Author: Monica Singh Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing (Self-Published) Publication Date: December 26, 2023 Format: Kindle eBook Genre: Contemporary Romance / Literary Fiction / Novella My Rating: 4/5
What happens when a thunderstorm, a book launch, and writerly self-doubt collide in a cozy Pune bookstore cafe? You get “All the Missing Words” by Monica Singh, a warm, witty, and wonderfully bite-sized literary romcom that reads like the literary equivalent of rain on a windowpane with a cup of chai in hand.
Dive into the delightful chaos of Vrinda’s life as she navigates an unexpected thunderstorm, writerly woes, and love in the cozy confines of Marshall’s Book Cafe in Pune. Join her on a 12-hour literary escapade that sparks not just creative revelations but a chance encounter that might just rewrite her own love story. “All the Missing Words” is a contemporary romcom celebrating books, serendipity, and the unexpected yet universal struggles of writers.
Vrinda is an introvert and a wannabe writer. She wanders into her favourite bookstore cafe only to find an impromptu book launch in full swing. Then the rains hit. The unpredictable Pune monsoon keeps the small group stranded, forcing strangers to connect through words, spoken and written. What follows is a gentle, genuine unraveling of Vrinda’s insecurities and the quiet, hopeful stirring of something that might be love. The characters are goofy, lovable, and feel refreshingly real.
Monica writes with ease, bringing forth a small book filled with literary excellence. She begins with a quote from Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird,” one of my favorite books. And it sets the tone perfectly:
“You are lucky to be one of those people who wishes to build sand castles with words, willing to create a place where your imagination can wander. We build this place with the sand of memories; these castles are our memories and inventiveness made tangible. So part of us believes that when the tide starts coming in, we won’t really have lost anything because only a symbol of it was there in the sand. Another part of us thinks we’ll figure out a way to divert the ocean. This is what separates artists from ordinary people: the belief, deep in our hearts, that if we build our castles well enough, somehow the ocean won’t wash them away. I think this is a wonderful kind of person to be.” — Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
This opening sets a beautiful, introspective tone that the story lives up to. The novella does not just tell a love story. It raises real, thought-provoking questions: Why do we write? What if we never get published? How many of us can afford to follow our passion? These questions give the story weight beyond the romance, making it genuinely resonant for any reader who has ever wrestled with a creative dream.
This quick, bite-sized coffee book provided me with a thoroughly enjoyable 12-hour literary escapade in just one hour of reading. Great work, Monica Singh.
Buy the book on Amazon India: All the Missing Words by Monica Singh on Amazon
