“ Arising from the Dust” is a collection of 32 works by 32 writers from #Letsmakestories facebook group by Meera V Bharath and has been compiled by her.

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The effort that has been put by every single writer is highly commendable. Every story/ poem in the book breathes with the theme  “ Arise from the dust”. And it’s not because the story involves extraordinary people. These are the ordinary unsung heroes who go to extraordinary lengths to rise up against all odds by crossing the most daunting miles. 

I liked the fact that this anthology had a mix of short stories and poems.The settings ,characters and plot chosen for every story is completely different though they all revolve around the same theme. I enjoyed reading the book slowly, a few stories at a time for the emotions to sink in deeply.

As Anupama Dalmia, an award winning blogger, entrepreneur, author and influencer has rightly pointed out in the curtain raiser , we all go through the cycle of realization, acceptance and evolution. It may be a difficult cycle but once we learn to tread, we can rise up from wherever we are.

The cover design aptly matches the title of the book.  

Overall it is a great book that will leave you inspired and awaken your soul. As said by the compiler Meera Bharath,  “ the dust carries everyone’s story and it’s every soul’s rise.”

In this dark phase of the pandemic where a lot of people have lost the people they love to the deadly virus, these stories can go a long way in healing them. Because every story feeds one with hope and a willingness to move on, despite all odds.

Do grab a copy. It is available both as an ebook in Kindle as well as Paperback. It has been published by The Archaic House.