When a book has a map, family tree, and glossary

When a book has a map, family tree, and glossary – I am truly appreciative. I understand the amount of time and energy the author has invested in putting them together.

In October 2022, I watched a YouTube presentation by Philippa Gregory, at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London, where she spoke about this book. 

​I love anything to do with history – any country will do – and listening to the author explain how in 1685 there was a threat of renewed civil war against the Stuart kings, background of Dawnlands, her latest book, piqued my interest.

It was Christmas 2022. Among the many gifts under our Christmas tree, there was Dawnlands. A gift from my son. I held the book in my hands, turned it over, ran my fingers over the beautifully designed cover, and opened it - to find two maps and a family tree.

If not for the Family Tree, I would have been at a complete loss to understand the relationship between the characters of Dawnlands, having never read the first two books in this trilogy.

My novel Moonlight – The Journey Begins (https://www.amazon.ca/Moonlight-Journey-Purabi-Sinha-Das/dp/1039103162/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628814640&sr=1-1) has a glossary of the Bengali words in the book with their meaning in English. I had done this on purpose. Recently my book was picked up by a Book Club. I was invited to one of the meetings. It was a lively discussion with many questions about my writing process, whether I was writing a sequel, and best of all - how helpful the glossary had been.

Connecting with my readers is a beautiful experience because then I get to know their insights, as well as, expectations. What they loved, vs, what they liked. What they want to read more of. This way I can continue to hone my craft for I must always remember – I write for my readers; not just for myself.