Author Vibeituonuo Kuotsu Solo released her debut book The Light After the Storm in Kohima, highlighting courage, hope, and women’s resilience.
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KOHIMA — "The Light After the Storm", the debut book by Vibeituonuo Kuotsu Solo, was released by Asangla Imsong, joint director of Information and Public Relations, at Été Coffee, Kohima, on Friday.
The book marked the 112th publication of the PenThrill Publication House.
In the author talk, Solo shared that her book is a work born from both imagination and raw emotion, blending fiction with deeply personal truth.
"My deepest hope is that it becomes a key for people trapped in unhealthy relationships, showing them that breaking free is not a wrong or a taboo but an act of courage. I want everyone who reads it to know that it is more than okay to choose yourself—even if it means being alone," she shared.
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A single mother, Solo remarked that the book is her plea to shatter the silence, especially for women, to assure them that they can speak openly about broken marriages and relationships without shame.
She expressed hope that her story would break the barriers that silence women in society, helping them find their voice and the courage to move forward unafraid.
Solo, who is also a journalist, shared that she began writing when she was in Class 9 after her English teacher encouraged the students to record their daily life in a diary or a rough book. Her interest deepened a few years ago after a meeting with Easterine Kire, a noted author from Nagaland, who inspired her.
Vishu Rita Krocha, Publisher of PenThrill Publication House, said, "It takes great courage to embrace the storms in one's life, and even greater courage to be able to overcome them. What makes me admire Vibei even more is the fact that she has transformed her life's struggles and pieced them together in the form of stories for all of us to share in her journey of bravery."
Krocha shared that she was pleasantly surprised when Solo approached her with the set of brilliant stories written against the backdrop of a culture and life that is both familiar and fascinating.
For her, the 13 stories in the book, though unique in their own ways and partly fictionalised, read like a single story or a novella.
"All the stories seem to have a connection that reading the book makes it feel like you could draw some kind of connection between the stories. Maybe this is also because the stories in the book have this distinct familiarity of a world that we all know, as Nagas. From the life of a broken marriage and relationships to stories of a mother's sacrifice, from conflict to stories of land that divides many Naga families, this book addresses many critical issues that we face in society but are never really talked about," she observed.
She further stated that the book is much more than the problems one faces in life, saying, "It's about the light that's waiting for all, only if we are willing to see it."
Releasing the book, Imsong maintained that it speaks of hope and light even after a terrible storm. She described it as a beautiful reflection, with the writing being introspective about motherhood, love, and the strength of a woman.
She also noted the strong presence of tradition in the book, showing that the author is deeply rooted in her culture.
Imsong said the writer had managed to express the experiences of a woman and bring out the strength of womanhood, putting into words feelings that many mothers and women often do not have the courage to articulate.
She further noted that for Naga society, stories have always been a source of strength — carried in songs, fireside conversations, and now in books like this, where they come alive. The release, she added, was not only about celebrating the author but also about celebrating the importance of keeping narratives alive.