Review: One Fine Day/ RodieR

One Fine Day/ RodieR

the book on my lap, sitting in car back from Penang! bwahaha--I like the green cover match with my Kurung

Author: RodieR [Rodhiah Rahman]
Publisher: JStory, Jemari Seni Sdn Bhd
ISBN: 978-967-0508-60-3
Price: SEM: RM24.00 Sabah/Sarawak: RM27.00.

One fine day,
I lost my way,
 I stumbled and fell,
To place where it seem bottomless,
 A place where pain seemed to have no cure...

One fine day,
You saw me,
As I stared into nothingness,
And what felt like emptiness,
Slowly filled up again,
As you showed me the way,
Back where I should be,
And one fine day, 
We became friends...

But, one fine day,
My heart broke,
But I was stronger,
For you thought me what happiness means,
Sorry not, my dear,
Through my tears,
I'll find my joy again...

One fine day,
We started as friends, 
Dare I hope, 
We end as friends too?
Because one fine day,
I found you,
And that was the day,
I found my way again,
Thanks to you,
And I really don't want to lose you...

Some roads are meant to be untraveled, Aryan. - Zahra Alias,p. 268.

The first debut of English novel from RodieR has all elements of lost, love, friendship and family value. Simple touch on Islamic version of love between two couples met in foreign land, Australia, at beautiful summer garden in one fine day. Clashes of two different nationalities, Malaysian lady, Zahra Alias and Pakistani handsome lad, Aryan Yusof Khan. 

This love story started with the incident where Zahra lost both of her parents in car crash back in Malaysia on their way to pick her  from holiday after graduation day. Taken back by the lost, Zahra couldn't let go her grief after months and migrated to Australia with her only close family left-her brother, Adam and his wife, Nurin.

Treasury Garden, Melbourne. cr to google.

It was summer, she went to Treasury Garden almost everyday sitting on bench for hours staring a static three until evening. That's where Aryan comes into her life- pulled by instinctive force and motivate her to live her life. She gave him the unique impression from the day he saw wearing her sad face in pink, wool, long coat.

Other interesting characters include Aryan's younger sister, Regina Yusof Khan who accompanied their journey to all interesting places in Australia. The writer does a very good job describing places that unknown to foreigners. Protective brother, Adam and supportive sister-in-law, Nurin took a big part in the second-half of the storyline. Ismail Yusof Khan, though his appearance only in the last chapter and the appearance woman named Maryam, later dicovered quite shockingly (not quite as we could've guess).

Plus point, this story able to represent the kind relationship of two strangers in sense of man and woman, based on her belief as Muslim. Regarding the pathway to regain back Zahra's spirit to life, she also mentioning a small verse from the Holy Quran to remind us, readers. 

One Fine Day includes a twist that makes this two couples doesn't belong to each other anymore. Aryan was insisted back by his father, Ismail Yusof Khan to marry a girl known as close friend. Zahra let Aryan go, unconditionally for the sake of being loyal to family. Just like that Aryan disappear from Zahra's life. Holding secret plan-It breaks my heart that time. After just regaining her strength to live and ready to accept Aryan in her life. 

This story doesn't involve hateful antagonist. It's a story that let we learn about life, acceptance and being rational in Allah's plans but in the sense we also need to take effort towards it.

Will their fate meet again?

What is the secret story after Aryan disappearance?

Can they gain blessing from the two families?

____

ps: becoz of Aryan and kak Hamidah review, I keep recalling the movies Mujse Dosti Karoge! and Kal Ho Na Ho feel gitu haha ;)


The English can be improved but the message is clear and simple enough to be understand by a mere reader, like me.It kept bugging (if this the correct word) me that the writer insist on mentioning Muslim-kind of person all the way in the beginning. I know its good ~I just felt it could be rephrase without  forcing the intention. Being a Muslim for me, is a normal thing, of course for the writer too...Somewhat, it felt that she is forced by obligation to make readers from different background to have the same understanding. This makes me feel the sentences quite awkward at first and the story keep on going; then it get better in the middle until they happily married. Truth is when there's family bond involve, my heart melts. More cheerful characters can create more lively surrounding.

xoxo
Soleh