When Preeti Shenoy finally held her latest work, When Love Came Calling , she couldn’t help but shed tears of joy.
“It was a very emotional moment. The novel was scheduled to come out in March and then it was delayed by five months. Of course, during the pandemic, it’s especially hard to bring out a book, especially with so many bookstores being closed and the publishing industry in dire straits. So many people have lost their jobs. So, yes, it was a big moment for me.”
Preeti, who has written 13 novels so far, including Life Is What You Make Of It , says, “Every project feels different. I don’t remember the emotions that I felt when the last book came out. But this one definitely feels very fulfilling, especially given the circumstances.”
While When Love Came Calling may be classified as young adult fiction — it tells the story of two young people, Arush and Puja, figuring out love and life — Preeti says people of all ages have been messaging her about it. “So many people have been telling me that it brought them joy. I’m getting lengthy emails about how nice it felt to read the book, especially during the pandemic when the situation around us is so grim.”
The story which is set across two continents — Arush, a Fine Arts student from England, and Puja, a BBM student from Kochi — also has descriptions of specific places such as Jew Town in Mattancherry; places that Preeti made sure to visit while writing the book.
“I visited every place, including a tiny museum that I describe in the book. A lot of detailing has gone into it,” she adds.
A major theme in the book is of children trying to figure out their own paths while dealing with parental pressure. Says Preeti, “When Puja’s mother asks her what she wants to do, she doesn’t want to do anything. She just wants to watch Netflix and spend her holidays lazing. It’s unimaginable to her mother. Many times, young adults are undecided. So, parents always have this balance to keep: how much to push the child? How much of a tiger mom can I be without alienating my child? This is a dilemma which parents face all the time.”
“On the other hand, Arush is very sorted,” she continues. “He’s won a scholarship, works part time and all his expenses are taken care of. Yet his father is not happy. It’s very hard to please one’s parents because the two generations are different. The expectations were different for their generation.” And it is this gap that the novel tries to address.
Preeti adds, “Many teenagers have told me that after reading the book, they have given it to their parents to read it too!”
On whether she thinks the pandemic is going to play a part in any of her future novels, she says, “I don’t want to write about the pandemic because I see it everywhere I turn. In fact, I’m working on a non-fiction book on positivity because in times like these, it’s especially hard to be positive. Everyone says ‘be positive, be positive’. But it’s not some tap that you turn on and positivity flows.”
