Being Seen in Kenya: A Quiet Thank You to Pooja

There are moments in a writer’s life when the work speaks louder than the person. When a reader—not just any reader, but one who truly listens—echoes back the emotional architecture you’ve spent years building. Pooja Gudka, the voice behind Lifesfinewhine, has done just that.

Her review of Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen is more than praise. It’s recognition. She understood that Jim and Kelly’s night in Boston wasn’t about romance—it was about resonance. About the rare grace of being met where you are, without performance or pretense.

“They allow one another to be their authentic self. Neither feels pressured to be someone else. They connect exactly as they are.”

That line alone made me pause. It’s the heartbeat of the story. Pooja saw Kelly’s quiet patience, Jim’s tentative vulnerability, and the way touch became language. She called it beautiful—and I agree, not because I wrote it, but because she felt it.

“Alex Diaz-Granados has a real talent for making characters that are extremely realistic. They don’t feel like two-dimensional characters on paper… They feel like real people that you can connect with.”

I’m both pleased and humbled by her words. Pooja has been a generous supporter of my work for a long time, and I’m proud to call her my #1 fan in Kenya. Her reflections remind me why I write—not for spectacle, but for sanctuary. Not for applause, but for connection.

“This book isn’t about love or the kind of connection that makes you want to spend your life with someone… It’s about finding what you need in that moment so that you could have the strength to continue on.”

To be seen, truly seen, by someone across oceans and cultures is a gift. And to have Comings and Goings resonate with her so deeply affirms the emotional truth I try to honor in every story.

Thank you, Pooja. For reading with empathy. For reviewing with grace. And for reminding me that even the quietest stories can travel far.

“Alex Diaz-Granados has a real talent for making characters that are extremely realistic. They don’t feel like two-dimensional characters on paper… They feel like real people that you can connect with.”

Pooja Gudka, Lifesfinewhine