About the Book
Produced as a collaborative effort between authors from all over the world, My Childhood Companion is a collection of short stories on the themes of friendship, family and love based on Sunny's experiences, and written especially for this book. It is particularly exciting to showcase this collection of work, as the authors all worked independently to produce their stories, and then the collection was brought together by Sunny Singh. The authors' backgrounds cover four continents and a variety of professional writing experience, but the stories converge on the ideals of connecting with other human beings, the joy of finding love, and the cataclysmic effects of emotional hardship. These are universal themes, and they have been developed in different ways in this collection, but they are always relevant. The titular story is authored by Sunny Singh, and describes the experience of a first love, but like many first loves, it does not have a fairytale happy ending. However, that's not to say that the experience was wasted, but rather, it forms a core memory crucial for how the main character developed as he grew up. What happens when you have tried to forget your first love, and then are reminded of her presence again? Roman J.'s story, The Love Letter, recounts a similar tale, with a few twists: the adolescent years are not always forgiving ones. The Love Letter follows the story of two teens from 7th to 10th grade, and chronicles the growth of their friendship, to the discovery of romance and broken hearts, plus the frustration and angst of being still unable to control one's life independent of one's parents. Losing one's love, then finding her again, is a dominant theme in this extremely relatable story. The third story in the collection, The Foolish Brother, is an African-inspired parable about gods, families and the power of goodness in a community. The author, Lator Andrew Osarumwense, draws from traditional African influences to weave a modern fairytale with evil fathers, heroes from faraway lands, and the importance of family and heritage. Love, however, will still drive this story-but will it still have a traditional fairytale ending? Let Her Go is written by Maria Schicks, and is again based on themes from Sunny's experiences as a teenager. This story describes not just the relationship between the protagonist and his love interest, but also the relationships and interactions between other people who are associated with them: their friends, family and teachers. After all, relationships do affect more than just the two people involved in them. Finally, Rita Cripe offers Just a Loan; an uplifting story about a modern romance and the harsh realities of the business world and the complexities of relationships. Kama is applying for a loan for his Indian restaurant business from Amy, who works at the bank. Will he be able to convince her that he and his business are worth her time and support? What is in store for them as they try to maneuver the fine line between business and pleasure? Developed by an international network of authors, the stories in My Childhood Companion-whether they are humor-driven, self-reflective or poignant-show how exactly how the notions of romance, love and relationships are truly universal notions that transcend national and cultural barriers. These stories are presented for the first time in an easy-to-read collection as a series of relatable parables for the modern world; they invite self-reflection on what is truly valuable, and will remind you of your own life experiences and the power of love to change a person.
About the Author: ABOUT THE AUTHOR SUNNY SINGH Sunny Singh is a writer and a poet. He lives in Jawali city of India, and he has written various poems (Gazal and Nazm) in Hindi and Urdu language. He is a very creative person and after listening to his poems, fans forced to him to write stories or novels. So, from there, he tried his hand at writing short stories. In this book, he presents his first story. ABOUT THE AUTHOR MARIA SCHICKS Maria Schicks is a bilingual writer and translator who is fluent in German and English. She started writing when she was still in college, and has written many stories since then. This is one of them. She currently resides in Germany. ABOUT THE AUTHOR LATOR ANDREW Lator Andrew Osarumwense lives in Benin City, Nigeria, he is a prolific writer, and has written various books of all genres ranging from kids to adults books. The title of his new book is "The Foolish Brother", a book jam-packed with adventures and comedies to interest any person who reads it. This story is filled with information, parables and real-life stories of things that have happened or are currently happening in some part of the world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR ROMAN J. Roman J. lives in London in the United Kingdom, he is an accomplished editor, writer and proofreader with a portfolio ranging from technical manuals to publishing books and from magazine/journal/newspaper articles to working with writers for whom English is not a first language. ABOUT THE AUTHOR RITA CRIPE Rita Cripe is a recent graduate with a degree in Creative Writing. She lives in Bloomington city of U.S. state of Indiana. Since she was little, she's always had a passion for writing and has always enjoyed creating little stories. Although this is her first published work, she hopes to write considerably more in the future.
