Namratha Stanley’s first book, Vineyard Melody, isn’t just about surviving hardship; it’s about finding courage, reinventing yourself, and following your passion. After breaking free from an abusive marriage in India, she moved to Bordeaux to study for a Wine MBA and built a new life rooted in freedom, purpose, and compassion. Today she’s not only an entrepreneur but also a mentor and animal advocate.
In her memoir, Namratha takes readers through the vineyards, cellars, and wine auctions of Europe while opening up about her deeply personal journey — reclaiming her voice and fighting to reunite with her daughter.
We sat down with Namratha for WorldAuthors.org to talk about the inspiration, challenges, and triumphs behind Vineyard Melody.
HELLO NAMRATHA STANLEY, WELCOME TO WORLDAUTHORS.ORG! FROM SURVIVAL TO STORYTELLING, WHAT WAS THE PIVOTAL MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED YOUR JOURNEY HAD TO BE TOLD AS A BOOK RATHER THAN KEPT PRIVATE?
The real turning point for me came in the beginning of 2020. By then, I had come out of my trauma, the vines had healed me, and I was finally in a much better place mentally and emotionally. I had collaborated with a winemaker, Corinne and had extensively worked on my brand. I wanted to share them with the world. But then COVID invaded the world. Suddenly, everything shut down, and so many of my plans had to be put on hold. That pause, though, gave me the time and space to focus on my memoir, Vineyard Melody. Somewhere deep inside, I felt a responsibility to tell my story, not just for myself, but for others.
I’ve seen so many women suffer through my life in India, so many lives silenced by struggle, and I knew that if my journey could help even one person turn their life around, it would be worth it. There was also this inner voice within me, a constant urging that wouldn’t let me rest until I put my story into words. I think some people might have experienced it. That voice—it’s insistent and it never leaves you alone until you listen. So I began writing, even though I wasn’t an author and didn’t really know anything about structuring the chapters or scripting the voice.
The first three chapters were very difficult. At one point, I almost gave up. I thought to myself, I’m not a writer, I don’t have the skills for this. So I did not reopen the draft for a while. But then, again that inner voice kept bothering me. I returned to the manuscript, and step by step, I pushed through. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t give up. Completing my memoir became one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Today, when women write to me and say my story has inspired them to change the way they live, I feel deeply grateful. It reminds me why I had to listen to that inner voice—and why the book was never just about me, but about giving hope to others.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE TITLE VINEYARD MELODY, AND WHAT DOES “MELODY” REPRESENT IN YOUR LIFE STORY?
Actually, the title Vineyard Melody was suggested by my literary agent, Lindsay Guzzardo. She loved it and felt it really captured the essence of my story. At first, I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical. But then I realized how beautifully it connected back to my own brand. My wine label is called Solicantus – Mélodie du sol, which means “song of the soil.” And in a way, Vineyard Melody carries the same spirit, it’s about the melody of the vines that healed me. The cover design also came together very naturally. It was created by my author friend Samantha Verant, and the image resonated so deeply with all of us that we knew it had to be the one. So when the title and the design came together, it just felt right, like everything had aligned beautifully. Melody for me, in both, the book and wine represents harmony.
YOUR MEMOIR INTERTWINES HEALING WITH WINEMAKING. HOW DID LEARNING ABOUT VINEYARDS, TASTING, AND CELLARS MIRROR YOUR OWN TRANSFORMATION?
I moved to the countryside from the bustling streets of Bangalore in 2017, carrying years of exhaustion and the weight of over a decade of domestic trauma. My confidence was shattered, and I felt lost. During my five-month internship at Château Siran, something began to shift. The vineyards became a place of quiet healing. Each evening, I would walk among the vines and watch the sunset over them. As the grapes grew and transformed from tiny green berries into full, dark clusters during veraison. I felt myself changing too.
Their growth mirrored my own recovery. The endless green of the Médoc, the blue skies, and the rhythm of the seasons brought me peace and strength I didn’t know I still had. Living in the outhouse at Château Siran and welcoming visitors from around the world as the face of the estate gave me back my confidence. Talking about the wines, the land, and hearing others’ stories reignited my curiosity and sense of connection. That experience was truly transformational— it taught me that, like the vines, with care and time, we too can heal and flourish again.
YOU LEFT INDIA FOR FRANCE UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. WHAT WERE THE HARDEST AND MOST LIBERATING PARTS OF STARTING OVER IN BORDEAUX?
When I arrived in Bordeaux, I knew it was a new beginning— a clean slate. The stakes were high because I had left my daughter behind in India to pursue my wine studies at INSEEC, and I couldn’t afford to fail. The uncertainty was frightening, but instead of letting the fear of the unknown hold me back, I held on to a dream of making it big. Those early years were not easy. I worked tirelessly, often late into the night, and I networked relentlessly for nearly five years to build connections and opportunities.
Then COVID came, and while it was a difficult time for the world, it gave me the space to write my book and reflect on how far I had come. Starting over in a new country, with a new language, culture, and system, was both challenging and rewarding. I was one of the oldest in my class, still writing in notebooks while my classmates decades younger than me used laptops, the endless French paperwork was overwhelming, being vegetarian in a meat-eating country and many more… But I kept going. With very little capital, I launched my brand and learned to grow it slowly, step by step I had once been a housewife, and suddenly I was running a company in a foreign land.
It was the hardest, yet most empowering experience of my life. After everything I’ve been through, the trauma and the survival back in India and the endless struggles in France, I know now that nothing can truly break me. I’ve healed, I’ve grown, and today I stand as a rejuvenated version of myself— stronger, more confident, and deeply grateful for the journey.
MUCH OF YOUR MEMOIR REVOLVES AROUND YOUR DAUGHTER. HOW DID BEING A MOTHER SHAPE YOUR DECISIONS AND SUSTAIN YOUR RESILIENCE?
When you become a mother, something shifts deep within you— you become the protector of life. It’s an immense responsibility, but also a profound source of strength. As my daughter grew, I learned as much about myself as I did about her. We went through very dark times together. After nearly twelve years of domestic abuse, which I endured and she, heartbreakingly, witnessed. I knew I had to rebuild our lives from scratch. Staying in the same city as the abuser meant living in constant fear and anxiety. We shared the same friends, the same circles, there was no escape unless I left. So, I made the hardest decision of my life: to move to France and start over.
When I left, my daughter was just nine. She wrote me a small note that said, “Study well, Mama. I love you.” I still carry that note with me everywhere. It became my talisman, my reason to keep going. My parents and my sister stepped in to care for her, and as a family, they became our safety net, helping me rebuild from afar. We were apart for four long years. During that time, I studied, started my company, Started my wine brand and kept working toward the day we could be together again. The pandemic made everything harder. Borders were closed, and there was resistance from my husband to send her to France. But I refused to give up.
In September 2020, after what felt like an eternity, she finally joined me in Bordeaux. That reunion marked the beginning of a new chapter, the heart of my second book, where we began rebuilding our lives together in France. It’s a story that is both heartwarming and, at times, hilariously human. Being a mother gave me purpose, courage, and resilience. She was, and still is, the reason I never gave up— my greatest pride and my greatest source of strength.
YOU WENT ON TO CREATE WINE EQUATION AND THE SOLICANTUS BRAND. HOW DID YOUR PERSONAL STORY INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
When you start a brand or a company, it’s almost like giving birth to something deeply personal. It takes immense strength not only to create it, but to help it thrive in the market, to find the right partners, and to trust others to care for it as much as you do. Building Wine Equation and the Solicantus brand felt very much like that, every decision carried a part of me. My personal story has been my greatest teacher. The years of struggle, survival, and rebuilding taught me resilience, perseverance, and adaptability, qualities that have become the foundation of my approach to entrepreneurship.
I’ve learned that business, much like life, comes with both sunny and stormy days, and you have to stand tall through them all, like a mountain weathering every season. I’ve also learned to approach every challenge with positivity. Rather than letting my past experiences break me, I’ve drawn strength and wisdom from them. That mindset guides everything I do, whether it’s writing my book, building my brand, or running Wine Equation. My journey taught me that success is not just about profit or recognition— it’s about purpose, passion, and the courage to start again.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE WOMEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN CONSERVATIVE OR PATRIARCHAL CULTURES, WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR BOOK.
What I truly hope women take away from my book is the belief that no matter how difficult or oppressive their circumstances may be, they still have the power to reclaim their lives. In patriarchal or conservative cultures, women are often made to believe that endurance is their only option, that silence is strength. But I want them to know that real strength lies in speaking up, in choosing themselves, and in daring to begin again. My story isn’t just about leaving a difficult situation; it’s about rebuilding piece by piece with courage, faith, and self-respect.
I want women to see that it’s never too late to rewrite your story, to dream again, or to start from scratch. There will be fear, and there will be setbacks, but if you keep moving forward, even in small steps, you will find your freedom and your voice. If my book can inspire even one woman to take that first brave step toward her own healing and independence, then I feel I’ve done something meaningful. Because I truly believe that when one woman rises, she lights the way for many others to follow.
MEMOIR WRITING CAN REOPEN OLD WOUNDS. WHAT EMOTIONAL OR PRACTICAL STEPS HELPED YOU WRITE VINEYARD MELODY WITHOUT LOSING YOUR FOOTING?
Putting words to your experiences, especially painful ones, can be the most traumatizing part of writing a memoir. When I began Vineyard Melody, the chapters that revisited my years of suffering were the hardest to write. Returning to those memories felt like you said was like reopening old wounds, and there were moments when I broke down and cried. What helped me was changing my environment. Instead of isolating myself at home, I would go to a beautiful little café near my house called Café des Arts. It’s a warm, creative space where many writers come to work.
Sitting there among people, hearing the soft chatter, the clinking of cups, the rhythm of life around me made me feel less alone in my pain. It gave me the courage to keep writing. Writing Vineyard Melody was deeply personal and at times emotionally draining, but it was also healing. Each chapter I finished felt like a small release, a way of acknowledging the past and then gently letting it go. In the end, that process helped me not just tell my story, but truly move forward from it.
YOU NOW MENTOR STUDENTS AND SUPPORT CHILDREN’S EDUCATION IN INDIA. HOW DOES YOUR ADVOCACY CONNECT WITH THE THEMES OF VINEYARD MELODY?
Education has been the foundation of my journey, it’s what enabled me to transform from a housewife into an entrepreneur in France, as I share in Vineyard Melody. But education is more than just learning facts; it’s guidance, helping children and adults alike recognize their strengths, understand their weaknesses, and navigate the path ahead. Through Vineyard Melody, we are donating a portion of the book’s sales to the Mukul Madav Foundation, supporting children’s education in India.
This aligns perfectly with my belief that giving back and empowering the next generation is essential. My publisher, Regalo Press (Imprint of Posthill Press), shares these values and has been incredibly supportive of this initiative. For me, mentoring students and supporting education is a continuation of the themes in Vineyard Melody: resilience, opportunity, and the power of guidance to transform lives. By helping children access education and mentorship, I hope to give them the same tools that helped me rebuild my life.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AS AN AUTHOR AND ENTREPRENEUR? ARE THERE MORE BOOK VENTURES ON THE HORIZON?
Looking ahead, there’s a lot in the pipeline both as an author and an entrepreneur. On the business side, we have some projects. As for writing, I’m working on a sequel to Vineyard Melody, which will focus on my daughter Shloka settling into life in France. The book explores how we rebuilt our lives together, navigating a new language, a new culture, and the hilarious dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship, balancing being a strict mother versus a relaxed one, and witnessing her teenage years unfold. I’m also working on an recipe book that pairs beautifully with wines, which combines my passion for food and wine. So there’s a lot to look forward to, both in storytelling and in sharing experiences through the world of wine.
WHEN IS YOUR MEMOIR, ‘VINEYARD MELODY’, RELEASING AND WHERE?
My memoir, Vineyard Melody, will be released on February 10th, 2026, and will be available in bookstores across the U.S. It’s being published by Regalo Press, an imprint of Post Hill Press, and distributed by Simon & Schuster in all English-speaking countries. I’m truly humbled by the response Vineyard Melody has received so far. Many authors and readers have reviewed the book, and it currently holds a 4.67 out of 5 rating on Goodreads. It’s heartening to see the story resonate with so many people, and I’m grateful for the warm reception.
The book is currently available for pre-order on platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Simon & Schuster, Booktopia, Books-A-Million, Indigo, and many more. Pre-ordering ensures you’ll receive your copy on release day, and your support means so much. I promise it’s a story full of heart, resilience, and inspiration— one you won’t want to put it down!
You can read through website www.namrathastanley.com and check on Amazon