The Theme Of Reincarnation In Samyann’s Novel Yesterday
Starting a new life with a new identity, in a different body, in a different era with no knowledge of your past life is reincarnation. Whether or not you truly believe in the concept, one can agree that remembering details from your past will mostly bring you pain, since it would be about a time that has passed away long back. But what if those memories of the past could help you heal from the tragedies you have experienced in your current life?
Yesterday - a novel of reincarnation by Samyann is a not only a story of romance but is also a journey of healing which revolves around the beautiful and grief stricken Amanda Parker, and Mark Patrick Callahan, a dashing cop. They both meet each other for the first time in their present lives but feel like they have known each other since a very long time.
Tales of reincarnation might have earned the reputation of being similar or repetitive but this story is different in terms of how they discover the connection they had in their past lives which is quite different from what we usually see in stories. They don't get flashbacks of their previous lives on seeing each other or start getting headaches as seen in most stories but the way they navigate through whatever they are feeling on seeing each other as well as the objects they encounter is interesting, especially through Amanda's godmother, Mary Axelrod who seems well versed in past life regression.
The other characters that come and go in the story serve a good purpose explaining why the protagonists behave the way they do, providing insightful back stories of each character, hence, their appearance throughout the pages doesn't seem unnecessary or forced. The main protagonists remain true to their character without any inconsistencies and don't present an unrealistically perfect version of people. Though the theme of the book is something most people won't believe in real life, the characters definitely seem real. One of the most interesting features of the book is how the transition between the past and present lives is shown. The whole backdrop of Chicago at a much older time or the setting of each scene is commendable and makes the reader travel effortlessly through different places and time periods. It would be more fun of a read if you are interested in antiques or are a history buff.
I will rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because of the way the theme of reincarnation was used to tell a story of love, kindness and healing and also the historic background used which was quite interesting. Some things that bothered me include the entry of Mark in Amanda's session of her past life regression. He lacked the grandeur the male lead usually requires in a novel upon his entrance. It might leave the reader a bit confused, especially since a lot was already going on with the scene he premiered in consisting of many other characters including her cousin, Jack. Also, Mark's character would express his love from time to time even though Amanda keeps rejecting him for her own reasons. He is very adamant which is not how usually people behave when dealing with rejection. Only at this point does his character seem a bit unrealistic, though some readers might understand and appreciate this behavior justifying it with his belief that he has a very old connection with her. Try giving this book a chance if you find this theme interesting but I would not recommend it to people who are not very thrilled with romance being a focal point in novels.
