Tapestry of the Mind and Other Stories

(Paperback)

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A collection of hard-hitting vignettes grounded in mental health issues set against the social, racial, political and economic realities of contemporary Malaysia Tapestry of the Mind is best described as the writer's literary love affair with trying to make sense of the human psyche. It is a collection of seventeen fully-developed short stories that are serious, funny, tender and grounded in Malaysia and, in particular Aneeta Sundararaj's hometown of Alor Setar in northern Peninsular Malaysia. The reader moves among a diverse range of protagonists from classical Indian dancers, toddlers engaging with spirits, pet therapy, mothers losing their children because of inequitable laws and the manipulation of the metaverse, men lacking self-worth, and divorcees mulling failed marriages, to probable stigma of homosexuality, narcissism, mean adults, sibling rivalry, bullying, spiritual abuse, clandestine adoptions, autism, environmental disasters, men's regret from love lost, and the destruction of the mission schools. Like all love affairs, specific and unique cultural, ethnic and religious differences gave rise to moments of betrayal, poignancy, heartache and, sometimes, much mirth. Ultimately, this haunting collection pieces together an everlasting tapestry of words rooted in brutal honesty. When viewed as a whole, it brings to light issues long avoided, evaded or hidden. With each story prefaced by a quote from an expert in mental health, Tapestry of the Mind is cradled with gravitas.

Author Bio

Aneeta Sundararaj trained and practised as a lawyer before she decided to pursue her dream of writing. She also created and developed a website and called it How to Tell a Great Story. The aim remains to make it a resource for storytellers. Her writing has appeared in many magazines, ezines and journals. Some of the noteworthy book projects she's worked on include Knowledge of Life- Tales of an Ayurveda Practitioner in Malaysia, The Banana Leaf Men and Mad Heaven- Biography of Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. M. Mahadevan. For a while, she contributed feature articles to the lifestyle section of a national newspaper. Many of Aneeta's short stories have been longlisted, shortlisted and won international literary competitions and awards. Her most recent and bestselling novel, The Age of Smiling Secrets was shortlisted for the Anugerah Buku 2020 organised by the National Library of Malaysia. Incidentally, edited versions of various chapters of this novel have appeared in multiple anthologies, most notably in We Mark Your Memory- Writings from the Descendants of Indenture, School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, 2018. Throughout, Aneeta continued to pursue her academic interests and, in 2021, successfully defended a doctoral thesis entitled Management of Prosperity Among Artistes in Malaysia.