With multiple stories unfolding along multiple timelines, All the Love You Deserve (Westland Books) by Preeti Shenoy has readers constantly wondering how each character’s life turns out. “Though the story line looks simple, it was hard to achieve. I had to to keep the flow going as the plot shouldn’t be bumpy. At no point should a reader have to keep track of what’s going on in the lives of the main protagonists, especially as each of them had different things transpiring in their lives,” says author Preeti Shenoy.
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Talking about All the Love You Deserve, Preeti says she was quite certain she wanted to set it in a post-pandemic world. “Life has changed for all of us after the pandemic, and the challenges we face are not what we may have expected, but in a way it has affected young people the most. A majority of youngsters today are suffering from a lack of motivation; they don’t seem to know what to do or what is important anymore.”
While Preeti says she wanted her book to be along those lines, “I also wanted to touch upon two points — one, how social media has become such a big part of our lives and how we tend to compare ourselves with our peers, no matter our age, status etc.”
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“Second, all of our starting points are different. The characters in this story come from different backgrounds, ranging from the lower middle class to the super affluent. Each one of them is saddled with their own set of challenges and the problems they face are wildly different. Despite this they forge a friendship.”
Author Preeti Shenoy and her latest book All the Love You Deserve Special Arrangement | Photo Credit: Ruth Dhanaraj
Those who follow Preeti’s work will recognise the characters in All the Love You Deserve as the same ones in When Love Came Calling, who are now in a different phase of life. However, the new book can be read as a standalone, says Preeti.
The book which was a year in the making, is not a sequel, Preeti says. “It just shows the same characters coming together post pandemic,” says Preeti, adding that a redemptive back story highlighting how people can change and one where the underdog wins, has always fascinated her.
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Traversing between Birmingham in the United Kingdom and Kerala in India, readers will find both cities come alive in All the Love You Deserve, courtesy the author’s familiarity with both. Though she hails from the Konkan coast, Preeti grew up in Kerala, spending every summer vacation with cousins there. “I am fascinated with the place — its landscape, cuisine and culture,” she says. Malayalis and all those familiar with Kerala’s customs will realise her depiction has been spot-on.
Elaborating on her process, Preeti says her inspiration is usually, an incident, something she read or an issue she feels strongly about. “I believe if you have an unaddressed mental health issue, you’re going to be miserable no matter what you have achieved. I have tried to highlight this in my books.”
“In All the Love You Deserve another theme I have touched on is the relationship between parents and children, and the fact that family is important. Basically, I have explored everything important to me in this book.”
Author Preeti Shenoy and her latest book All the Love You Deserve Special Arrangement | Photo Credit: MURTHY
Like much of her other work, All the Love You Deserve involves characters of different age groups interacting in real-life situations, and therefore resonates with readers in all stages of life, something that never fails to surprise Preeti. “At events, I have teenagers and their grandparents tell me how they could relate to the book. When I set out as a writer, I wasn’t sure who would read my books, so I am quite happy they have been accepted across all ages.”
Themes such as women empowerment, gender equality and mental health, feature regularly in Preeti’s work as well as subtle hints and life lessons, nudging readers to try new things even if they have never gone out on a limb before.