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| Second Spring |
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| Shaina NC and I are talking about Second Spring |
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| Shaina NC reading Second Spring |
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| Signing Second Spring |
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| Interview with media about Second Spring |
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| Interview with media about Second Spring |
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Second Spring by Sandhya Jane - Book Launch function in India.
Friday, October 2, 2015
A review - Second Spring by Sandhya Jane
"I feel the love is like the flowers growing on the hill slopes no gardener sows the seeds or put efforts to make the arrangements of the flower beds, but they grow..... We admire the flowers and the best of the flower arrangements. But Some times it so happens that one withers early while the other keeps blossoming for long and one morning you find another one, that too seems the best .... we miss the first(or may not) but I think this is destiny.
Though fiction is not my cup of tea I read this fiction after ages & got so involved; the credit goes to Ms Sandhya Jane's smooth writing and just to crosscheck I passed the book to some of my students they also enjoyed the novel. Avi's strength of character became every bodys word."
By Nandita Tiwari
Though fiction is not my cup of tea I read this fiction after ages & got so involved; the credit goes to Ms Sandhya Jane's smooth writing and just to crosscheck I passed the book to some of my students they also enjoyed the novel. Avi's strength of character became every bodys word."
By Nandita Tiwari
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Second Spring - A Review by Sakshi Nanda
Sandhya Jane’s debut novel ‘A Second Spring … brings new hope’ reminded me of some novels by Indian women writers that I have read in the recent past. It also raised in my mind the same questions as contemporary women-centric works bring to the fore. Which is not to say ‘A Second Spring’ has been done before. It enjoys its own story-line and characters. Yet, it fits into the thematic mould of modern Indian women's writing rather well.
Avantika is a doting single mother and a successful investment banker, juggling her two roles with determination and discipline. Her confidence awes her colleagues and even more her juniors; Rohan, the attractive and smart aspiring banker, being no exception. Except, the handsome Rohan catches Avantika’s fancy in return too. The story proceeds as dual narrations alternating between Avantika’s thoughts and Rohan’s; their individual struggles with the idea of unconventional love yet their slowly growing dependence on and attraction for each other. Fate and free will both play a role in shaping their lives and easing the story onwards. Both protagonists speak directly to the readers throughout the book, spread over many years of their lives, but by the end of the novel the reins of the story are entirely in Avantika’s hands. Her ideas come to occupy centre-stage, eventually leading to the book's pleasantly surprising end and painting the aforementioned themes of women-centric novels in mature hues. Even though the blurb plays spoil sport by laying bare the whole story of ‘A Second Spring’, this review promises to say no more about the story.
The contemporary relevance of ‘A Second Spring’ lies in the issues that the book deals with. Marital troubles, single mothers, working professionals, younger lovers, tough decisions, opinions, power struggle between the sexes and how the presence of children defines and gives difficult dimensions to unconventional love affairs.
The appeal of the book lies in the character of Avantika – the way she has been created and the manner in which her thoughts and mental conflicts are portrayed, in her own voice and through Rohan’s narrations. What is also charming is the unhurried pace at which this love story progresses, especially in Part I of the book. That both the protagonists speak directly to the readers keeps the readers involved, often feeling like confidants into their secrets.
Avantika – the characterisation
The first predominant image of Avantika is of a mother who ‘wasn’t sure how I was going to manage carrying a child on my shoulder, three bags, and a travel mug of chai, but somehow I managed. I always did’. Strains of motherhood dot this working woman’s workaday as we see her chairing board meetings and rocking her son to sleep with equal ease. She does manage, knowing ‘small things counted big time’ with ‘the only man in my life’, Aarav, her son.
Sandhya managed to create a calm and complete life for Avantika, up until Avantika develops feelings of concern (and more) for another man, Rohan. Reality dawns – ‘At my age, at that time and level of success, one tended to fool oneself into believing that one had outgrown the need for admiration and excitement’. Being a woman who took risks but always on her own terms, dreams of unhindered love are always qualified with restraint. In the meantime, the fire is burning as brightly for the ‘boss-lady’ in Rohan’s six-years-younger heart, whose ‘basic innocence that people like me had lost along the way’ makes Avantika realize a part of herself which no longer exists. In keeping with everything about her, it is Avantika who opens her arms to Rohan, literally, in a scene beautifully rendered and expressed as ‘it was a bit awkward, but it felt so good, like this was just how it was meant to be’. Avantika makes the first move.
Each chapter gives voice to the conflict that is tearing at the unconfessed lovers’ insides. While Avantika’s somewhat maternal love for Rohan occupies her existence, to the extent of putting her time for her son at stake, Rohan cannot keep the thoughts of his conservative family away from his unconventional love story and though he ‘loved her too … (but) was confused by her’.
The maturity with which Sandhya has created Avantika make her doubts and dealings extremely real – ‘Soon, he would have no time for me. I could see the lonely road ahead of me’ – she muses, with age, marital status and professional success in life throwing up barriers to what she saw as wanton lust but knew as affection like never felt before. But her strength of character rules when things go amiss. ‘I had no intentions of waking down that path again just because the great man had had a change of heart’, and all feelings are sent into ‘deep freeze’ when Rohan walks out of the scene. Avantika is a thinking woman, and a doer too.
Interestingly, this is where Part II begins, and this is the exact point where we see Avantika maturing up into a content woman, in touch with herself and one who has come to terms with the reality, albeit many miles from Mumbai, in a foreign country. Some beautiful scenes of contemplation, as one spring leads to another and Aarav grows up, offer us peeps into this woman’s evolving mind, still a mother first. She is alone, but not lonely, living in a community where ‘those sweet little homes looked happy to me – the very embodiment of family life. At least, this was the closest I came to it.’ Her child is a constant presence in her life, as are her studies, a friend who is ‘a sounding board for my deepest thoughts’, meditation and spiritual writing.
And Rohan? Reconciliation has seeped in with his absence, and so has belief in destiny, a destiny which throws up another surprise her way. This time however, Avantika is far from what she left behind. ‘Do I need to forgive him? Do I need to accept him?’ You need to read to find out what happens, but I’ll leave you with these last words of a wonderfully created character and who makes an excellent life-choice in the end –
‘These days, the highs and lows of life don’t get to me and I wonder if it’s acceptance or just indifference. Either way, I don’t get too involved in things beyond my control and that includes people… these days, words like passion, commitment, and forever sound strange to me.’
I couldn’t help but wonder how much of Sandhya’s own life’s philosophy has been used to create Avantika. It has to be the author baring her own mind through her character’s. The portrayal is so straight-from-the-heart that it cannot be any other way. Or can it? That the language has been kept simple and conversational, and devoid of heavy philosophy and lyricism that love stories are wont to have make it seem as if Sandhya knows these two people, for real.
Slow unfolding – the pace
Sandhya did remarkably well in keeping the pace of ‘A Second Spring’ slow. Also, there is no noise of too many characters. How else would the thoughts of the two main characters occupy prominence and keep the reader listening, attentively? Avantika and Rohan’s love is not in a hurry, and the plot unfolds in tune with that speed. Part I shows us their connection building in strength, slowly but steadily. From ‘strange chemistry’ to ‘living in his company, unknowingly’; from entering a pub after six years to finally catching herself opening her hotel door to him in her nightdress, this book is as much Love’s story of growth as it is a love story. Of course, ‘the power struggle is an inevitable aspect of the man-woman relationship’ and so while I insist on calling it ‘love’, the story is a sweet, romantic rendition of the former too.
In Part II, even though the linear narrative often skips many years together, the plot’s crests and troughs are kept limited to the central theme of the book; although by now we are more interested in Avantika’s story and Rohan calmly recedes to the background.
Ifs and buts
Of course, there are some. For instance, why has Sandhya felt obliged to explain every Hindi term in parenthesis right in the middle of the narrative? I thought it was unnecessary and also successful in breaking the reading flow. A glossary at the back of the book would have done just fine!
Then, at some points near the end of the book I realized how the readers are still being introduced to characters’ traits through the two narrations. It was not just late in the day but also not required, because by then we knew Avantika and Rohan like the back of our hands. After all, it had been them talking about each other throughout the book.
Rhea’s reality (read to know more) was an unnecessary thread and I so wished Aarav, at the end of the book, got a chapter to voice his life. That would have been a fitting way to see a mature mother’s hard work in flesh-and-bones. Maybe, in a sequel to the book?
Conclusion
‘A Second Spring’ is a tale about love with two protagonists but only one who manages to leave a mark in our thoughts. The book is how the story unfolds around her musing – ‘Thank God for normalcy. Thank God for family. I didn’t need anyone else, did I?’ and how she realizes that she does need someone only to re-examine her own decision, yet again. Overriding it all is ‘my sense of survival’ and a fantastic end which comes like a ‘Pleasant shock; joyous, explosive, unbridled’ making you wonder why the subtitle reads ‘It’s all about destiny’. (Please note that this sub-title is removed in second edition). Because this book is more about a mature woman’s bold, brave and wise decision-making ability rather than the fickleness of Fate alone.
An easy and enjoyable read for lovers of this genre.
A Second Spring...Brings New Hope - Review by Sakshi Nanda
#Asecondspring #asecondspringbringsnewhope #sandhyajane #lovestory #contemporaryromance #corporatelovestory #urbanlife #books #newrelease
#Asecondspring #asecondspringbringsnewhope #sandhyajane #lovestory #contemporaryromance #corporatelovestory #urbanlife #books #newrelease
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Second Spring by Sandhya Jane - A Review
A Second Spring…is the debut work of Sandhya Jane, who has been associated with the corporate world for about two decades, working for leading investment banks across continents.
Avantika, lovingly called Avi, is a single mom and a workaholic who’s often referred to as Monster boss by her sub-ordinates. She is successful, intelligent, witty, ferocious, passionate about work and a control freak. She socializes only for work and post that, rushes home to be with her young son.
She takes Rohan, a new employee with the bank she works in, under her wing as she sees potential in him and wants to give him a chance. Rohan is exact opposite of her and isn’t as passionate about work. He is careless, likes to enjoy life and take it easy instead of being absorbed in work all the time. Although Avi is irritated with his erratic behavior in the beginning, she doesn’t torment him because he manages to meet his deadlines and finish his work in time.
They spend a lot of time together at work, planning and preparing presentations, meeting new and prospective clients, finishing business and having fun. Slowly Rohan manages to tear down the facade of aloofness that Avantika carried around herself to ‘protect’ herself from pain and gets closer to her. Eventually they fall in love.
One fine day, Rohan vanishes from her life, leaving a note that his marriage was fixed by his parents and he couldn’t rebel against them. She immediately moves to States as she is surrounded by the memories of her love in Mumbai and she needed to get away. She finds solace in spiritualism and meditation. Eventually Rohan comes back to her.
What happened to Rohan’s marriage? Doesn’t Avantika find anybody in States? Does she forgive and accept Rohan back in her life? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
The characterization is perfect and matters of love and life are ably dealt with in the novel. Control-freak facade and that aloofness to keep people away, so as to protect oneself against the pain experienced in the past and not wanting to going through it again. But that soft and caring demeanor and vulnerability beneath the facade that allows anyone who’s a little persistent to get closer and gives them the power to hurt.
About how it is in most middle-class families in India where people still don’t rebel against their parents’ choices and sacrifice their love when it comes to duty.
About how destiny plays a major role in who you end up with and if something is meant to be, it happens anyway, now or eventually.
About how it is in most middle-class families in India where people still don’t rebel against their parents’ choices and sacrifice their love when it comes to duty.
About how destiny plays a major role in who you end up with and if something is meant to be, it happens anyway, now or eventually.
Both know that what they are getting into is trouble and their struggles to stay away in the beginning are nicely portrayed. And how eventually love overcomes their resistance and brings them together only to be fallen apart by the curse of destiny.
How they get closer and how wrecked their lives become when they are drifted apart and how difficult it gets to cope up with the break up is also nicely portrayed.
How they get closer and how wrecked their lives become when they are drifted apart and how difficult it gets to cope up with the break up is also nicely portrayed.
How most loveless marriages turn out to be after a few years is also aptly shown and while many continue to stay in it for the sake of society and children, more and more people are getting divorced today in modern India.
The writing is good but the author and the editor need to rework on the novel as it is filled with printing and grammatical errors.
Overall, makes up for a good read.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Poems inspired by "second Spring" written by Sandhya Jane
मृगजळ
एक सुख तुझ्या आभासाचे तू नसताना मन रिझवण्याचे एक दु;ख तु नसण्याच तु नाहिस म्हणुन जगत जगत मरण्याच एक सुरवात तुझ्या सोबतीची वाट नेहमीचीच तुझ्या आठवणीची एक अंत दुःखाच्या धडींची सुखाच्या प्रतिक्षेची मोक्षाच्या क्षणाची एक मृगजळ तुझ्या सहवासाचे डोळ्यांच्या दोषाला नशिबा दुषावण्याचा एक अस्तित्व अबोल स्वीकारलेले मोहाच्या क्षणांना दुर्दैवात मांडलेले
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तू आहेस प्रेमाचा प्रसाद याला चूक म्हणू नकोस कि अपराध प्रेमाच्या पूजेचा मिळालेला प्रसाद नाही रे बाळा असा अंकुरत जीव खऱ्या प्रेमाचा तू आहेस प्रमाद एका वळणावर सुटला ताबा मनाचा बांध नकळत तुटला आजवर होता अंकुश मनावर मोहाच्या क्षणात जीव पाघळला त्या एका फसव्या क्षणात उदरात मायेने किमया केली रुजवून तुझा अंकुर उदरात मातृत्वाची मजला चाहूल दिली धूतकारले जगाने देत दुषणे मजसी होते परी प्रेम साकारणे लोकांनी मानले त्यास अवलक्षण मजसाठी होते ते देवाचे देणे विरोधाला धीराने देत उत्तरे विसरून सारे व्रत घेतले तू आहेस माझा आधार तुजसाठी आता जीवन उरले गिरीश २३.७.२०१४
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अचानक रुंजून कानात वाऱ्याने मोहळ उठविला गुलबक्षीचा गुलाबी मोहर माझ्या अंगावर सांडीयला
My friends, Mr Girish Morje, who inspired by novel, wrote these poems in Marathi....
Thanks a lot, Girish for such lovely poems.
Will translate them in English shortly!
-- Sandhya Jane
एक सुख तुझ्या आभासाचे तू नसताना मन रिझवण्याचे एक दु;ख तु नसण्याच तु नाहिस म्हणुन जगत जगत मरण्याच एक सुरवात तुझ्या सोबतीची वाट नेहमीचीच तुझ्या आठवणीची एक अंत दुःखाच्या धडींची सुखाच्या प्रतिक्षेची मोक्षाच्या क्षणाची एक मृगजळ तुझ्या सहवासाचे डोळ्यांच्या दोषाला नशिबा दुषावण्याचा एक अस्तित्व अबोल स्वीकारलेले मोहाच्या क्षणांना दुर्दैवात मांडलेले
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तू आहेस प्रेमाचा प्रसाद याला चूक म्हणू नकोस कि अपराध प्रेमाच्या पूजेचा मिळालेला प्रसाद नाही रे बाळा असा अंकुरत जीव खऱ्या प्रेमाचा तू आहेस प्रमाद एका वळणावर सुटला ताबा मनाचा बांध नकळत तुटला आजवर होता अंकुश मनावर मोहाच्या क्षणात जीव पाघळला त्या एका फसव्या क्षणात उदरात मायेने किमया केली रुजवून तुझा अंकुर उदरात मातृत्वाची मजला चाहूल दिली धूतकारले जगाने देत दुषणे मजसी होते परी प्रेम साकारणे लोकांनी मानले त्यास अवलक्षण मजसाठी होते ते देवाचे देणे विरोधाला धीराने देत उत्तरे विसरून सारे व्रत घेतले तू आहेस माझा आधार तुजसाठी आता जीवन उरले गिरीश २३.७.२०१४
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अचानक रुंजून कानात वाऱ्याने मोहळ उठविला गुलबक्षीचा गुलाबी मोहर माझ्या अंगावर सांडीयला
My friends, Mr Girish Morje, who inspired by novel, wrote these poems in Marathi....
Thanks a lot, Girish for such lovely poems.
Will translate them in English shortly!
-- Sandhya Jane
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Second Spring - Reviews
Paperback version for the novel can be ordered at:
Outside India:
In India:
1. By Ms Dhara Kothari
Rating: 4/5
Review: The story pace is similar to normal romantic novels, however, the typical Indian character setting makes it different from the other stories that you read. A female boss and a male employee is a new thing. Showing woman power, especially when the male protagonist is a weak minded fellow, who chooses family over true love, how very typical Indian male reality. This story is an attempt to show and teach a lesson or two, with the fact that true love wins at the end.
The author had given Avantika an option, to choose the man in her life and fortunately, Avantika makes the right choice. By doing so, the author has created a winner with this new revised edition. This book has perfect number of pages, or else it would have dragged.
A fresh take and a nice holiday book indeed, just curl up, this winter and read the book with a nice cup of hot cocoa.
The author had given Avantika an option, to choose the man in her life and fortunately, Avantika makes the right choice. By doing so, the author has created a winner with this new revised edition. This book has perfect number of pages, or else it would have dragged.
A fresh take and a nice holiday book indeed, just curl up, this winter and read the book with a nice cup of hot cocoa.
2. By: Biswanath Banerjee
In a scale of 5, she deserves 4 in storytelling, 4.2 in narration, 4.5 in cohesion and 4 in overall impression.
There is a big Pipal tree in front of our house-just facing my study window. It seems so near –it seems that if I take out my hand out of the window, I can touch the branches. It’s winter time now in India and every winter it sheds all its leaves. In the middle of December, if you look at the tree, it will look like a skeleton of a tree, with not a single leaf. As if the tree is dead. Then comes the spring and new lease of life is sprinkled to the tree. New leaves emerging, yellow giving way to a wonderful combination of red and green –as if it is a festival of life.
Sometimes when I am alone in the study, I think that the human life is like the tree. When winter comes-the life goes inside the cocoon. Then comes the spring again-and it is a new song of life. Human life always fights against all odds, against all fragility-towards a new ray of hope. The story of life is always this prayer of hope. Sometimes there are ups; sometimes there are downs, sometimes human life faces a crushing defeat-but it is that hope that keeps human alive. Literatures that speak of this hope are one of my favorite readings. That’s why ‘ A second spring-brings new hope’ by Sandhya Jane touches my heart.
Imagine it’s an afternoon of torrential rain. You are compelled to be confined within the four walls of your room. Neither your phone connection is working, nor your telephone connection. It’s an afternoon full of sadness! This is a type of book that can make your heart tweet in joy-in such a backdrop of……
A second spring…..is a straightforward story of romance. Now a days romance story plots are getting complex- triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal love affairs are coming up. Sometimes mind gets too tired to cope up with the turn of events. The second spring’s main asset is its simplicity-the plot idea is wonderfully crafted around our two protagonists.
The curtain of the romance drama has been unveiled in the bedroom of Avantika-our protagonist of the story. She is a loving mother, caring relative and a strict boss, in the words of her subordinates ‘a bossy boss’ all combined into one. Another matter of concern for her-she is a single mother. She is a successful top brass in an investment banking company and getting attracted towards a member of her team, Rohan, our other protagonist of the story -handsome, dashing yet casual. When destiny took them near- he was struggling with his life, leaving one concern after another. He joined her concern and with sheer skill on his part, became an integral part of her business presentations and business tours. They fight against this ever increasing desire in their own way-he fought with his will to resist the ever growing attraction to the attractive and lovely lady and she fought with a zeal to resist the attraction with her own idea of love and ultimately loosing these battles ……….(please note that plural has been used).
From the viewpoint of the writer, this love is something deeper than the physical desire, something more intense than the emotional attachment-it’s not all platonic, and it’s not all passion but love arising out of connection with a soul to another soul. In her own words
Sometimes when I am alone in the study, I think that the human life is like the tree. When winter comes-the life goes inside the cocoon. Then comes the spring again-and it is a new song of life. Human life always fights against all odds, against all fragility-towards a new ray of hope. The story of life is always this prayer of hope. Sometimes there are ups; sometimes there are downs, sometimes human life faces a crushing defeat-but it is that hope that keeps human alive. Literatures that speak of this hope are one of my favorite readings. That’s why ‘ A second spring-brings new hope’ by Sandhya Jane touches my heart.
Imagine it’s an afternoon of torrential rain. You are compelled to be confined within the four walls of your room. Neither your phone connection is working, nor your telephone connection. It’s an afternoon full of sadness! This is a type of book that can make your heart tweet in joy-in such a backdrop of……
A second spring…..is a straightforward story of romance. Now a days romance story plots are getting complex- triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal love affairs are coming up. Sometimes mind gets too tired to cope up with the turn of events. The second spring’s main asset is its simplicity-the plot idea is wonderfully crafted around our two protagonists.
The curtain of the romance drama has been unveiled in the bedroom of Avantika-our protagonist of the story. She is a loving mother, caring relative and a strict boss, in the words of her subordinates ‘a bossy boss’ all combined into one. Another matter of concern for her-she is a single mother. She is a successful top brass in an investment banking company and getting attracted towards a member of her team, Rohan, our other protagonist of the story -handsome, dashing yet casual. When destiny took them near- he was struggling with his life, leaving one concern after another. He joined her concern and with sheer skill on his part, became an integral part of her business presentations and business tours. They fight against this ever increasing desire in their own way-he fought with his will to resist the ever growing attraction to the attractive and lovely lady and she fought with a zeal to resist the attraction with her own idea of love and ultimately loosing these battles ……….(please note that plural has been used).
From the viewpoint of the writer, this love is something deeper than the physical desire, something more intense than the emotional attachment-it’s not all platonic, and it’s not all passion but love arising out of connection with a soul to another soul. In her own words
“It was at this very moment that I realized my unconditional love for him. The physical attraction was melting away-just the feeling of watching out for him made me happy. The spark of Rohan, remained unchanged. But the silly thought of constant watching him around or possessing him just giving way to the new feelings of love. The love I could realize was more profound, much deeper than the physical attraction. It just meant to see him happy. In this process I could sense that his need, his feeling, his comfort were overshadowing my feeling. May be letting go my own feelings and sacrificing my happiness over his need. This is again the old school thought of-His priority over my need.”
I hope that the cautious reader has already understood the inherent simplicity in the language and narration. Sometimes a simply dressed lady seems hundred times attractive than a well ornamented lady! Artificial articulation doesn’t glorify a character or a storyline!
Destiny took them together, destiny again separated them! Rohan placed his family responsibility over love and ‘she distanced herself from everything that was associated with their love’.
Again circumstances compelled our hero to come closer to our lovely lady. Then what happened? Will she accept him again, forgetting and forgiving everything? Or will she be lonely for the rest of her life?
To discover, you have to read the book. it will be a worthy reading for you ,no doubt.
The book is a mirror reflection of the corporate environment of the banking industry. It’s not surprising as the writer has over two decades of financial industry exposure, in a global environment.
The book gives an immaculate description of the Mumbai and its hubbubs. If you are in love with the city or a seasoned Mumbaikar, you are somehow feeling attached to this book. Take this example, for instance-
“Andheri is one of the largest suburbs of western Mumbai and much of this area is busier than the rest of the city. In Mumbai (Bombay) the suburbs grew along the local rail tracks in the direction from south towards north and east. Municipal Corporation has divided suburb on these rail tracks into east or west part of the station such as E& Andheri W, Bandra E& Bandra W,Kandivali E & Kandivali W-each of them is the size of a town”.
However there are some words of critique towards the end. All the formulae of a classical romantic work have been strictly adhered to, so much so that at times the reader may found it too much predictable. A small punch of salt and spice should have added up to the taste.
We sincerely hope to see more of this ‘investment banker turned writer’s ‘work in the near future.
I hope that the cautious reader has already understood the inherent simplicity in the language and narration. Sometimes a simply dressed lady seems hundred times attractive than a well ornamented lady! Artificial articulation doesn’t glorify a character or a storyline!
Destiny took them together, destiny again separated them! Rohan placed his family responsibility over love and ‘she distanced herself from everything that was associated with their love’.
Again circumstances compelled our hero to come closer to our lovely lady. Then what happened? Will she accept him again, forgetting and forgiving everything? Or will she be lonely for the rest of her life?
To discover, you have to read the book. it will be a worthy reading for you ,no doubt.
The book is a mirror reflection of the corporate environment of the banking industry. It’s not surprising as the writer has over two decades of financial industry exposure, in a global environment.
The book gives an immaculate description of the Mumbai and its hubbubs. If you are in love with the city or a seasoned Mumbaikar, you are somehow feeling attached to this book. Take this example, for instance-
“Andheri is one of the largest suburbs of western Mumbai and much of this area is busier than the rest of the city. In Mumbai (Bombay) the suburbs grew along the local rail tracks in the direction from south towards north and east. Municipal Corporation has divided suburb on these rail tracks into east or west part of the station such as E& Andheri W, Bandra E& Bandra W,Kandivali E & Kandivali W-each of them is the size of a town”.
However there are some words of critique towards the end. All the formulae of a classical romantic work have been strictly adhered to, so much so that at times the reader may found it too much predictable. A small punch of salt and spice should have added up to the taste.
We sincerely hope to see more of this ‘investment banker turned writer’s ‘work in the near future.
Binding, get up and printing of the book is really extraordinary
3. By Yvette
Rating: 5/5
Review: I wasn't sure about purchasing this novel at first, but after reading it, I am truly happy I did. The book is touching and teaches a lot about life. I definitely learned a lot from it - especially about the value of true love. I heartily recommend this novel to everyone who loves reading love stories.
This novel is a perfect summer read! The author tells a charming tale about the perils of love and how love can maim and revitalize the human soul.
The author excels in developing strong, dignified, and authentic characters. Avantika was the strongest of these characters and quickly became my favorite character. She is the typical “monster boss,” yet there is a sophisticated strict aura around her that renders this monstrous perfectionist into a boss that is highly-driven, respected, and has a admired work ethic. It is because of this work ethic that she is able to pull herself out of her humble roots and become the managing director of the Castell and Kendall bank. This woman is independent and excels in life, excluding her romantic life. The father of her child is no longer in their lives and she has gone through the rest of her life hardly meeting anybody whom she felt a real connection with. It is only until she meets Rohan is she able to experience a spark with a man. Rohan is the complete opposite of Avantika. He marches to the beat of his own drum, while Avantika functions on order, punctuality, and perfection. This was an extraordinary story to read about how these polar opposites are able to still make a real connection with each other despite these fundamental differences.
I also quite enjoyed the setting of this novel. The big bustling city of Mumbai fully completes the story and the characters. India’s financial capital, with its high profile housing, depicts a rich and interesting scenery.
About how it is in most middle-class families in India where people still don’t rebel against their parents’ choices and sacrifice their love when it comes to duty.
About how destiny plays a major role in who you end up with and if something is meant to be, it happens anyway, now or eventually.
How they get closer and how wrecked their lives become when they are drifted apart and how difficult it gets to cope up with the break up is also nicely portrayed.
About how it is in most middle-class families in India where people still don’t rebel against their parents’ choices and sacrifice their love when it comes to duty.
About how destiny plays a major role in who you end up with and if something is meant to be, it happens anyway, now or eventually.
How they get closer and how wrecked their lives become when they are drifted apart and how difficult it gets to cope up with the break up is also nicely portrayed.
4. By David M
Rating: 5/5
Review: I wasn't sure about purchasing this novel at first, but after reading it, I am truly happy I did. The book is touching and teaches a lot about life. I definitely learned a lot from it - especially about the value of true love. I heartily recommend this novel to everyone who loves reading love stories.
Review by MS Gibson
Rating: 4/5
Review:
A beautiful story of life, love, and growth....and most of all, second chances. I loved the story of Avi and Rohan, the sweetness of their relationship and the ups and downs, passion and disappointments, challenges and triumphs they have together. I don't want to give too much away plot wise other than to say this is a very nice first effort by this author and I look forward to more books from her.
5. By Rohina Thomas:
Rating: 5/5
Review: I like to read stories related to love, so I am glad I found this book.
The author did a great job in describing scenes and characters and kept me involved during the whole read.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone, who likes stories related to unconditional love and emotions.
6. By Neil from Texas
Rating: 5/5
Review: I need to first point out that I am not a big fan of non-fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. A Second Spring is extremely well written and I love the way the author wrote the story from the viewpoint of the characters. The story is based in India and I was engrossed by both the main characters. It was really enjoyable and I will recommend this book to my friends. I hope the author writes another...soon
7. By Amazon Customer
Rating: 5/5
Review: Second Spring is seems to be a real story of a corporate who manages the life in all constraints and with full adaptability. It is really a nice novel.!!
8. By Avid-RomanceReader
Rating: 5/5
I read the entire book in one sitting. I loved the story.
The best part is the complex character Avantika (Avi) and her high profile life with dash of care-a-damn attitude. Avantika's modern lifestyle and value based upbringing is refreshing. Little surprised when she fell in love with Rohan and his character should have been stronger to convince her choice.
Otherwise it is an excellent read for vacation / weekend.
Link: http://www.amazon.in/Second-Spring-Brings-New-Hope/dp/0692259325
The best part is the complex character Avantika (Avi) and her high profile life with dash of care-a-damn attitude. Avantika's modern lifestyle and value based upbringing is refreshing. Little surprised when she fell in love with Rohan and his character should have been stronger to convince her choice.
Otherwise it is an excellent read for vacation / weekend.
Link: http://www.amazon.in/Second-Spring-Brings-New-Hope/dp/0692259325
9. By Jigar Doshi
A Second Spring…brings new hope is the debut work of Sandhya Jane, who has been associated with the corporate world for about two decades, working for leading investment banks across continents.
Avantika, lovingly called Avi, is a single mom and a workaholic who’s often referred to as Monster boss by her sub-ordinates. She is successful, intelligent, witty, ferocious, passionate about work and a control freak. She socializes only for work and post that, rushes home to be with her young son.
She takes Rohan, a new employee with the bank she works in, under her wing as she sees potential in him and wants to give him a chance. Rohan is exact opposite of her and isn’t as passionate about work. He is careless, likes to enjoy life and take it easy instead of being absorbed in work all the time. Although Avi is irritated with his erratic behavior in the beginning, she doesn’t torment him because he manages to meet his deadlines and finish his work in time.
They spend a lot of time together at work, planning and preparing presentations, meeting new and prospective clients, finishing business and having fun. Slowly Rohan manages to tear down the facade of aloofness that Avantika carried around herself to ‘protect’ herself from pain and gets closer to her. Eventually they fall in love.
One fine day, Rohan vanishes from her life, leaving a note that his marriage was fixed by his parents and he couldn’t rebel against them. She immediately moves to States as she is surrounded by the memories of her love in Mumbai and she needed to get away. She finds solace in spiritualism and meditation. Eventually Rohan comes back to her.
What happened to Rohan’s marriage? Doesn’t Avantika find anybody in States? Does she forgive and accept Rohan back in her life? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
The characterization is perfect and matters of love and life are ably dealt with in the novel. Control-freak facade and that aloofness to keep people away, so as to protect oneself against the pain experienced in the past and not wanting to going through it again. But that soft and caring demeanor and vulnerability beneath the facade that allows anyone who’s a little persistent to get closer and gives them the power to hurt.
Both know that what they are getting into is trouble and their struggles to stay away in the beginning are nicely portrayed. And how eventually love overcomes their resistance and brings them together only to be fallen apart by the curse of destiny.
How most loveless marriages turn out to be after a few years is also aptly shown and while many continue to stay in it for the sake of society and children, more and more people are getting divorced today in modern India.
The writing is good but the author and the editor need to rework on the novel as it is filled with printing and grammatical errors.
1. By Madhuri Maitra
Rating: 4/5
Review: A Second Spring, as the name suggests, is about grabbing at the second chance that life offers you. It is a good book for those who love romances with melodramatic twists and turns.
Avantika, ‘corporate czarina’, is a single parent. She falls in love with a younger man, a colleague. After a protracted yes-no game, they have one tempestuous night after which Rohan leaves – for an unhappy marriage to a girl of his conservative Rajasthani community, selected by his parents. Six torturous years later, they divorce. Meanwhile Avantika has moved to the USA. She and her son seem to have settled in. Rohan starts looking for her again. How the life-scarred souls meet and get together is what takes up the latter half of the novel.
The author, Sandhya Jane, paints an interesting picture of corporate life in India, albeit in a rather distant voice. She gives her readers a cross-section of life in India and abroad. I especially enjoyed reading about the workings of a multinational bank.
A strong female tone finds its way into the thoughts and the speech of all the characters, including the men. That is the unconvincing note in the whole picture. Yet, for those who live the fast –paced, often artificial corporate life and can identify with the life events of Avantika and Rohan, reading it would be a moving experience.
A Second Spring is light fiction, something you can carry with you on a journey. It is a new age Hindi film in a book.
11. By Priyanka Batra Harjai
Spring is the time of the year when the nature is at it’s best spreading beauty and you can sense the fragrance of love all around. Whether in context of flora or fauna or for-that-matter of fact the human species, all get blessed with the mesmerizing beauty. Literary speaking, spring is used synonymously to represent the onset of love life or say welcoming the love blossoms in life. This story by Sandhya Jane is about being blessed with love for the second time in her life!
Yes, she gets blessed with love of her life for the second time but does the second recurrence bear the similar attraction as the first appearance itself? Well, may be or maybe not. Not many people get a second chance to do what they wish or to relish what they wish to possess, in their life so leave aside getting a second chance in love life. Things do change and people do change as time changes and so has the protagonist of the story – Meet Avantika.
She is a strong-headed lady who is strong enough to recognize her real self and makes the world witness her mettle. She is a single mom – divorced and shoulders responsibility of tending her son. She is not a dependent individual and is a working mom. As expected, she has all the charm and brains to impress and hence attract her peers. No, she is not a lousy person delving into some cheap tricks to work away her solitary. She has brains over her heels – a calm, composed female with all the poise.
A fellow team-member from her team – Rohan, gets infected with her charisma and admits his love towards her. He is well informed about her present and past-life as well. Just when, he succumbs to her tresses he gets notified about a big development in his personal life; he gets a call from his family updating him about his engagement been fixed! What will he do now? Will he commit to his love of life or exhibit his commitment towards family over love?
The author Sandhya depicts maturity in her style of writing and the treatment she has given to the story. At times, I felt as if she has portrayed the Rohan’s character as a weak individual but then I tried to give it a second thought. This time, not as a reader or a female but as a male mind that wished to follow love but was pulled away by life. Then, I could empathize with what Sandhya wanted out of him.
I always admire strong females who choose to live life their way without compromising on their duties and responsibilities. She is the one, who has won my heart. This time she is in fix; she has experienced her life, her son is a teenager who is very much attached to one of the cousins and has tasted the spiritual waters as well. Sandhya has carefully chosen the words to express the feelings and emotions to precision such that readers will feel like as if they are enjoying a breezy walk in park.
The dilemma and guilt of a male lover is expressed in a balanced manner. How he finds himself in a pot-hole and feels his life becoming burdensome and finally how he admits to his love, giving it a chance one more time – all the actions are well crafted. Though, a high emotional quotient prevails all through the script the reality of their love life is much more emotional. It is heart-warming to learn what binds both of them together after separating and before considering reuniting. You need to give it a read to find out how winds change direction and love finds its way to be freed from the binding shackles.
This comes as a recommended read for female readers especially the ones who feel devastating storm in their love life and are still waiting for making some choice. You will also get to know the sort of questions and turmoil that prevails in male psyche in such conditions. Go ahead and let the love blossom coming spring!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Quotes from "Second Spring" by Sandhya Jane
Avantika - "people always have
tremendous talent and potential. A good leader is the one who can recognize
those aspects and explore them to the fullest potential that would be
beneficial to the team member and the organization, as well."
Avantika - It was the beginning of spring. The weather had started getting warmer and I could see the changes in the greeneries around our housing society along with nature’s bright, vivid colors on my regular office route. The fresh green leaves and colorful flowers that surrounded me had acquired a soft, joyful hue. It was as if they were hinting at a new phase in my life in all their exuberant glory.
Avantika - It was the beginning of spring. The weather had started getting warmer and I could see the changes in the greeneries around our housing society along with nature’s bright, vivid colors on my regular office route. The fresh green leaves and colorful flowers that surrounded me had acquired a soft, joyful hue. It was as if they were hinting at a new phase in my life in all their exuberant glory.
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