"Leaving us with images that linger in our thoughts..."

• ASIN: ‎ B0CLGMP121
• Publisher: ‎ Lighted Lake Press (19 Oct. 2023)
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 130 pages
• Genre: Short Story Collections

The BookViral Review:

You know you are reading a good short story when a sentence does the work of a page. They are one of literature’s treasures. In the best ones, nothing is needless, there’s no space for excess or digression and it’s with this in mind that Divyank creates a little literary magic.

The genre thrives on authors who can quickly tap into our imagination and Divyank has it down to a fine art. Delivering sharp, intelligent and above all intriguing nuggets of short, but vividly formed works of fiction by expanding upon a given moment, holding characters and events up to scrutiny then moving on. There’s no lyrical wandering with each story punching above its word count whilst unexpected moments of reflection encroach on the reader’s mind and demand reflection.

With just ten stories in all, Divyank writes about situations in which characters, are often put in situations fraught with uncertainty and proves quite adept at evoking social nuance. This is clearly evident in stories like Separation Anxiety, Back To Darkness and A Long March Home where tragedy, relationships and predatory sexual behaviour are briefly illuminated. 

There is also an impressive minimalism at work through the entire collection with Divyank demonstrating an enviable ability to create a destabilizing atmosphere without destabilizing the text. Something particularly evident in Dead River where Divyank succinctly explores the often ludicrous nature of obligatory rituals as a father and daughter travel to pour her mother’s ashes into a polluted river.

Leaving us with images that linger in our thoughts Divyank’s In Search of the Lambs: And Other Stories proves an unreservedly recommended five stars read.