(Graphic created on Canva by Dawn Pisturino.)
Good morning!
I’m pleased to share my 5-star review of Smitha Vishwanath’s book, Coming Home, which released in 2023. Smitha is a lovely poet, artist, and novelist who has been nominated for several awards.
Amazon Blurb
“Twenty-six-year-old Shanaya finds her idea of home and family ripped apart when she loses her mother. Her effort to drown herself in her job proves to be financially rewarding and her work is recognized by the organisation. But, even this is not enough to fill the vacuum in her heart or answer the questions, her mother’s sudden death had given rise to. In her quest for peace and the need to hold her family together, she leaves her job in the Middle East and moves to India. The story finds Shanaya journeying across geographical planes and inner landscapes to finally reach ‘home’. Coming Home is a heartwarming story about self-discovery, relationships, loss, love, destiny, the choices we make, and how these choices eventually lead to what we are destined for.”
My Review
Coming Home by Smitha Vishwanath (2023). Available on Amazon.
When Shanaya fails to arrive in India before her mother’s death from cancer, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes her to Dubai, India, and the USA. Although proud of her expertise in the banking industry, she feels empty inside and seeks meaning in her life. Her father and sister don’t want to talk about her mother’s death, and Shanaya is left to grieve alone. She quits her job, finds refuge in an ashram, and visits various people and places in India. Although expected to marry Suresh in an arranged marriage, she finds no fulfillment in the match.
Shanaya explores different options for her life, but none seem satisfactory. By the end of the book, she discovers that what she’s been craving lay in front of her all along.
I found this book to be a thoughtful reflection on grief, family, life, death, and love. The travel and cultural aspects kept me absorbed and entertained, and the cerebral nature of the writing stimulated my thought processes. I rated it 5 stars.
About the Author
“Smitha Vishwanath is your quintessential ‘bored banker’ turned writer. After a rewarding career of two decades in banking, she quit in 2018. Therein, began her writing journey, which she did through her blog: https://lifeateacher.wordpress.com.
“Smitha’s poem, ‘Omid’, was nominated ‘Best of the Net’ in 2019. Her poems, ‘Do you Have Dreams’ and ‘Forgotten’, written for the National Poetry Writing Month challenge hosted by Maureen Thompson, won recognition on an international level for two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022. She was nominated as Author of the Month by SpillWords Press for her poem ‘Ye Birds on my Window Sill’ in May 2022. She was recently voted Author of the Month for the months of January and February 2023 for her poem, ‘Two years since you left’ by Spillwords Press. Her poetry has been published by several online publications, including Thieving Magpies, Spillwords Press, MasticadoresUS, Silverbirch Press, Rebelle Society and has found a place in several noteworthy anthologies.
“‘Roads- A journey with Verses’ is a book of poems she co-authored and published in July 2019.
“‘Coming Home’ is her debut novel released in March 2023.
“When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, writing book reviews, sharing her experiences through her blog, painting, walking, travelling, or just being. She currently resides with her husband in [Nairobi, Kenya]. Her poems and writing reflect the experiences that come with having lived with people of different cultures.”
Learn more about Smitha on her blog: https://www.smithavpennings.com.
We’ve had storms the last couple of days, and our Internet keeps going in and out. But it’s finally raining!
Reminder: Unless something important comes up, I’m only blogging on Wednesdays right now while I work on my narrative nonfiction memoir, catch up on reading, and take care of personal stuff.
Thank you! Have a blessed day!
Dawn Pisturino
Author, The Mystery of the Pink Poodle (2025) – #1 Amazon New Release in Children’s eBooks on Girls’ & Women’s Issues
Author, Ancient Voices: Poems About Ancient Egypt (2025) – #1 Amazon New Release in African Poetry, History of Egypt, History of Africa, History of North Africa. #1 Amazon Best Seller in History of Egypt and History of North Africa
Author, Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine (2024) – #1 Amazon New Release in Japanese Poetry & Haiku
Author, Haiku for the Midnight Hour (2024) – #1 Amazon New Release in Japanese Poetry & Haiku, Haiku & Japanese Poetry, and 90-Minute Teen & Young Adult Short Reads. #1 Amazon Best Seller in Japanese Poetry & Haiku
Author, Lunar Gazing Haiku (2024) – #1 Amazon New Release in Asian and Contemporary Poetry, Japanese Poetry & Haiku, 45-Minute Teen & Young Adult Short Reads, Poetry for Teens & Young Adults, and Haiku & Japanese Poetry
Author, Ariel’s Song: Published Poems, 1987 – 2023 (2024) – Ranked #60 on the Amazon Best Seller List for Haiku & Japanese Poetry
#1 Amazon Bestseller Author 2024, 2025
#1 Amazon Bestseller Co-Author 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
2026 Best of the Net Nominee
Author of the Month for March 2024 at Spillwords Press
Co-Author, Social Possibilities: Poetic Voices of Hope (2025)
Co-Author, Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku (2025)
Co-Author, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures (2025)
Co-Author, I Am From. . . Anthology (2025)
Co-Author, After Rain Skies: The Global Anthology (2025)
Co-Author, Cadence: Life’s Poetic Rhythms (2024)
Co-Author, Petals of Haiku: An Anthology (2024)
Co-Author, Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology (2023)
Co-Author, 2023 Arizona Literary Magazine (2022)
Co-Author, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (2022)
Official Author Website: www.dawnpisturino.org
November 19, 2025
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