Book Review: The Fragile Thread of Hope by Pankaj Giri

Book Name: The Fragile Thread of Hope

Author: Pankaj Giri

Publisher: Fingerprint

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: In the autumn of 2012, destiny wreaks havoc on two unsuspecting people—soham and Fiona. Although his devastating past involving his brother still haunted him, Soham had established a promising career for himself in Bangalore. After a difficult childhood, Fiona’s fortunes had finally taken a turn for the better. She had married her beloved and her life was as perfect as she had ever imagined it to be. But when tragedy strikes them yet again, their fundamentally fragile lives threaten to fall apart. Can Fiona and Soham overcome their grief? Will the overwhelming pain destroy their lives? Seasoned with the flavours of exotic Nepalese traditions and set in the picturesque Indian Hill station, gangtok, the fragile thread of hope explores the themes of spirituality, faith, alcoholism, love and guilt while navigating the complex maze of family relationships. Inspirational and heart-wrenchingly intimate, it urges you to wonder—does hope stand a chance in this travesty called life?

Review: The Fragile Thread of Hope by Pankaj Giri explores the life and relationships of Fiona and Soham. It is a slow-paced book and can be harrowing at times but if you persevere, the writing is worth it.

Pankaj has explored the meaning of relationships, loss and holding onto hope which is the shining light in all human relationships. The book explores multiple characters, it is well researched and narrated.

“Now, in the eyes of society, he was the owner of the house, enjoying its magnificence and independence. Who would tell them that without the presence of loved ones, the large structure of cement was worthless, like a body without a soul?”

The writing is par excellence. In fact, it reminded me of The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. Frankly speaking, I was not expecting such a high level of competence from a debut author. The poetic flow and good narration which is the hallmark of The Fragile Thread of Hope is not something you encounter frequently in contemporary Indian writing these days.

The greatness of an author lies in exploring daily mundane relationships because that’s how ordinary people live. Not everybody has a great story but even ordinary tales deserve a book and their tales are not less important. This book could have been a big risk if not told properly but Pankaj has managed to excel.

All great stories are ordinary tales, the ones that are relatable and not some elite class nonsense that doesn’t reflect the general society. Pankaj Giri has done well in narrating the tales of lesser-known cultures (the book is primarily about Gangtok and Nepalese culture and people).

Read this if you’re looking for a different book, it has a lot of literary merit. A rarity, these days. I actually read it twice to find something worth criticizing but couldn’t. So I will criticize the book cover. Fingerprint should have offered a better cover for such a high-class book.

Leave a Reply