Shona’s Secret Magic is a Talered book that captures the childhood memories of Shona in Kolkata
In 2022, Joyeeta Basu, a Hyderabad resident, got a Talered book made for her sister, for her birthday.
The book, titled “Shona’s Secret Magic” tells stories from Shona’s childhood, especially their days in Kolkata.
A detailed interview
Basu shared with Gitanjali Chandrasekhara, the founder of Talered, how their mom would drop them to their grandparent’s place for the weekends and all the fun and the food they had there. She described fondly this childhood home that the girls are still attached to.
Basu also shared some of the amazing stories from Shona’s childhood—how she learnt Bengali on her own, how she would top her class even though she didn’t burn the midnight oil unlike her classmates. Shona would often leave her family and friends in wonder at her intelligence and smarts.
Some of these memories have been captured in wonderful illustrations by Swati Wadekar.
A testimonial
Speaking of her Talered experience, Basu says, “I ordered a book to celebrate my sister, and it turned out to be one of my best gifts to her. She absolutely loved the book! I was amazed by the story Gitanjali weaved from the bits of information I gave her. She got the story and the emotions down pat and took us on an amazing journey. So many memories were brought back and recreated and made magical. It was heartening to see my sister’s life being celebrated in such a unique way, and she loved it too! We all have our stories, and to re-live our lives through a story is an amazing experience. It was a fantastic birthday gift. My sister and I will always cherish this book. From the bottom of my heart, ‘thank you’!”
If you would like to get a book done for your sister or family, drop us a mail at talered4you@gmail.com