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The Face At the Window
What if at the end of one’s life, one realises that one has lived out a lie?
Mrs McNally, a retired school teacher, living alone in a cottage at the foothills of the Himalayas, has secrets that if revealed could shatter the two people she cares about the most, her daughter Millie and her grand daughter Nina.
Torn by her desire to reveal the truth that could change Millie’s life, and the need to let things continue as they are, Mrs McNally grapples not just with ghosts from her past, but also a strange, vicious presence in her house that seems to want something from her. Will she ever find the peace that eludes her, will she be rid of this entity haunting her house and, more importantly, will she find closure? A gently nuanced, layered story that deals with the lack of identity and an eternal finding of self, The Face at the Window holds a mirror to the fears we are all afraid to voice, the fear of ageing, the fear of not belonging, and above all, the fear of having no one to love you at the end of your life.
Mrs McNally, a retired school teacher, living alone in a cottage at the foothills of the Himalayas, has secrets that if revealed could shatter the two people she cares about the most, her daughter Millie and her grand daughter Nina.
Torn by her desire to reveal the truth that could change Millie’s life, and the need to let things continue as they are, Mrs McNally grapples not just with ghosts from her past, but also a strange, vicious presence in her house that seems to want something from her. Will she ever find the peace that eludes her, will she be rid of this entity haunting her house and, more importantly, will she find closure? A gently nuanced, layered story that deals with the lack of identity and an eternal finding of self, The Face at the Window holds a mirror to the fears we are all afraid to voice, the fear of ageing, the fear of not belonging, and above all, the fear of having no one to love you at the end of your life.
245 pages, Paperback
Published February 24, 2016
12 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Kiran Manral
27Ìýbooks88ÌýfollowersAfter quitting her full-time journalist’s job when her son was born, Kiran became a mommy blogger, on the internet, with a remarkably original voice. She was a journalist at The Asian Age, The Times of India, features editor Cosmopolitan, India Cultural Lead and Trendspotter at Gartner Iconoculture, Senior Consultant at Vector Insights and Ideas Editor, SheThePeople.TV. Kiran is currently a celebrated Author and an independent research and media consultant.
She was shortlisted for the Femina Women Awards for Literary Contribution in 2017. The Indian Council of UN Relations (ICUNR) with the Ministry of Women and Children, Govt of India, awarded her the International Women’s Day Award 2018 for excellence in the field of writing. In 2021 she was awarded the Womennovator 1000 Women of Asia award. In 2022, she was named amongst the 75 Iconic Indian women in STEAM by Red Dot Foundation and Beyond Black, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, and British High Commission, New Delhi.
Her novella, Saving Maya, was long-listed for the 2018 Saboteur Award, supported by the Arts Council of England in the UK. The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the Popular Choice award at the 2021 JK Papers TOI AutHER awards and has been optioned for a series.
Her other books include The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon A Crush, All Aboard, Karmic Kids-The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, True Love Stories, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting, Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change, More Things in Heaven and Earth, Rising 30 Women Who Changed India, Rising 2.0: 20 More Women Who Changed India, All Those Who Wander and The Moon in the Lining of her Skin.
She also has published short stories in various magazines, in acclaimed anthologies like Have A Safe Journey, Boo, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018, Grandpa’s Tales, Magical Women, City of Screams, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction and Hell Hath No Fury.
Her nonfiction book, Karmic Kids: The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, was listed amongst the top five books on parenting by Indian authors in 2015 by the Sunday Guardian.
The Face at the Window, released in 2016, was listed amongst the top 30 books written by women authors in 2016 by The Ladies Finger, as among the must read books by contemporary women authors by BuzzingBubs and received much critical acclaim. The Times of India stated that “Manral may have very well pioneered the "Himalayan Gothic" genre� with this book. Her novella, Saving Maya, was long listed for the 2018 Saboteur Awards, UK, supported by the Arts Council England, The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the AutHER Awards 2020 Popular Choice Awards. The Face at the Window was long listed at Jio MAMI Word to Screen and showcased at the Singapore International Film Festival. Monster Complex listed her in their global list titled "Urban Fantasy Showcase: 100 Authors To Know and Their Works." Desi Blitz listed her amongst the top seven horror writers from India. Her book, The Face at the Window, was listed in HoneyKids Asia's list of top picks of Asian Horror books alongside books like Han Kang's The Vegetarian, and The Ring. Bookstr.com listed her amongst "6 Fascinating Asian and Pacific Islander Horror Authors."
She was shortlisted for the Femina Women Awards for Literary Contribution in 2017. The Indian Council of UN Relations (ICUNR) with the Ministry of Women and Children, Govt of India, awarded her the International Women’s Day Award 2018 for excellence in the field of writing. In 2021 she was awarded the Womennovator 1000 Women of Asia award. In 2022, she was named amongst the 75 Iconic Indian women in STEAM by Red Dot Foundation and Beyond Black, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, and British High Commission, New Delhi.
Her novella, Saving Maya, was long-listed for the 2018 Saboteur Award, supported by the Arts Council of England in the UK. The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the Popular Choice award at the 2021 JK Papers TOI AutHER awards and has been optioned for a series.
Her other books include The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon A Crush, All Aboard, Karmic Kids-The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, True Love Stories, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting, Raising Kids with Hope and Wonder in Times of a Pandemic and Climate Change, More Things in Heaven and Earth, Rising 30 Women Who Changed India, Rising 2.0: 20 More Women Who Changed India, All Those Who Wander and The Moon in the Lining of her Skin.
She also has published short stories in various magazines, in acclaimed anthologies like Have A Safe Journey, Boo, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018, Grandpa’s Tales, Magical Women, City of Screams, The Hachette Book of Indian Detective Fiction and Hell Hath No Fury.
Her nonfiction book, Karmic Kids: The Story of Parenting Nobody Told You, was listed amongst the top five books on parenting by Indian authors in 2015 by the Sunday Guardian.
The Face at the Window, released in 2016, was listed amongst the top 30 books written by women authors in 2016 by The Ladies Finger, as among the must read books by contemporary women authors by BuzzingBubs and received much critical acclaim. The Times of India stated that “Manral may have very well pioneered the "Himalayan Gothic" genre� with this book. Her novella, Saving Maya, was long listed for the 2018 Saboteur Awards, UK, supported by the Arts Council England, The Kitty Party Murder was shortlisted for the AutHER Awards 2020 Popular Choice Awards. The Face at the Window was long listed at Jio MAMI Word to Screen and showcased at the Singapore International Film Festival. Monster Complex listed her in their global list titled "Urban Fantasy Showcase: 100 Authors To Know and Their Works." Desi Blitz listed her amongst the top seven horror writers from India. Her book, The Face at the Window, was listed in HoneyKids Asia's list of top picks of Asian Horror books alongside books like Han Kang's The Vegetarian, and The Ring. Bookstr.com listed her amongst "6 Fascinating Asian and Pacific Islander Horror Authors."
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 22, 2016
Phenomenally and heart-wrenching spooky and most engrossing... for the rest, read:
November 15, 2021
The book is marketed as horror, but I feel this categorization does the book disservice. Crime fiction (and horror? this is my first horror) is typically fast-paced, hurtling towards conclusion; literary fiction, on the other hand, meanders through carefully thought-out word choices, through soul-satisfying prose. The two, in my mind, don’t work together. Manral, though, manages to pull it off.
At its core, the story is about an elderly woman living alone in the Himalayas, navigating back to her past, revisiting her various missteps, wondering if she can (and should) set things right for those affected by her actions. While I was interested in following the story, I didn't read it as I would a thriller. Instead of zipping through, I slowed down to savor the prose.
The nostalgia is beautifully portrayed. I loved how the protagonist learns to come to terms with her aging and her impending mortality. I also loved the atmospheric descriptions. Reading them, I was immersed in the thunderstorm, the rain pebbling the roof of the cottage high up in the hill.
Manral has prose in this book that is quotable/memorable, but here is some that stayed with me:
…still retained the lingering awareness of that handsomeness.
…revealing skin that had begun to unravel in delicate skeins from the corners of his eyes�
...the feeling that my mind was already setting off on a trip and leaving me behind.
…in an awkward language that was midway between what I understood and what they could communicate in
…I could perceptibly feel my reflexes slowing down, there was an invidious switching off of the cells and synapses in my body, a delay between thought and action, between question and response, between awareness and reaction.
Religion stays with you long after you have lost faith, buried in your subconscious�
Some rather biting observations that made me laugh:
…over the years he had gone from a scrawny forty-something-year-old to a rotund mid-fifties man who seemed like he should avoid going in the immediate vicinity of any sharp object for fear of bursting.
She says this of a nun at the orphanage she grows up in: …with her overflowing chin and stomach filling out of her habit with the kind of insouciance that was ill-suited to one who had devoted herself to a life of deprivation and service to the lord.
If you enjoy literary fiction, I recommend this book.
At its core, the story is about an elderly woman living alone in the Himalayas, navigating back to her past, revisiting her various missteps, wondering if she can (and should) set things right for those affected by her actions. While I was interested in following the story, I didn't read it as I would a thriller. Instead of zipping through, I slowed down to savor the prose.
The nostalgia is beautifully portrayed. I loved how the protagonist learns to come to terms with her aging and her impending mortality. I also loved the atmospheric descriptions. Reading them, I was immersed in the thunderstorm, the rain pebbling the roof of the cottage high up in the hill.
Manral has prose in this book that is quotable/memorable, but here is some that stayed with me:
…still retained the lingering awareness of that handsomeness.
…revealing skin that had begun to unravel in delicate skeins from the corners of his eyes�
...the feeling that my mind was already setting off on a trip and leaving me behind.
…in an awkward language that was midway between what I understood and what they could communicate in
…I could perceptibly feel my reflexes slowing down, there was an invidious switching off of the cells and synapses in my body, a delay between thought and action, between question and response, between awareness and reaction.
Religion stays with you long after you have lost faith, buried in your subconscious�
Some rather biting observations that made me laugh:
…over the years he had gone from a scrawny forty-something-year-old to a rotund mid-fifties man who seemed like he should avoid going in the immediate vicinity of any sharp object for fear of bursting.
She says this of a nun at the orphanage she grows up in: …with her overflowing chin and stomach filling out of her habit with the kind of insouciance that was ill-suited to one who had devoted herself to a life of deprivation and service to the lord.
If you enjoy literary fiction, I recommend this book.
May 9, 2019
“The Face at the Window� is one part drama, one part philosophy with a dose of horror sprinkled on top.
Mrs. McNally is nearing the end of her days - and torn between revealing her deepest darkest secrets, truths that could change her daughter’s and granddaughter’s lives forever, and carrying them with her into the afterlife.
As she writes she starts to see things that she does not believe could be there. Whose is the face at the window and what does she want?
This is a story about coming to terms with your past, and learning who or what you really are. It is about understanding the difference between biology and love. It is about solitude and togetherness, and the bitterness of unrequited love.
It is about finding peace within oneself and the courage and strength to face what’s ahead, alone. It is about the challenges of ageing and accepting endings.
I bought this on the suggestion of a bookseller, and had forgotten about it until quite recently. The story surprised me with how subtle it was - and how much I internalised. It is a simply told story but powerful in the punch it packs.
I’m glad I finally remembered it. Having watched my grandmother struggle with many of the same challenges as Mrs. McNally does, before she passed away a little over a month ago, I felt I connected with this story in a way I might not have otherwise. This is the first I’m reading of Kiran Manral, but it definitely won’t be the last!
Mrs. McNally is nearing the end of her days - and torn between revealing her deepest darkest secrets, truths that could change her daughter’s and granddaughter’s lives forever, and carrying them with her into the afterlife.
As she writes she starts to see things that she does not believe could be there. Whose is the face at the window and what does she want?
This is a story about coming to terms with your past, and learning who or what you really are. It is about understanding the difference between biology and love. It is about solitude and togetherness, and the bitterness of unrequited love.
It is about finding peace within oneself and the courage and strength to face what’s ahead, alone. It is about the challenges of ageing and accepting endings.
I bought this on the suggestion of a bookseller, and had forgotten about it until quite recently. The story surprised me with how subtle it was - and how much I internalised. It is a simply told story but powerful in the punch it packs.
I’m glad I finally remembered it. Having watched my grandmother struggle with many of the same challenges as Mrs. McNally does, before she passed away a little over a month ago, I felt I connected with this story in a way I might not have otherwise. This is the first I’m reading of Kiran Manral, but it definitely won’t be the last!
May 30, 2019
The book has been a companion on my metro rides for three days, and I am kind of sad it ended because I wouldn't have Mrs. McNally and Dr. Sanyal for company anymore. They had been alternately giving me chills and relief in this wonderfully penned psychological thriller by Kiran Manral - the first I have read from her corpus. Other than the generous sprinkling of drama and horror, reading the beautifully flowing language was a treat. Kiran constructed mansions of lucid imagination, shifting easily between two time frames and fleshing out multiple characters, even those which were mere ghost presence.
Kudos Kiran! I will be reading some more by you now :)
Kudos Kiran! I will be reading some more by you now :)
July 21, 2020
An eerie story thick with atmosphere. The prose too is haunting. I loved the descriptions of the remote cottage on the outskirts of a small hill town, the descriptions of the weather, the skies and the surroundings. As also the meditations on old age.
December 10, 2021
The Face at the Window is one of a kind and truly unique book touching the senses of readers, at times sending a chill down the spine. It deals with relationships as strange as it gets, the quest for identity, belonging and emotions longings about the broken relationship as the character deal with age or the fear of being alone. An absolutely delightful read set against a ghost longing for closure, justice done by Kiran Manral who is never shy in experimenting with genres. Of course, the book has its fair share of loosening but is compensated by the heart in the right place. I thoroughly enjoyed Kiran's outing set in the hill town, brings its own aesthetic beauty coupled with a life left behind.
July 11, 2016
The book is engaging, spooky and very well written!!
the life of retired school teacher living in a quaint hill station at the foothills of Himalayas. She was born orphan and was destined to live alone. She recounts her journey of difficult life, the people crossed her path, left their footprints, but those paths were not meant to be together. While she deals with her past life ghosts, she realizes she is living with a ghost in he cottage. The book is nuanced, well written and spooky, though not a fan of this genre, i really enjoyed reading the story of this old lady, taking stock of her life.
the life of retired school teacher living in a quaint hill station at the foothills of Himalayas. She was born orphan and was destined to live alone. She recounts her journey of difficult life, the people crossed her path, left their footprints, but those paths were not meant to be together. While she deals with her past life ghosts, she realizes she is living with a ghost in he cottage. The book is nuanced, well written and spooky, though not a fan of this genre, i really enjoyed reading the story of this old lady, taking stock of her life.
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September 7, 2017This is my second book by the author. I have read Switcheroo and found it quite intriguing.
Talking about this book - the language is beautiful. The narration is crisp and has some really insightful lines. But, when it comes to the story and execution, I am a little disappointed.
I'd tell you why - first, considering the genre, this book was not engrossing, Not scary at all. However, This book has got some wonderful reviews, so maybe, it's just me.
It started well, but then seemed to wander, covering so many things that I found unnecessary especially for this genre. I didn't understand what it wanted to deliver or what I actually wanted to know while reading the book.
Talking about this book - the language is beautiful. The narration is crisp and has some really insightful lines. But, when it comes to the story and execution, I am a little disappointed.
I'd tell you why - first, considering the genre, this book was not engrossing, Not scary at all. However, This book has got some wonderful reviews, so maybe, it's just me.
It started well, but then seemed to wander, covering so many things that I found unnecessary especially for this genre. I didn't understand what it wanted to deliver or what I actually wanted to know while reading the book.
March 23, 2016
It is hard to top Vikas's wonderful review of the book. I was captivated by the book as well.
March 31, 2016
Spooky, full of suspense and rich with detail. The author creates an atmosphere that is sure paced and eerie with a heartbreaking and racy finale.
April 19, 2021
This is the 2nd book I've read of Kiran Manral and both the books left me with the same feeling. Overwritten, repetitive with not enough meat in the plot. It is frustrating to read about random ruminations on reading in a paperback vs reading on kindle at important points in the story where the plot was screaming for attention. This issue crops up when the narrative is loose, and the book needs filler material to be considered lengthy enough to be a "book".
For a horror thriller to work, the main character need not always be an incredibly interesting person (which is why the dull Mrs McNally could be forgiven), if it manages to creep the readers with the atmospheric eeriness that hill station books usually have, or if the narrative proceeds at a breakneck space from one plot device to another without allowing the reader enough space to look for holes. The book has neither and its a slog to get to the end without skipping a few pages or yawning through them.
This is quite sad because the author had potential, and can write that's why I picked up her book again. What she needs are a fiction writing class and a stern editor with a big red pen.
For a horror thriller to work, the main character need not always be an incredibly interesting person (which is why the dull Mrs McNally could be forgiven), if it manages to creep the readers with the atmospheric eeriness that hill station books usually have, or if the narrative proceeds at a breakneck space from one plot device to another without allowing the reader enough space to look for holes. The book has neither and its a slog to get to the end without skipping a few pages or yawning through them.
This is quite sad because the author had potential, and can write that's why I picked up her book again. What she needs are a fiction writing class and a stern editor with a big red pen.
September 17, 2017
I had the absolute joy and horror of reading The Face at The Window by Kiran Manral recently!
I am haunted.
Every time I think of the book, I think of Mrs. McNally - the Masterni protagonist - who is suspended in a very gripping war between the horrors of life, those of beyond and the battle between both, amidst the swift descend of reality.
Written in a poetic and haunting prose, Kiran Manral takes you through the mist and mystery of the mountainside and into the myth of beyond the grave. You wander there for a while, grabbing at trellises, trying to find your way back to the living, to put the pieces together. Mrs. McNally's feelings of terror, guilt and loneliness are all your own.
You wonder - when people die, do they leave behind graves or ghosts? Sometimes, both.
The Face at The Window will have you reminiscing and grasping at revelations long after you've turned the last page and felt the chill finally leave your bones.
Do people harbour secrets or are they haunted by them?
This rivetingly haunting and beautiful tale by Kiran Manral is a must read!
I am haunted.
Every time I think of the book, I think of Mrs. McNally - the Masterni protagonist - who is suspended in a very gripping war between the horrors of life, those of beyond and the battle between both, amidst the swift descend of reality.
Written in a poetic and haunting prose, Kiran Manral takes you through the mist and mystery of the mountainside and into the myth of beyond the grave. You wander there for a while, grabbing at trellises, trying to find your way back to the living, to put the pieces together. Mrs. McNally's feelings of terror, guilt and loneliness are all your own.
You wonder - when people die, do they leave behind graves or ghosts? Sometimes, both.
The Face at The Window will have you reminiscing and grasping at revelations long after you've turned the last page and felt the chill finally leave your bones.
Do people harbour secrets or are they haunted by them?
This rivetingly haunting and beautiful tale by Kiran Manral is a must read!
November 30, 2024
*The Face at the Window* by Kiran Manral is a compelling psychological thriller that skillfully combines tension with profound emotional nuance.
The story follows Neel, a lady who moves into an old house and is haunted by weird happenings and the unnerving appearance of a mystery face at the window. It is set in an unpleasant, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Manral is a master at creating tension by revealing layers of secrets, shame, and anguish through the setting and character backstories.
The story deftly switches between the past and the present to examine issues of trauma, loneliness, and the psychological and real ghosts that haunt people's minds.
Manral provides a terrifying, thought-provoking read with incisive prose and a terrifying narrative.
The story follows Neel, a lady who moves into an old house and is haunted by weird happenings and the unnerving appearance of a mystery face at the window. It is set in an unpleasant, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Manral is a master at creating tension by revealing layers of secrets, shame, and anguish through the setting and character backstories.
The story deftly switches between the past and the present to examine issues of trauma, loneliness, and the psychological and real ghosts that haunt people's minds.
Manral provides a terrifying, thought-provoking read with incisive prose and a terrifying narrative.
June 16, 2020
My first book by this author and was skeptical about the book since it was related to something paranormal. However, it was not at all cliché which most authors do with such genres.
It gripped me till the end, since I was attached to Mrs McNally by the end. A beautiful surprise at the end knowing about the Dr Sanyal's and Sumit's relationship. Maybe, because I read a lot of yaoi.
The story is different, a story about a lady who went through a lot. Who didn't really know who she was. This story beautifully potrays ageing, and not having anyone at the end of one's life.
"Solitude was easier, it asked for nothing from oneself but that one existed and one was content with one's existence."
It gripped me till the end, since I was attached to Mrs McNally by the end. A beautiful surprise at the end knowing about the Dr Sanyal's and Sumit's relationship. Maybe, because I read a lot of yaoi.
The story is different, a story about a lady who went through a lot. Who didn't really know who she was. This story beautifully potrays ageing, and not having anyone at the end of one's life.
"Solitude was easier, it asked for nothing from oneself but that one existed and one was content with one's existence."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2019
I read this book last month as part of the small book club that I run. In this book, the author brings an interesting character to the forefront, that of an elderly lady living alone, with a back story that is as haunting as the experiences she goes through. Although haunting, it is a compelling read, I would definitely recommend this.
November 29, 2019
The story starts very strong and is quite gripping for like half of the journey. Really gripped me through half of the book. But the story left me towards the end. I felt the writing became very light and wasn't that gripping. You see some of the end coming way ahead. Despite any of this I would still suggest this book. It is at least half way good.
May 13, 2018
I liked the concept of the book; there were past references, different point of views, clashes, relationships, diversity. I loved how everything came together but I felt that the suspense building was so much that it ruined everything I had grasped from the start, as their was nothing much in the story and the suspense to deliver.
I liked it but didn't adore it.
I liked it but didn't adore it.
October 21, 2019
V good
March 12, 2023
Loved the language
February 2, 2021
I loved the book!!! I could relate to the settings, the protagonist, the plot! Amazingly narrated by Ms Manral, it made me want to actually meet her and talk about the book. She’s created Mrs McNally so beautifully well. I bow down to her.
May 1, 2016
Spooky stories always has me hesitating to pick them up. While Ms McNally drew me close with her endearing character, the book kept me engrossed. Heartening and warm those portions made me reflect on relations and the complexity of emotions. Kiran has done a brilliant job with this book, her characters come alive and speak and I for one just loved it.
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