Arising from the Dust

Arising from the Dust is an anthology of 32 stories brought out by the Letsmakestoriesdino battalion. True to its title, the stories are uplifting, inspiring and rejuvenating.

Though this collection is a work of 32 different writers, every story is a story of rebirth, resurrection and rejuvenation. The cover design in bold red and streaks of yellow reflects the spirit of this collection. The stories drawn from our everyday lives feature not larger-than-life heroes but everyday people, and yet what makes them heroes is they choose to arise and shine when they hit rock bottom.

Arising from the Dust,

Not only a collection of quills,

It’s every soul’s rise!!

These lines by Meera V Barath, compiler of this book, perfectly summarize this inspiring and energizing collection.

In any anthology, some stories reach out more to the readers than others, some send a stronger message, and a few connect with the readers more than the others. Out of the 32 stories in this collection, I liked 26 of them, which is over 80% of this anthology!

The anthology opens with the ‘Sisters of Daulatdia’ by Aradhna Shukla. It is the brave saga of Begum Hamida, a sex worker. Narrated from an intriguing POV, it is a stirring saga of the lives of women living in the biggest brothel town in the world. And this story sucked me right into this book.

As I explored the pages, I realized every story is intriguing and inspiring in its own way. However, it is not possible to provide an in-depth review of every quill breathing and living in these pages. So, I am listing a few which connected with me on a personal level, and touched me deeply.

‘Time to Take A Stance’ by Chandrika R Krishnan is written in a simple and heart-warming manner. Vasanthi’s life is the story of countless women. There are many who choose to suffer in silence till the very end, unlike the protagonist in this story who wears the ‘director’s hat,’ and takes control of her life.

‘Best Out of Waste’ by Mrinalinee Patro is a rousing narration. With the right zeal, one can overcome all odds and flourish–be it a barren woman or a barren land. ‘Not Without My Daughter’ by Natasha Sequeira, is a well-written emotional story of a mother’s resolve to protect her daughter.

‘Rise, Don’t Shine’ by Preethi Warrier is a lesson for parents. A much-needed lesson! On similar lines is ‘Grit and Determination’ by Shweta Singh, a simple tale sending out a strong message.

Say ‘Yes’ to change!’ by Rohini Jayanti is a heart-warming story of emancipation, while ‘From Dust It Rose’ by Jayashree Pillai is gratifying, oozing hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow.

I enjoyed reading ‘Life Lessons from A Winner’s Diary’ by Neel Anil Panicker. The struggles of a mother and her daughter, her perseverance and desire to succeed against all odds, really spoke to me.

‘The First Step’ by Sheetal Ashpalia, ‘Destiny in My Hands’ by Dr. Sunil Kaushal and ‘The Story of an Underdog’ by Rianka Saha are stories which are bound to make every reader emotional.

‘Kindness Begets Kindness’ by Sonal Singh, and ‘Trampled, not Vanquished’ by Sreemati Sen brought tears to my eyes, and will stay with me for long. While the former is a kindling tale of friendship between strangers, in the latter a ‘little girl’ truly arises from the ashes.

Rest of the stories are inspiring and meaningful too, and I would recommend all to read the anthology to explore the hidden gems.

Wordsopedia rating 4/5

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#LetsMakeStoriesDino is a writing platform and community run on Facebook/Instagram, and they aren’t in competition with any. This writing DinoLand is an oasis of experiences through words that heal. Know more about the group at Facebook