Book Review: Hooked, Lined & Single

This book is an insight of India’s custom regarding ‘Marriage’ and ‘Women’

Paperback

 Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask God, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’ Then a voice says to me,  ‘This is going to take more than one night…’

So you’re a woman, you’re 30-something and living in India? So what’s the big deal about it? Well, if you’re all of the above and still unmarried or married previously and you just don’t seem to find the ”right” man, you suddenly acquire a tragically special status as being cynical, demanding, impractical and chronically single or ambitious.

In Hooked, Lined & Single, Alafia Singh meets a similar fate on her journey to find a husband using somewhat more traditional methods.

 Before leaving the room, Ram did something unexpected. He clicked a quick picture of me and said, ”You do look very pretty in wet hair.” I smiled as the door in front of me closed. Ram was out of the room and I was left wondering how two lovely people can talk so amicably about separation and why is it that they fall short of expressing their concern, if not love, equally amicably?

But then there was no concern and no love. What Ram and I were doing was basic civility and this gesture transcended to the court room, as we hugged each other tightly to exchange goodbyes forever. Why didn’t we ever hug each other with such passion while we were still married? I wonder, but never get the answer.

 Rashmi Kumar is a professional journalist who worked for leading newspapers in India before moving to Canada in 2012. Here, she was chosen as the Writer-in-Exile in 2013 to showcase her Indian literary work to the Canadian audience. This is her second book after Stilettos in the Newsroom.

 Hooked, Lined & Single is a story of Alafia Singh, a 31 year old woman who has been divorced. Her marriage with Ram had no values of love, attachment and concern. It didn’t last long and they happily part away. While Ram gets married to someone else Alafia starts her search for Mr Right. She and her family try every possible way to reach out eligible bachelors through newspapers, marriage portal website and family functions. On one side Alafia is attractive, confident and mentally strong while on the other side she is emotional, sensitive and naive. She easily get to believe in almost every man she meets. They hook for some time, get lined on the bed even but due to one or the other reason they get separated. One after the other emotional trauma Myra, her best friend uplifts despondent Alafia.

This book is an insight of India’s custom regarding marriage and especially when it comes to the marriage of a woman. Alafia’s life become hell after her younger sister, Anushka’s marriage. Her relatives and everyone else start taunting and blaming her alone for the fault in her marriage and because of her grueling she is still single. The search for her Mr. Right leads her to a psychologist. From there she realize a need to find herself and exact reasons for why she wants a man in her life. She do find reasons to her desire but will she be able to find her Mr. Right? Read the book to find out.

The narration style of the author is smooth and convincing. Book has been edited very well. At a few places I find the story losing its grip and repetition of same story line makes read a bit boring. The emotions have been displayed rightly. At many places author has left readers imagination to assume. Apart from that, book cover is awesome!

Title: Hooked, Lined & Single