Book Review – The Calling by Priya Kumar

I am a big fan of fiction. Huge fan! So much so, that I hardly ever read non-fiction or self-help books. Especially self-help books are a big no-no for me. Maybe I am not someone who feels good when someone tells me what to do. I prefer my morals coming from stories, rather than someone who doesn’t know me from Adam, trying to tell me how and what to do about my life, thank you very much.

Stories, according to me, are amazing. They are uplifting, inspiring; they let you think for yourself. Reading about the life of some fictional character and how this said character makes it all right in the end, can be heartening and elevating at the same time. Stories make you visualize, stories make you think and invest in your own life and want to come out a winner!

When I was approached by the office of author Priya Kumar for the review of her latest book The Calling, I admit I was a bit surprised. I mean, yes, I do review books and I love to talk about books and all that; but this was an author I had never heard of before and when I checked up, it turned out that Priya Kumar is an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker who worked closely with corporates!

Okay, so I chalked up “not knowing the author” to my lack of contact with the present day corporate world; but what got me thinking, was this author was a motivational speaker! Did that mean that I was being approached to review a self-help book? I almost said no; but then the excerpt from the back cover stopped me in my tracks. And boy, am I glad I didn’t refuse!

The Calling is the story of a corporate hotshot, who has spent almost all his life struggling to climb the corporate ladder; in the process, ignoring his family, stepping over his colleagues and subordinates and pretending that things were going superbly fine until one day his world comes crashing down!
With his marriage on the verge of breaking up and his career going nowhere, he is stuck in the mountains with no one to turn to for help. To make matters worse, he meets with a dangerous accident and things just look like they are going to go downhill from there!

But just when the reader thinks all hope is lost, the story takes a surprising turn. The readers are taken, along with the protagonist – in a shocked and surprised daze – on a spiritual and introspective journey! It is almost a freefall where the reader is left longing for a foothold that eludes him just when he thinks he has found it! The reader is taken into a world that is just too amazing to be true, and just too real to be a mere work of fiction. Grappling for insight, as the reader tries to come to terms with what he just read, the story ends with a bang that suddenly clears everything up! As the protagonist finds his true purpose in life, the reader too, is left with an understanding way deeper than he would have ever thought possible!

The writing is simple, and although things get a little confusing at times, the author keeps the story well-paced and engaging. The book is peppered with humourous instances as well as spiritual insight. But it is the latter that really shines through till the end. The author also uses some heavy words like Sadhna and some deep spiritual concepts, but those references only add to the beauty of the narrative and make the story remarkable.

Maybe the story could have been told in a better way, maybe the author could have taken less time to get to the point, maybe there could have been fewer repetitions; but the backdrop the author has selected for her story and the ultimate positive ending she has provided is so remarkable that I am willing to overlook the fact. As a reader, it is amazing to be able to lose oneself in the scenic snow mountains of the Himalayas and the miraculous ‘Valley of Flowers’!

The biggest takeaway of the book, however, is the understanding that the book wishes to convey – your life is your doing and only you can untangle the mess you have made of it, because, after all, you are the one responsible for it! The story reestablishes the adage as you sow, so shall you reap; and tells us how because of this very reason, it is foolish to blame others for things that go wrong in our lives.   

The Calling is a good, quick read that will leave you deep in thought and urge you to introspect. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for answers as to why things aren’t working out for them and also for someone who just wishes to pick up a swift, meaningful read that will leave them with a great understanding of self and a lovely mental picture of the snow-capped mountain peaks.