Simmering Emotions is a tapestry of memory, heritage, and human feeling stitched together with poetic elegance. The book blends verse, prose, and reflection, moving fluidly from personal stories of mothers and migration to philosophical musings and historical essays. Each piece feels like an offering from the author’s heart. He writes of love and loss, of the soul of Punjab, of the ache of displacement, and of simple kindness that survives every storm. It’s not a single story but a chorus of voices. Sometimes the rhythm is that of a lullaby, other times a lament, but it always feels alive.

Reading it stirred something deep in me. The writing is both grounded and lyrical. Author Manmohan Sadana writes like someone who has seen both light and shadow and refuses to let either define him. His language feels sincere, not polished for show. The poems about Partition and motherhood nearly broke me. There’s pain, but there’s also grace. The imagery, trains, rivers, gold temples, and quiet rooms, made me feel like I was walking beside him through decades of Indian history and human emotion. I could sense his reverence for women, his tenderness toward the past, and his restlessness in a changing world. Yet at times the tone shifts sharply from poetic to academic, which can feel jarring. It’s as if the writer’s mind and heart take turns speaking. Still, that rawness makes the book honest.

What stayed with me most is the quiet dignity of his characters. The old mother who rebuilds her life from ashes. The lovers separated by Partition who never stop whispering each other’s names. Even in the essays about cities and traditions, there’s an undercurrent of yearning, a belief that goodness survives. The writing reminded me that culture isn’t just monuments or food, it’s the way people love and forgive. There were moments when I had to stop reading, just to breathe and absorb the weight of his compassion.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry that tells stories and stories that feel like prayers. It’s for readers who want to feel rather than analyze, who find beauty in nostalgia and redemption in remembrance. If you’ve ever sat with old memories that refuse to fade, Simmering Emotions will speak to you gently, as a friend who has also lived, lost, and learned to forgive.

Pages: 206 | ASIN : B0FS46N1S1