By Sharell Cook
Henna for the Broken Hearted
Wondering exactly how I went from an unremarkable life as an accountant in Australia, to adventurous life as a writer in India? The answers are in this book.
At the age of 30, when I was at the stage where I’d just started to feel like I was getting on top of life, life turned the tables on me. I was facing a divorce that I didn’t want and all that I was left with was a career that I’d never found fulfilling.
But life offers choices. As the saying goes, we can become bitter or we can become better. I decided to pick myself up from the mess my life was in and reinvent it the way I wanted it to be, instead of trying to recapture what it had been.
This is my story of how I did it. It’s totally upfront, honest, sometimes confused, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad. I hope you’ll read and enjoy it. You can also read about my experience of writing a book here.
From the Publisher
“How far would you go to change your life?
Sharell is 30 years old and living a privileged life in Melbourne’s wealthy suburbs. She has it all: the childhood-sweetheart husband, the high-powered job and plenty of cash to splash.
And it’s not destined to last. In a dramatic turn of events, Sharell’s marriage breaks down and her perfect life falls apart. Sharell opts for a complete change of scene, travelling to India to do volunteer work.
But reinventing herself is not as easy as it sounds, especially in the chaos and confrontation of India. Just as she is beginning to wonder whether she’ll ever find her way, she meets a man. And so begins Sharell’s transformation.
Set in the Himalayan hills of Manali, the beaches of Kerala and the madness of Mumbai, Sharell’s is the real story of what falling in love with an Indian, and India itself, really entails.
Sharell was born and brought up in country Victoria, Australia. After gaining a Bachelor of Business she moved to Melbourne, where she worked for ten years in the accounting and finance sector of the Victorian government. Then, India called.”
What Readers are Saying
"What makes her story special is the way she writes it. It’s a sensitive and nuanced depiction, which neither glorifies the good nor mocks the bad. In fact, any woman who has ever relocated to another country can see a reflection of herself in Sharell’s stories."
"What I loved about Sharell’s story is the balance between open-mindedness to experiencing the new and an introspective account that is realistic and shows her flaws. As a psychologist, I was drawn to her insightfulness and her growing sense of awareness and sense of self."
"Sharell tells it exactly like it happened, warts and all, and she does so in a way that illuminates the deeper truths behind her experiences – truths many of us will be able to relate to. In her honesty, Sharell transcends simply narrating her own experience and speaks to all of us."
"Being Indian, I loved the description of India which I thought was very different from the very cliched manner in which most non-Indians portray India. I am amazed at Sharell’s will power and love for her husband and her very positive attitude to life. The book is a very well written, honest account of her experience and it teaches all of us one thing. Have the courage to go out of your comfort zone and have the courage to change your life to achieve what you want."
"When she talks about her frustrations with India and its people there is also such insight there, and when you consider she is not Indian it gives you a bit of a head spin. Having visited India myself I found her descriptions hilarious but was amazed at how well she coped. The whole idea makes my mind boggle. I stayed up and read the whole book in one night - I had to know what happened at the end!"
"One of the best books I've read in a while. This book can be a good guide for people who have never visited India and also who are dating an Indian person."
