamed to reveal her mother’s past.
Will she lose hope, or will she defy an enigma that is centuries-old? Will she ever conquer the hearts of a prestige-obsessed community?
See the world through Aparajita’s prism in a tale stirred by some real life events.
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About the author
Mayank Sharma is a computer engineering graduate with post-graduation in business management. He works with a leading technology multinational in Delhi. He has authored a number of articles and white papers on software technology and processes. For the first time in April 2014, his article was featured in Better Software magazine published in Florida, USA. Writing has become Mayank’s greatest passion when he observed how it can trigger the winds of change. He is gradually transforming from a “left-brained” writer to a “right-brained” writer. Besides writing, he is passionate about sketching, painting, and making sculptures since childhood.
India is the fifth-largest economy in the world with the Gross Domestic Product growth at 7.1 percent. Contrary, India ranks 118 out of 157 countries in the happiness index. The fact seized Mayank’s attention towards social problems affecting social support, freedom of choices, and generosity, to name a few. Having travelled across continents and associated with people with diverse beliefs and values, he became more curious about the social riddles curtailing liberties across societies. He penned his debut novel, The Princess of a Whorehouse, when he came across some real life incidents that quivered his soul.
We Promote So That You Can Write
I suppose most of us wanted to feel the pathos of the story which was surprisingly missing. I think the author has only focused on the positivity. I wish a tinge of the background catching up in Aparajita’s life would have been great. But still I finished this book in one go.
Yes, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say that the pathos was missing, but like you, I finished it in one go.
A thorough review I must admit and yes the ending caught me unawares.
Thanks Geeta.
Thanks for reading my book, Sunita. I appreciate your review.
My pleasure.