Title – Rainbow Housing Society
Author – Meha Sharma
Type – Fiction / Collection of Short Stories
Reading Prompt – #7 – A book under 200 pages
I’ve decided to read a few books penned by indie authors in 2023. This book fits the prompt, so here I am, reviewing it.
Rainbow Housing Society is a collection of short stories penned by Meha Sharma. The cover picture is an indication of who the narrator is.
Bruno is a black Labrador who once resided in the eponymous society. After a road accident claimed his life, his ghost haunts the houses, offering him glimpses of the residents’ lives. He is privy to their secrets and witnesses the masks they put on outside the comforts of their four walls.
There are twenty-six stories, each being less than four pages. They are simplistic and non-judgemental in nature. Since the narrator is a four-legged animal, he wonders about the complexities of human nature but refrains from criticising them.
The residents of Rainbow Housing Society are varied, ranging from an Australian couple in search of spirituality to a ‘queer’ boy with pink hair. A couple breaks stereotypes as the man plays stay-at-home dad to an adopted daughter while the wife is a high-profile lawyer. The constant dissatisfaction of humans comes to the forefront in a chapter where a mother with three children and a childless woman complain about their ‘fate’.
It is a feel-good story written to bring a smile to your lips. There are no elaborate character arcs or complicated points of view. But I teared up at the final chapter titled ‘Zest for Life’ where Bruno reveals how he died. Animals, unlike humans, love unconditionally.
Pick up this heart-warming book if you are looking for joyous moments in your fast-paced life.
