Title: The Day My Soul Died
Author: Rishi Vohra
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications
Format Read: Kindle e-book
Genre: Literary Fiction
Trigger Warning: Rape/Sexual assault
I’m often a little hesitant to accept review requests from authors who email me. It’s not because I don’t want to support writers trying to get their work out into the world, but because I worry my feedback won’t always be received well. Still, I said yes to reading and reviewing The Day My Soul Died by Rishi Vohra after learning that it centers on the rape of an Indian woman, Sunaina, and the justice she ultimately takes into her own hands. This is an incredibly important subject to address, particularly because of how common sexual assault is and how difficult it can be for women to come forward and see their rapists punished. It is not a cheerful topic, but it is a necessary one.
Sunaina is a fairly average middle-class young woman from Mumbai with a loving family, a boyfriend, and a happy life. She decides to begin working out at a local gym to get herself into better shape for the proposal she hopes is coming soon. She arranges a trial session with the gym’s owner, only to discover, not long after arriving, that she has been lured there for the purpose of his assaulting her. She tries to seek justice, but corruption and harmful stigma are everywhere.
I found Sunaina to be a compelling protagonist. Her motivations and thought processes are always clear, as the story is told in close first-person perspective and is largely introspective. She feels fairly well-rounded, with both flaws and virtues. The minor characters are just that: minor characters. What happens to Sunaina is unbelievable in the way a trainwreck is unbelievable, in that you watch it happen even though it feels like something that should not be happening at all. I’ve never been to India, but I did live in Mexico for a year when I was eighteen, so the corruption and cruelty of some people is, unfortunately, something I know can be true. My heart ached for Sunaina.
The novel is framed as Rishi interviewing Sunaina, beginning with the first interview and ending with the last, with no breaks in between. I liked the respect this structure places on both Sunaina and women in general, allowing the story to remain hers and theirs. I do wonder, though, whether the book might have been even more effective if a few more chapters from Rishi’s perspective had been interspersed throughout.
Vohra’s writing is plainspoken, emotionally candid, and deeply introspective, with a heavy emphasis on Sunaina’s thoughts, pain, fear, and emotional processing. He prioritizes clarity and emotional honesty over beautiful prose, which keeps the novel accessible. The tone is earnest and confessional, especially in the way it handles trauma, shame, anger, and resilience. The writing also becomes vivid at times in its setting and social observations, particularly when depicting Mumbai and the harsher realities surrounding what has happened to Sunaina. It is strongest when it is rooted in Sunaina’s inner world or in the physical and social landscape around her.
I liked Vohra’s decision to keep the writing plainspoken and almost confessional. Some things should simply be said clearly. At times, though, that directness came at the cost of emotional immediacy, and I occasionally felt a little detached from Sunaina despite how thoroughly we are given access to her thoughts and feelings. Even so, those thoughts and feelings remained relatable throughout. There is something sneaky about the way this book works its way under your skin. I enjoyed it well enough the entire time, but it was in the final 25% that I became truly invested. By then, I very much needed to know what would happen to Sunaina.
I’m glad I took the time to read The Day My Soul Died because it tackles such an important subject. In the United States, 1 in 5 women has experienced rape or attempted rape in her lifetime, and I am one of them. The World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. In many places, women do not receive justice because of the stigma attached to sexual violence, whether that means being viewed as defiled, ruined, or somehow responsible for what was done to them. That will not change unless people are willing to confront it. The Day My Soul Died is a worthwhile read for those who care about stories that examine sexual violence, trauma, survival, and the failures of the systems meant to protect women.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓— a heavy but worthwhile read
Click here to learn more about The Day My Soul Died and Rishi Vohra.
I read a digital copy made available by the author, and this review reflects my honest opinion.