Picked up this book for the title, and because of the author’s other two books I’ve loved – Bhaunri and Daura. Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken things with gold, stems from the philosophy that damage is a part of that object’s history, and does not need to be hidden. Rather, it gets enhanced by gold. I love that.
But what happens when people break? How do we mend our broken hearts and souls? Doesn’t the philosophy behind Kintsugi apply to humans too? How do we teach ourselves to accept and love our damaged selves and start believing that we are stronger and more beautiful now because of that damage and not despite it?
This book is about extraordinary women, incomplete, beautiful, broken, and damaged, connecting India and Japan, also taking us to Singapore and Borneo. Most of these women find the strength to mend themselves with gold, enamel, precious stones, and love, and a few of them believe they are too broke to be mended ever.
The simplicity of the writing is contradictory to the complex characters and the way their relationships are intertwined throughout the story. Despite this complexity, there is also a sense of serenity, calmness, and a quietness between the sentences. It’s a feeling difficult to describe, but something you won’t miss noticing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will happily give it 5 stars. Kudos to the author Anukrti Upadhyay for this beautiful beautiful story. I must also mention, I finished reading this 200+ page book in just under 3 days!
