Middles are life in miniature. The middles in the book, 'In the Middle' by Vandana Kumari Jena are a diverse collection, depicting a kaleidoscope of rainbow hued images. At times they are pen portraits of ordinary people who led extraordinary lives, like the man who wanted to make it to the Guinness Book of Records because of the size of his moustache. At other times they are a globetrotter's delight and sketch picture post cards of exotic locales, the starkly beautiful Kosovo, the mesmerising Marrakech, the amazing Queens town or the exotic Istanbul. Many a time they provide a glimpse of the lighter side of life. Each one of them, in its own way, celebrates the very essence of life.