The Jamun Tree and Other Stories is a collection of short stories that dissects and analyses a cross-
section of the society to decipher our complex existence, psychological truths, range of emotions, relationships and subjective morality. The stories in this collection are about an almost-human Jamun tree, an enticing woman on a mission, a family receiving news about their inheritance, a journalist looking for a scoop, a family on a cruise liner, a mother dealing with the tragic death of her child, youngsters affected by corruption and an investigator resolving a mysterious murder. The Jamun Tree and Other Stories will help navigate and open up vistas to understand our present-day life.
Richa’s compilation of real-life short stories set in the world of COVID-19 is relatable as most of the plots revolve around the time when the world is going through a deadly pandemic. The stories clearly show how it has affected people’s lives and turned situations upside down in a lot of households. One would surely be overwhelmed with mixed emotions while the book is in their hands. What sets this book apart is the simplicity, relatability and rawness with which it has been penned down. Real-life scenarios in the whole book intrigue the readers and keep them glued to the stories in such a way that it is extremely difficult to keep it aside after a few pages.
Get excited as we give you a sneak peak of some of the gripping tales of this book. The murder of a successful entrepreneur whose case touches a lot of possibilities and the search for his assassins is all so thrilling. Another story of a couple whose wedding was being planned meticulously, all the arrangements in full swing had to undergo a drastic change due to fate when their wedding was postponed followed by a call off amidst the COVID-19 situation. From a family dispute over a property left behind by their late mother to a sister being forcefully sacrificed to schizophrenia so that the inheritance could be passed on to her brother. Many such life predicaments have been introduced to the readers in the book, which leave indelible questions in their mind towards the end.
To summarise, this is absolutely a must-read for all since it relates to the time we’ve all been and are still going through.
‘Each evocative narrative is a peep into an interesting ambience peopled with vivacious characters’.
Sutapa Basu, Author of Padmavat
About the Author:
With an MA in English from Delhi University, Richa Gupta has also been certified in Instructional
Design and Editing by NETg of USA. She has had a career spanning over 31 years in the allied fields of English Language teaching, technical editing, instructional design and creative writing.
A senior PGT teacher of English, she taught in Welhams Girls’ High School, Dehradun from 1990 to 1992 and in Convent of Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi from 1992 to 1995 and from 1998 to 2012. She also conducted classes in Speech and Drama besides guided literary activities.
As a freelance editor, Richa has executed a large volume of language reviews. An e-learning
professional, she played a key role in the pioneering e-learning division of NIIT Ltd. from 1996 to
1998 and newer e-learning firms from 2012 to 2017. From 2014 to 2015, she worked as the
Director of ELT Programs and Initiatives in Encyclopaedia Britannica (Asia).
Inspired by the plight of women in India who face discrimination after a failed marriage, Richa
Gupta published her first novel titled Phoenix in 2017. In 2018, she published her second novel
Skeins, a light-hearted novel in a travel environment that explores serious issues.
In June, 2020, she published an anthology of short stories titled Slices of Life, which includes
vignettes in a mixed bag of genres ranging from bathos and futuristic Sci-Fi to a Whodunit.
In July, 2021, she published The Jamun Tree and Other Stories, another anthology of short stories
in the genre of realistic fiction.
(Book Title: The Jamun Tree and Other Stories. Paperback – 26 July 2021. Author: Richa Gupta, Price: INR 299).
