Every Rock has a Rose Lining - Book Review

Every Rock has a Rose Lining
By Monalisa
Review By Ila Garg

Every Rock has a Rose Lining, a novel by Monalisa, is published by Abha Prakashan. The cover gives an impression of a classic. It’s not that impressive, especially for non-regular readers. With such an interesting title, I’m sure a lot could have been done on the cover! However, the book had a feel good factor as I held it in my hands, so I continued.

Always an ardent lover of logic and promoter of analytical reasoning, Monalisa likes to challenge her own thinking in a constant pursuit to question commonplace human behaviour, relationships, and social practices in an effort to simplify human life. With an academic background in Sciences (Physics and Computer Science) followed by a rewarding professional experience with IBM Corporation in Poughkeepsie, New York, provided her an opportunity to develop and demonstrate her technical and leadership skills during the early phase of her life’s journey. While career prospects at IBM seemed enticing, her personal priorities inspired her to move to India with her husband to explore other passions.

Her constant thinking and the inner desire to bring about a positive change in the society, as well as her quest to explore the human mind, continuously urges her to share her thoughts and realizations through writings and other creative means.

The blurb reads as, “In Every Rock has a Rose Lining, author Monalisa provides a unique perspective using a vivid narrative that keeps the reader mesmerized by the flow of events and characterization. Describing the ground realities faced by an Indian couple when they moved from India to the United States as new immigrants, this book is a first-hand account of life as a foreign students in the U.S., along with its myriad perks and challenges. 
Relating a true story of success while balancing life on a shoestring budget, this is also a book of small hopes, small pleasures, small battles, and small victories, and how all these small things together formed a memorable journey that was larger than life.”

Every Rock has a Rose Lining is a first-hand account of the journey of husband and wife duo as students in a foreign landscape. This explains why the cover has a classic vintage feel to it and as you go on reading this, you won’t mind the simple cover. The book does have a few pictures from the author’s personal album to make up for this anyway. The black and white photos along with the short descriptions give us a better idea of what people's lives were back then and how different it is now. This also helps connect with the plot more closely.

It’s a moving tale of overcoming challenges and cultural shocks. The author has marvellously portrayed the difficulties of living life as immigrants. The cross-cultural perspective on university life in USA forms the focal point of the book. It’s an engaging personal account laced with myriad of twists and turns of how foreign student’s life is. It’s an account of an Indian couple’s amazing journey through three different US universities, and it redefines the meaning of life and success.

The author has given intricate details which help the readers establish an instant connection with the plot. It’s a story of love, friendship, marriage, companionship, support, fundamentals of relationships, hopes, disappointments and life that cherishes the rich Indian culture in a foreign land. The USP lies in the painstaking details that the author has given throughout in the book and also in the fact that it’s a realistic account. Both the characters, Monalisa and Gyana are well-defined.

The lucidity of the story is commendable. The language is kept simple and easy to comprehend for the readers. I personally found it quite an engaging read. The book starts on an interesting note, almost giving it a visual appeal. Overall, it’s an inspiring tale. It kept me hooked till the end.

How Gyana and Monalisa meet, how they go together on this academic journey, what are their experiences there, how they deal with the cultural challenges that the foreign land throws them in, do they get successful are some of the many reasons why you will keep turning the pages to find out what happens in Every Rock has a Rose Lining.

Further this 323-page book is a light read, especially during travel it can be a good companion. I wish Monalisa all the best for her future endeavours, this being her third book.

Ratings: 4/5

Buying Link: Amazon