Mumbai, 4th June, 2018: Viji Narayanan launched her debut novel Many Dreams Many Lives at Title Waves, Mumbai with Notion Press, India’s fastest growing self-publishing company. The chief guest for the event was Fatema Bootwala, jewellery designer, chair person of Women of Wonder and the former President of Lions Clubs International.
The book Many Lives Many Dreams narrates the story of Maya who is settled in Detroit with her husband and a thirteen-year-old daughter. She is a working independent woman who manages the household duties and a job like a pro. On her fortieth birthday, she starts reevaluating her life choices and starts questioning herself whether she is really enjoying her life, or whether she has fulfilled all her desires and wishes. Then, she comes down to India for her university reunion where she meets her old friends. After this incident, she realizes that her life is not the way she wanted and has many unfulfilled desires. The author has beautifully weaved the narration that takes the readers through the various exciting events which take place in Maya’s life.
Maya’s emotional journey will surely move the readers as many women oppress themselves for the sake of others. Even though in today’s world we see that many women are independent and working in higher positions, they do not always find an opportunity to lead their lives the way they want. After a certain phase of their lives, they question the choices that they have made in order to keep others happy. Therefore the question arises, “If you get to live your life again, will you do it differently?” Viji Narayanan’s book revolves around this thought and does complete justice to it.
Speaking about the same, Viji Narayanan, the author of the book said, ‘’There are many times when we feel that one life is not enough to fulfill all our dreams and desires and wish we had many lives to fulfill them. Even though many people lead an independent life, they don’t get the opportunity to pursue their passion because either work commitments or family keep them away from doing so. Especially for a woman, it is more difficult as they need to perform all the responsibilities without taking time for themselves. Hence, I felt the need to write the book which will inspire women and help them to understand their worth. And most men who are still struggling to understand women and know what they want, this book is the answer. It is never too late to learn something new and live the way one wants. I am sure after reading this book many questions will arise in the readers’ mind and they will think of living the life in a different way, given a choice.’’
Chief Guest of the event, Fatema Bootwala, said, ‘‘The book delicately deals with the dreams and desires of contemporary women in their 40s who are highly successful and settled in life yet feel unaccomplished. They are keen to achieve their dreams but feel guilty of not being able to fulfill the role of a perfect wife, mother or a daughter in-law. Each woman needs to have a soul-filling purpose in life. Through this novel, Viji has addressed this important issue. It will take you on a Bollywood styled journey by narrating an intriguing journey of the protagonist. The book made me laugh and emotional at the same time. This roller coaster ride is a must read for all men & women in order to help the reader realize their true potential. I congratulate Viji, on her wonderful book and thank her for inviting me to launch the book. I am sure she has miles to go before she rests on her new journey as a young budding author.’’
The book has already been launched in the USA and is receiving overwhelming responses from the readers of both the genders. Many women have found this book extremely relevant as almost every Indian woman has asked this question atleast once at some point in their lives.
The book is currently available on Notion Press bookstore, Amazon, Flipkart and other ecommerce stores.
About the author: Viji Narayanan is a software engineer and an emerging author who loves a good story. She earned her degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, KGP) and Georgia Tech.
Outside of the literary and technology world, Viji is a Bollywood buff and aspires to make this book into a movie someday. During her spare time, she loves listening to music and watching movies. She has also run two half marathons; but what ultimately keep a check on her sanity are yoga, meditation, and walking. Currently, Viji resides in Ohio with her loving husband and three beautiful children.