2024 was a hectic year for me as far as book publishing goes. In May last year, two of my books were released: the historical novel An Unholy Drought (Book #2 of The Delhi Quartet) and the non-fiction book Gardens of Delhi, written in collaboration with my sister, Swapna Liddle. In October 2024, I also self-published, on Amazon’s Kindle platform, my cookbook, Unlocked Lunches: The World on a Plate.
It’s been a hectic year, as I said.
And now, here’s another book: For the Love of Apricots. This one is an offbeat genre for me, not something I’ve attempted before in book-length form: romantic comedy, or rom-com, with a good bit of food thrown in.
The heroine here is Nandini, who lives with her widowed, absent-minded, birdwatching father in Mukteshwar, Kumaon. Nandini is not your quintessential (read: old Hindi film) heroine. She is forty-two years old, she doesn’t simper and sing songs with kid goats held in her arms. She rarely wears make-up, and she wouldn’t know self-sacrifice if it came and bit her in the bum. Nandini is headstrong and has a mind of her own—and that mind sometimes seems to go wandering, leaving Nandini in situations too embarrassing for her own good.
… especially when she comes up against Vikas Joshi, the new owner of an apricot orchard in town. Mishap follows on the heels of fiasco; there is friction—and eventually, friendship. And then something more.
For the Love of Apricots is one of those rare books that was pure joy writing. It’s not a given for me that I will enjoy myself while writing a book: at times it becomes a slog, occasionally something that I end up struggling to complete. Not this; For the Love of Apricots simply flowed, from beginning to end. I had fun writing this. I poured into it all that I enjoy: flowers, trees, the Himalayas, birds, books (Wodehouse, Gerald Durrell, and Georgette Heyer included). Food, lots of food, from the pickles that Nandini and her friends the village women make in their co-operative kitchen, to the apricots that Vikas grows in his orchard—and more.
I think of this as a breezy, fun read. It’s short, not much more than a novella, and easily finished within a day.
Do buy, for yourself or as a gift, if you like the idea!
For the Love of Apricots is available at all major bookstores, as well as online, at Jain Book Depot, Midland Books, Book Chor, Pagdandi, Sapna Online, and of course at Amazon India. It’ll perhaps be some months before it becomes available outside India, though you should be able to order it with one of the aforementioned bookstores and get them to ship it to you if you’re outside India (or even within India).
Dustedoff 
congrats on trying a new genre.As such rom com is not my cup of kapi! But the authors you mention Wodehouse and Durrell make me double minded.I might still take the risk.
Birthday greetings to you Madhu.I know it is one of these days! Stay healthy and happy!
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Thank you so much – both for the birthday wishes (it was on the 8th) and for having second thoughts about skipping the book ;-) If you do read it, I hope you will enjoy it!
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I love the idea, especially when it comes from a writer I immensely admire and enjoy. Will buy it soon. Best wishes, always. :))
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Thank you so much, Tarang! I hope you will enjoy this one. :-)
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How do you do it?
Sathya Saran Consulting Editor PenguinRandomhouse
Website:sathyasaran.com
My books: Being Ritu The Extraordinary Life of Ritu Nanda/ Harpercollins India
Breath of Gold: Hariprasad Chaurasia https://www.amazon.in/dp/0670092517/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P.zSEbQJCBHG4
Baat Niklegi toh Phir: The Life and Music of Jagjit Singh https://www.amazon.in/dp/9351363821/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WbASEbKY4JFD3
Sun Mere Bandhu Re: The Musical World of SD Burman https://www.amazon.in/dp/935029849X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_edASEbR7AR47T
Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi’s Journey https://www.amazon.in/dp/0143416928/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HeASEbFQQYNM6 The Dark Side. Short stories for the brave!*
From Me to You Learnings from life
Angoor Insights into the film
How to Look Like Miss India
Being Ritu https://www.amazon.in/dp/9354891411?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_ct_DPDKA6VVGQ4K4XX5NQ08&language=en_US
Thread by Thread The S Kumars Story https://www.amazon.in/dp/0143464434?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_ct_E18TCN6PGVG9FFWBHDB4&language=en_US
Caged by Gulzar Translated by Sathya Saran https://www.amazon.in/dp/067009823X?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_ct_GMV590V8A7SX3STPN82G&language=en_US
All available on Amazon.in FlipKart and in book stores
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:-) Thank you, Sathya!
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Colour me impressed, Madhu! Four books within a year! I’m so glad I’m coming to India in Feb; I’ll pick it up then. Looking forward to reading it though I still haven’t completed The Unholy Drought. :( But you know my circumstances.
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But you know my circumstances.
I know, Anu. I was hoping you would be better by now – and I’m still praying hard that you will be soon, and that you will stay well. Hugs. And thank you!
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Congratulations Madhu. You seem to be a prolific writer. I have finished your Delhi series and was impressed. But I have to give this one a pass since romcom is not my game. When is the next book in the Delhi series coming out?
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It will be a while before the third Delhi Quartet book is out, Soumya – I’m not even halfway through writing it. So not before at least a year from now.
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