Book excerpt: Sushama's finesse of mind, her subtle and astute observation of life and nature take the reader right into the heart of the human soul through the power of her storytelling skills. Sushama's short stories are all about the meanderings of the human soul in quest of balance, truth and freedom. Be it Pratap, the Indian engineer who develops a beautiful bond with Emma, the untamed, or Ulla, the beautiful Black girl from Tanzania who wins her future husband's respect; thanks to her charisma. Be it the legendary hero, Nachiketa from the Kathopanishad, who discovers his freedom, learning wisdom from Yama, the divinity of Death. Be it Narmada, the river with a volatile path of fury and peace – all these characters come to life from the writer's pen and bring us truth to ponder. Sushama likes to create spaces where the reader may enter to write their own script either in resonance or in contrast. Alternately, she invites the reader to participate and share in imagination the places where her characters dwelt and the times wherein they lived. Her natural sense of poetry breathes in her prose, and through her Indian sensibility, Sushama tells us stories that always ask questions, like a maieutic, leading the reader to seek answers. Francoise Dhulesia from France.