BOOK REVIEW: RAAVAN: ENEMY OF ARYAVARTA (Ram Chandra Series - Book 3) by AMISH

Raavan: The epitome of evil as per our Hindu mythology. We know him as a man who was egotistical, evil incarnated, kidnapped the wife of a pious and honorable king, and considered himself to be way above than the heavenly Gods above!

While growing up in a simple Indian Marwari household, granny would always warn us against growing up to be someone like Raavan as he was a "bad man". Moreover thanks to Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana, we took this to our heart and believed it with all our faith!

However, as with all childhood 'truths', this one too took a bad fall! We all realized that in reality, Raavan was a highly educated man, a Shiva worshipper, a great warrior, a loving brother, and above all a just king!

There have been many stories written, plays written, and even movies being made to showcase the story of Raavan from a different perspective, to highlight his positivities, and to bring to life his story

from his point of view!

Amish as an author needs no introduction. He is a master storyteller who seamlessly weaves mythology with fiction. The Shiva trilogy was an absolute delight to be read. Till date, no author had been able to write Lord Shiva's story with such a unique and out-of-the-box storyline!

The Ram Chandra Series is another brilliant gem by this genius man. To come up with a storyline that is completely tangent to what has been passed on since ages as our great Hindu truth is not a simple task!

This is the third book in the series after Ram: Scion of Ishkvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila. 

At the onset, I have to give in to my fangirl emotions and have an "OH! MY GOD!" moment.

A very well-crafted story that begins with the early childhood of Raavan in the ashram of his father, sage Vishrava. Raavan did not have a happy childhood and was never loved by his father. This had a deep-rooted effect on his mindset and decisions later in life. He is shown to be an exceptionally talented man who was not only a brave warrior but was also a highly accomplished musician and an artist. He was very loyal towards his family and in fact, took up the job of looking after his mother and younger brother, Kumbhakarna from a very young age.

Raavan had a lot of hatred and negativity inside him and the responsibility of earning for his family since a young age made him a bitter and hard man. He rarely gave in to his softer side and preferred to be feared by others. Regular people crave to portray themselves as good and pious for the world, but Raavan was just the opposite. He enjoyed the stories circulated about him being cruel and barbarian. He reveled in his negative image and took immense pride in being considered as the larger-than-life barbarian of all times!

However, there was another side of Raavan that was privy to Kumbhakarna alone. The two brothers had a very strong and close relationship. Kumbhakarna was the only one who knew about Raavan's inner turmoil and did his earnest best to be there for his brother, both physically and emotionally. When Kumbhakarna realizes that Raavan has lost his moral compass, he does his utmost, through cash and kind, to cut down on Raavan's adharma and make additions to his dharma quota!

The story comes to an end when Raavan kidnaps Sita and is en route to Lanka in his pushpak vimaan along with Kumbhakarna. 

The fourth story in the series will be the grand finale bringing the stories of all the three principal characters together!

I have purposely not written much about the story as I did not want to reveal the suspense here and spoil it for all you wonderful readers out there.

If you have enjoyed the Shiva series and have in fact read the previous two books of the Ram Chandra series, there is absolutely no way that you can stop yourself from reading this book. This is a fantastic story, although slightly boring in some parts, but one that you will want to finish in a single sitting!

Amish has written in the Introduction of the book that he had changed the title of the book from Raavan: Orphan of Aryavarta to Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta as he felt that Raavan alienated himself from his motherland through his own actions. I am not in full agreement here. Yes, Raavan did distance himself from his motherland owing to his wrongdoings, but one should also consider the reason behind his hatred and anger. I am not justifying Raavan or his behavior but I do feel that he does deserve a benefit of the doubt!

Till next time happy reading and please do leave your comments to connect with me on this book!

BOOK REVIEW : BURNT SHADOWS by KAMILA SHAMSIE

Books are my guilty pleasure. Rather they are my single, most cherished, and satisfying soul cleansing pleasure. I love escaping to the world created by the authors, be it some fairy tale or a mushy romance or an adventure or a thriller or a story which is a combination of all the love and more, full of hard-hitting events casting everlasting shadows!!! There are certain books which make you feel light and happy and full of positivity but then, there are those books which hit you hard, really hard and especially when it is least expected! It comes with a surprise, leaving you completely reeled up and experiencing sensations long after you have moved to another book!!!!
This book, THE BURNT SHADOWS is one such perfect example. It made me so emotional and sad and withdrawn in my shell, that it took days to get over that tragic melancholy!!! Nevertheless, I would rather read a book which garners such an impactful reaction from me, than a so-called light read where you can literally shut your brain off and just let it all flow!
It is very difficult to write the summary of a story of this magnitude with a scope so huge. It spans about 60 years, from the A-Bomb in Nagasaki to the partitioning of India and Pakistan, to war-torn Afghanistan and to post 9/11 America.
This is a profound and powerful novel of family, nations, and wars. If you ask me, I found two-three themes in this story to be very interesting and relatable. First of all is the power of language, not solely as the means of communication, but as a cultural and attitudinal divide.
Second of all was is how identity plays a very important role in our lives and how a sense of identity can be damaged by the horror of an atomic bomb, or by failing exams, by subterfuge, or by looking different to those around you.
Another intriguing theme which stood out was what happens when we try to be nice to others and "do good" to them without treating them as equals, resulting in far-reaching, inhumane and humiliating consequences.
 Besides all this, this book is special as it explores the wonderful ties that bind people together. The loves, the loyalties and the sense of belonging that makes up the beautiful and intricate web of our lives, the knots of which cannot be snapped by a sudden breeze or disturbance.
It is an intelligently written story wherein Shamsie has explained some of recent history’s more complex issues through a family saga.
The characters are well drawn and believable. They are shown with flaws, making mistakes that have serious consequences. Although it is these traits that make the characters more humane and relatable.
Its a good read albeit a very emotionally draining one (true for me, at least)!!

BOOK REVIEW : NOON by AATISH TASEER

NOON is that time of the day when the sun is at its zenith... We can even say it is at its highest peak...Around 12'o clock...
A weird and out of context beginning of a post.... Right???
Wrong!!! I am not talking random (though I usually am a pro in randomness).....The word NOON is very significant here.
Reason being simple.... we have an author here, the title of whose book is NOON, which (to me) sounds very intriguing..... for this one word is full of numerous interpretations as per the reader' s discretion...
Aatish Taseer, a man with four books to his credit...
A man who is not unknown to controversy, conspiracies, chaos, and confusion...
And he brings it all in his writing as he sees it - as he feels it - as he experiences it!!!!!
Taseer's first book "Stranger to History: A Son's Journey Through Islamic Lands (2009) is a part memoir part travelogue.
This book NOON is a loose adaptation of his memoir with the same star cast : a strong Sikh mother, a famous Muslim father, a childhood in Delhi during the 1980s, a journey to Pakistan to meet his elusive father and the extended family, the impact on one's emotional DNA as a result of craving for an absentee father!!!!
The story starts with a train journey undertaken by Rehan Tabassum (the main protagonist) to Pakistan to meet his estranged father and family for the first time. Here he meets a young boy from Kashmir who talks about the recent horrific earthquake which had devastating effects. An interesting beginning!!
The story then moves to Delhi, during the 1980s when a young Rehan comes from England with his mother to live at his maternal grandmother's house. Taseer then moves the story ahead to the mid-1990s when Rehan, now studying in the UK returns to Delhi during his summer break. He is staying in the family farmhouse to concentrate on his writing when suddenly the calm and tranquillity is shattered by a burglary.
Taseer spends a good portion of his story time in this incident, trying to highlight the deep-rooted caste system of our Indian society that refuses to fade away in the face of any globalization/ modernization!! It is a staunch reminder of the harsh reality of our society which the new age/gen x/urban India wants to forget and move on!!
Although this incident seems to be an important part of the story and I presumed that it was going to take the story further, Taseer ends it abruptly by showing Rehan going back to the UK unable to handle the situation what with the police hounding his seemingly innocent staff!!!
A typical attitude.....Run away from what you cannot face or handle!!
The story now comes to its final chapters when Rehan goes back to Pakistan to spend some quality time with his stepbrother and experiences first hand life under a dominating father, an uncle who is very loyal to his father (loyalty that crosses the healthy limit), an older stepbrother who like Rehan has always craved for an absentee father' s attention, and the young Kashmiri who tries to fit in there by claiming allegiance to one party while getting cozy with the other.
Taseer tries his best to highlight the hypocrisy and an inherent sense of confusion which plagues the Pakistani society but somewhere he fails to get the empathy of his readers.
I for one felt shortchanged after reading this book. Aatish Taseer has been touted as the next big thing in the world of literature, but this book has been a disappointment. Its seems like Taseer wanted to write about two-three topics and instead of writing a short story on them, he pieced it together in the form of a novel. But the stitching has been very haphazard and has many visible gaping holes which left me with a feeling of being cheated out!!!
As this is his only book which I have read, I cannot comment about his writing skills per se, but have to say this, "what a letdown!!"
Just have to say this before ending the post, just because people say that one has an interesting life, one need not write a story on it....A story should always be written with the most basic equipment...A GOOD SUBJECT and an INTERESTING STORYLINE!!!

BOOK REVIEW : The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafaq

ESCAPIST: A term often used to describe me, as I am always with my head deep down in a book and that too mostly fiction. In my defense, I will quote my friend, another so-called Escapist. He said, " Because I read fiction  I am able to understand and grasp reality better because of my mind's duality to relate to both imagination and reality with equal ease!!". How I wish everyone felt the same and would never criticize me for my books.

I agree that my books help me to escape into another world altogether, but, the point is that it may not always be a paradise or a fantasy land where I take shelter. There are books which make you sit straight and push you to look deep inside you, to face your demons and even guide to slay them!!

Then there are some that question your beliefs and makes you step out of your comfort zone and face the bigger truth!!

Elif Shafaq's "The Bastard of Istanbul" is one such book and you too can get hold of this book by simply clicking on the given link: https://amzn.to/2RFPe1C

I happened to chance upon this book in a local bookshop and the synopsis was so intriguing, that I had to buy the book.

Shafaq has written a beautiful story about the complexities of the human nature in the backdrop of the mesmerizing city of Istanbul and it's history, which is, in turn, fascinating, fearsome, tragic, and heroic. A history that is very rich and vibrant yet tainted by the horrific Armenian Genocide in the year 1915 under the Ottoman regime( the Turkish government till date does not acknowledge it as genocide but terms it as a consequence of the civil unrest which claimed many lives, both on the Armenian side as well as the Turkish side).

This story revolves around the Kazanci family who has been living in Istanbul for many generations. Owing to a mysterious family curse, all the Kazanci men die in their early forties, so the Kazanci household is a house of women. Four generations of women live together under the same roof, with temperaments, religious affinity, nature and way of living, so different from one another, that it's almost a miracle to see them all living together in harmony, albeit unsynchronised and imperfect!! Asya, a young girl, 4th generation Kazanci woman, is a bag of contradictions, a rebel but with her heart in the right place. On the other hand is Armanoush, half Armenian and half American born and brought up in America but always finds herself on the threshold and feels that there is a link missing that stops her from being a part of either the American or the Armenian culture fully. She decided to go to Istanbul in search of that missing link and goes to stay with her far-away cousins, the Kazancis. The two girls meet, saddled with pre-conceived notions about each other's religion and community. However, over the days they get to understand each other's perspective, helping them to view the past in a new light, thus bringing the girls closer.

What I really liked about this book is the honest and nonjudgemental portrayal of a country and it's varied people. Shafaq has written on a subject close to her heart and has tried her best to keep the story as real as possible without taking sides or indulging in any blame-game pertaining to Turkey's turbulent past.

Another thing that really appealed to me is the beautiful description of Istanbul. I actually got to visualize its streets, the market, the beautiful houses, the weather, and the pungent whiff of the sea through Shafaq's passionate writing.

Shafaq has written in her acknowledgment( at the end of the book) that she was put on trial for " denigrating Turkishness" under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, because of some words were spoken by the Armenian characters in this novel. The charges were eventually dropped. I am in awe of such authors who stand for the truth and not hesitate to stand up against all odds for what they righteously believe in. May their tribe increase!!

BOOK REVIEW : LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

There are authors and there are AUTHORS, whom you have to read atleast once in your lifetime to feel those goosebumps up your arms, completely mesmerised by their story, their way of writing and are enthralled by the places such authors take you to, and that too by the sheer magic of their words. 

It must be very clear to you all by now that I am completely in awe of the great author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I got to know about Marquez only after the news of his death appeared in the Telegraph( our local newspaper ). There was a beautiful write-up about him and his various books. I was so impressed by the article that I decided to read atleast one of his books to find out if it is as good as the journalist claims it to be. It took me almost three months to get hold of this book and I have to say that I had to eat the humble pie as this book proved to be much much more than what the journalist had written about. 

Before I get carried away in my praises for the novel and it's author, let me tell you very quickly about its story. 

The story is set in a fictional 19th century South American port city. Fermina Daza is a young pretty girl, daughter of Lorenzo Daza, a mule driver, who is involved in many illegal tradings. Florentino Ariza, is the illegitimate son of Transito Ariza and Don Pius V Loayza. They fall in love with each other in their youth and exchange many love letters. The affair continues even after her father gets to know about it and she rebels. But suddenly one fine day,she realises that she does not love Florentino and that they are practically strangers,inspite of exchanging letters for more than two years. She moves ahead in life and marries a young, promising,highly qualified and respected doctor, Juvenal Urbino. They spend half a century together till a fateful day when Dr.Urbino dies while trying to save his pet parrot. Meanwhile, Ariza suffering from unrequited love, finds solace in the arms of a series of females, while claiming in his heart to be still waiting for his one true love, Fermina. The story takes an interesting turn when Florentino proposes to Fermina once again,after her husband passes away. Whether Fermina accepts his proposal at this juncture in their lives, is to be read and seriously people, I cannot play a spoilsport by disclosing the way this story ends. 

When I started this book I was under the impression that it is a sentimental story about the power of true love but gradually I realised that this story is much more and is just not one dimensional. Garcia Marquez himself had said in an interview on this book, "You have to be careful not to fall into my trap". 

This book is basically about the different types of love we experience in the course of a lifetime. Love need not always be the gooey-lovey feeling between a man and a woman and at the same time it need not be true and pure and an all encompassing feeling. In the case of married couples, most of the time, it is a feeling which is created or rather an illusion of this feeling is created, after spending decades with someone, as in the case of Juvenal Urbino and Fermina Daza. "It is incredible how one can be happy for so many years in the midst of so many squabbles, so many problems, damn it, and not really know if it was love or not", said Fermina to Florentino, when talking about her five decade long marriage to Urbino. Another kind of love spoken here is the love of a doting mother, Transito Ariza for her son, Florentino. We also see here the love of Lorenzo Daza for her daughter, Fermina, which was pure though selfish in its own way. Dr. Urbino had married Fermina not because he loved her, but because he liked her arrogance, her strength but he firmly believed that there would be no obstacle to their inventing true love, after they had kissed for the first time. Then we have Florentino Ariza - he claims that Fermina is his true love and is determined to earn status and lots of money to win Fermina back, even though she is happily married to Dr. Urbino, but at the same time he has a series of affairs with many a delighted woman. Infact, in his obsession for Fermina and his never satiating lust, he misses out on the true love of Leona Cassiani, who loved and cared for him dearly, though they never made love. Marquez has even shown Florentino having an affair with a young America Vicuña, a mere 14 year old girl whose family had entrusted her to Florentino as her guardian while she was sent to his town to study secondary education. An old man having an affair with a girl, good enough to be his grandchild was a very big put off for me and almost made me hate this character. 

Barring this disgusting section, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book . 

Infact I really found certain dialogues written by Marquez to be very interesting and true in its sense. 

One such dialogue is, " The problem with marriage is that it ends every night after making love, and it must be rebuilt every morning before breakfast", said by Dr. Urbino. 

Another of my favourites is, " It was not possible to live together in any other way, or love in any other way, and nothing in this world was more difficult than love." 

Another sample, Fermina said this, " The problem in public life is learning to overcome terror; the problem in married life is learning to overcome boredom."

BOOK REVIEW : BEFORE I MET YOU by LISA JEWELL

I have had this book with me since the past three years but the excitement or shall I say thrill in holding a new book and reading it was just not there. Hence this book was lying in the book shelf gathering dust. Around two weeks back when I was desperately looking for something to read, I found this book and this time the two of us( the book and I ) connected from the word go and I really enjoyed this journey, with the author guiding me all along. 

Lisa Jewell has written a charming story of a young girl named Elizabeth and how her life changes when she leaves the quiet island of Guernsey( a small island on the English Channel off the coast of Normandy) and goes to live in Soho, London to hunt a mysterious lady named Clara Pickle who is a beneficiary in her grandmother's will.

It's a simple story written in a simple language which is easy to read and is a typical leisure read. 

But having said that I have to say that I really enjoyed this light read. With so many things happening in my life I was just not ready for any serious reading and this book met its purpose as I could totally unwind myself loosing in the story. 

The most interesting part of the storyline  is that it runs parallel in two eras. London, especially the Soho district of the 1920's and the present day. Though I detested history in school( please people, do not be shocked) I seriously enjoy reading about it when it comes beautifully packaged in the form of novels. I mean which child of the 80's would not hate history-it was so bland. But the novels are a different  cateogary all together. It talks about historical facts adding a healthy dose of fictional characters to talk about the past and making it easier for me to understand and enjoy. 

The story line has an nice twist towards the end making it a happy ending( I love books with happy ending - my belief that atleast someone, even if it's a fictional character has a happily ever after kind of ending!!! - dumb, u say, but, that's me)

But what really made me like this book was the mesmerising picture portrayed by Lisa of the Soho area in the 1920's. To be there at that time in the thick of events - must be simply amazing!! I could see myself wearing those beautiful clothes, getting my hair and face all made up going to attend those fun musical nights and hanging out with the "it" crowd in those exotic clubs. And the best part was to be an independent woman, on her own, earning and living the life of her dreams - picture perfect. Though the picture did get marred later but to enjoy those few months. Wow!!!

I will not call this book a must read but yes it can definitely be read once to enjoy the Soho of the 1920's and also to admire the dedication, time and interest spent by a young Elizabeth to find the mysterious Clara Pickle for her grandmother Arellete, and while on the trail, discover herself and the things that are important to her in the long run.

BOOK REVIEW : GARDENS OF WATER by ALAN DREW

"Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly,into another's skin, another's voice, another's soul" -  Joyce Carol Oates.

How aptly said. We have all experienced this feeling, this helplessness, not once, but several times in the hands of many a story-teller. My first brush with story telling and the amazing world of books was through Babaji, my paternal grandfather, who was a story teller par excellence. He made the whole experience interesting with his special sound effects and voice modulations. Undoubtedly, one of my very precious childhood memories. 

This book, Gardens Of Water caught my eye in Crossword(a bookstore in my city, Kolkata) where I had taken my two girls for their stationery shopping. It's bright yellow cover literally made me stop and pick it up and once I read it's synopsis, I had to buy it. Vamika, my older daughter made fun of me, saying that I can never leave a bookstore without buying a book or two. True but not something which embarrasses me. 

Let's talk shop now - Gardens Of Water by Alan Drew is a story set in Turkey and is about a Kurdish family who had to flee from their homeland and were now residing in the suburbs of Istanbul. Sanin, runs a grocery with his brother-in-law Ahmet, his wife Nilofer, manages the house and they have two children- Ismail, a young, happy, lively 9year old boy and Irem, a beautiful 15year old girl, who feels that her father only loves Ismail and she hates being cooped up in the house all day long working along with her mother. Sinan is working hard to provide for his family and at the same time is finding it very difficult to put a check on Irem's growing resentment and frustration on the restrictions imposed on her. To add to Sinan's problems is an American family who live in the same building as Sinan. Irem is attracted to Dylan, the young son of the American couple.  The delicate stability of this family is shattered away when a massive earthquake hits the area where Sinan is living with his family. In the wake of this natural disaster, Sinan looses his home and his livelihood, and is forced to take shelter in the temporary camp set up by the American missionaries working in that area. It is here in this camp, Sinan, who distrusts the Americans but is forced to accept their help, finds himself in situations, which are dangerous not only in the physical sense but also on ethical and moral grounds. Nilofer and Sinan find themselves very helpless in the face of such situations and are forced to take some very dangerous and frightening decisions which alter their lives forever. 

Turkey , it's culture, it's people, their religious sentiments, their ideologies, their belief - author Alan Drew has done a good job in depicting it all with the right amount of emotion. 

Whenever I read a book, there is always this one character with whom I can totally relate with. Here, it is Sinan, the father. The pride of a father for his children, the protective streak of a parent for his children, the helpless anger in the face of a rebelling child, the unconditional love for his children- these are emotions which as a mother I can totally empathise with. Though I cannot comment as to how I would ideally react to any of the situation Drew writes in his book, but , I can surely understand the angst, the love, the anger, the sense of ultimate betrayal which Sanin feels in the course of this story. At the same time, one can truly empathise with Irem and the reasons why she chose to rebel against her upbringing and her internal struggle, in doing something which is the opposite of all that she has been taught by her parents. Similarly I can feel the pain of Nilofer, an obedient, dutiful wife and mother who takes immense pride in being declared a good woman by the society and is completely broken when certain incidents occur, post the earthquake in the refugee camp, where they are forced to live on the charity of the missionaries. And then there is young Ismail, who though survives from the clutches of death, is not able to fully recover from the emotional and mental scars of the earthquake. 

This is a story which is written from the heart. It is not a brilliantly written book which will leave you with a feeling of awe but it is one of those books which will leave you feeling more human. This book will make you realise that though we humans, now belong to the modern civilised society, following societal rules, but , when nature unleashes her fury, then is the actual test of our civilised behaviour , in the face of survival being paramount in the minds of every individual. 

There is one line said by a character in this book to Sinan, which sums up my experience of this book. The line goes, " Our children are not ours. That's our mistake. We think they are. It seems so for a while - a few brief years - but they aren't. They never were. "

BOOK REVIEW : EM and the big HOOM by Jerry Pinto

Nothing is more precious in this world than Mom. She is the most important person in our lives and is the center of our world. She is always an anchor for her children and is even willing to fight against the whole world to protect them. When we were small, isn't she the one whom we used to rush to with our problems and even today, I, seek my mother's counsel whenever life throws a spanner in my well-laid plans.
Now imagine a scenario where the roles get reversed and instead of mom being the protector/provider, she is the one who needs to be looked after in all physical, mental, and emotional aspects. How daunting it seems, right!
This is exactly what the main theme of Pinto's debut novel is. The story revolves around a simple middle-class family living in Mahim, Mumbai( Bombay, in those days) where Imelda Mendes, Em to her children suffers from mental illness. In the one bedroom-hall-kitchen, all 450 square feet of it, Augustine, Big Hoom to his children and his two children come face to face with Em's unpredictable mood swings on a daily basis. Her family adjusts their life in accordance with her flamboyance, her compelling imaginations, her unspoken love and at times even her candid cruelty. Augustine is the rock of the family and is the one and only constant stable factor in the lives of his children. He seamlessly takes over the dual roles of a breadwinner and that of a house maker when the symptoms of Em's illness became evident. He never complains or holds a grudge against Imelda, because he truly loved her. Their love is intriguing as it was pure, selfless and true. The children love Em very much as all children are programmed to do so but she is also a mystery to them. They try to understand the cause and the beginning of her illness by talking to her about her earlier life and going through her letters, but they never can come to any conclusion.

Reading a debut novel is like playing a gamble if one is lucky enough then it's ok but if luck is not your side then you end up hating the book. In this case, I turned out to be very lucky. Hopefully, if I have been successful in convincing you on reading this book then all you have to do is click on the link below to get your own copy:
https://amzn.to/2QuOjnq

Pinto is an excellent storyteller and the best part about him is that he does not waste his or the reader's time in writing long descriptive passages. He writes in a very simple language with a beautiful flow, which in itself is a mark of a truly good storyteller. The topic he has chosen for his debut novel is a very serious one - mental illness. He writes how this illness affects not only the patient but his/her family too and how they all learn to cope with it together. The characters go through myriad emotions of anger, helplessness, frustration, fear, laughter, joy, hope, sadness but Pinto never lets the characters take the self-pity route. It is a straightforward story about a family'earnest struggle to lead a normal life while dealing with Em's mood swings which like a pendulum shift from highest high to the lowest low. Though anger is the main emotion underlying this story, Pinto has very nicely added some light moments to keep the reader interested in the story. 

After reading this book I want to thank Jerry Pinto for reaffirming my faith that even though today every author is more keen to market his book than being concerned about the story of the book, there are authors like Pinto himself who believe that a good book will definitely find its readers with or without "any in your face" marketing tricks.

BOOK REVIEW : The Valley Of Masks by Tarun J Tejpal

 

"What we anticipate seldom occurs, what we least expected generally happens" - famous words spoken by British politician and author, Benjamin Disraeli.

"So true", is how we will all respond to hearing this quotation. Rarely do we find people or rather find ourselves in a situation when things have actually gone the way we wanted them to be. And I, for one can vouch for this profound quote cent percent. Be it a major event like a marriage or a minor event like looking forward to a quiet afternoon with my beloved books, it is always the opposite of what I had in mind.

My equation with Mr. Tejpal will definitely fall in this category. When my cousin Ankur, another keen book lover, recommended Tarun Tejpal's books I was curious to find out how this journalist would bring together a book. The Alchemy Of Desire surpassed all my expectations in terms of writing, plot, characters, detail, and a pretty good dose of scandalizing content. I was really impressed by him and wanted to read his other books too. But it was during this time that news surfaced of him, taking advantage of his position and sexually harassing a young journalist working in his firm, who was moreover, a friend of his daughter. I was in a moral dilemma as to whether I should ever read any more of his books. I will be lying if I said I was not tempted as I really enjoyed reading his first book. This time too Ankur came to my moral rescue. He told me not to think too deep and gifted me 'The Valley Of Masks'.  

To say that I was not expecting anything great form this book would be a major omission of fact by me. I was so excited in getting this book that I started it immediately promising myself that instead of hurrying through the pages to finish the book, I will read it slowly enjoying the beauty of the words and use my imagination to visualize the scenes as they unfold. But I should have known myself better and realized that though I am always in a hurry to start a new book, I am way too eager to finish it fast, in order to find out how it all ends in the author's mind.

But keeping my promise to myself I started reading the book at a leisurely pace and waiting for the actual story to begin as I kept finishing the pages. By the time I finished the first 100 pages, I was totally taken aback in disappointment as it was nothing to what I expected and felt cheated out. I was frustrated and I began to skip elaborate descriptions of locations, certain long monologues as I just wanted to finish it off. By the time I finished 2/3rd of the book I was certain that this one has been a true case of over expectation on my side. But here again I was in for a surprise- the last 1/3rd portion of the story completely shook me up from a state of semi-consciousness and made me sit alert. I had to finish it entirely in one go as I just could not keep it down. The last section salvaged the book and brought it back into my spectrum of interest and I was totally in sync with the character's thought process, his plan of actions, and could now totally correlate the story from the beginning till the end. And for this, I think Mr. Tejpal has once again made a place as an author worth reading in my limited intellect and understanding.

I, for once, cannot talk about the storyline as it would mean spoiling the suspense and the surreal feeling you experience on reading this book. All I can say that as the name suggests, the story is about a civilization based high above the mountains in a valley where the way of living is just the complete opposite to the way we humans live in our society. We build our lives centering on success, both in the material as well as spiritual form, surrounded by extreme emotions of love, anger, hate, jealousy, possessiveness, pride, selfishness, lies, truth, betrayal and insecurity. But the people living in that valley were governed by just one truth and it was the profound truth of the first sound, the first being, the first particle of our universe, Aum. 

Tejpal has to be given credit for highlighting the degrading and deeply negative aspects of us, the civilized 21st-century society who are so blinded by power, that knowingly or unknowingly we have embroiled ourselves in the vicious circle of money, power, politics and general apathy towards our fellow beings. But the author firmly believes that in spite of all that is wrong in this world, there are a few who are guided by their conscience and the greater truth to fight injustice, to fight corruption, to fight oppression. And there are those people who are more virtuous than any priest or god-man because they understand that it is stupidity to imagine that the world will ever be fixed. They have the wisdom to understand that this life with all its impurities has to be endured and the biggest secret that helps them to enter the perfect moment amidst all their worries and problems is MUSIC.  

I totally agree with Mr. Tejpal here and salute the common man who continues to move ahead in life with his head held high, a heart full of dreams and optimism for a better, brighter future, facing all the hardships head-on. 

BOOK REVIEW : The Scatter Here Is Too Great by Bilal Tanweer

                                                      

Niraj, my husband, is a movie buff who lives with the logic that, any and every movie has something worth watching in it. After being married for a decade his so called ideologies have rubbed off me too. Though mine is a slight deviation from the original. I truly believe that every book is worth reading at least once as it has some interesting parts which make the read worthwhile. But in the recent times, my ideology has been challenged quite frequently which is a major sore point for me. 

Bilal Tanweer is the new author on the block and "The Scatter Here Is Too Great" , is his debut novel.  The story is based in Karachi and in its core is a bomb blast which happens near the main crossing of the railway station. The story is about the people who were present in that area at the time of the blast. Tanweer weaves his book with a chapter dedicated to each character and eventually leads the character to the blast site. 

There is a boy and a girl who go on a drive towards the sea and enroute , are present in the area when the bomb blasts. The shocked state of the young couple as they pass through that road and their awkward silence at the seaside speaks volumes about the mental agony of the common man who see these blasts happen right in front of their eyes. 

Tanweer tells us about an ex-communist ,Comrade Sukhansaz who is an idealist separated from his wife and son, who dies in this blast. He was a true patriot who loved his country dearly and believed that that revolution was the answer to his country's problems. But when his son was born his loyalties got divided between his son and the revolution. Ultimately he gave up his beloved son for his first duty, the revolution. This sacrifice broke his spirit and he was never the same again. 

Asma is a girl who comes down to live in Karachi with her younger brother at her grandmother's place. Here she meets Sadeq who is their neighbour. Sadeq's job profile is snatching cars from people who have defaulted on their bank loans. He hates his job and always thinks of giving it up but could never find the courage for it. He gets attracted to Asma who is a shy and gentle girl. But before this young couple could express their feelings, they get caught by Asma's grandmother and Asma bears the brunt of all the anger and shame. Sadeq, too is very upset and on that fateful day he almost decides to give up his job when he gets killed in the bomb blast near the Cantt station. 

Tanweer brings his story together through the words and opinion of a young writer who is grieving for his deceased father and who is not able to come in terms with the sudden and drastic changes happening in his favourite city, Karachi.

It is very obvious from the tone of this novel that the author, Bilal Tanweer is in love with his hometown. The way he has written about the city, it's idiosyncrasies,its people, their attitude, their fighting spirit in the face of constant death and uncertainty is commendable. I can truly say that Tanweer has his fingers on the pulse of this city who is desperately trying to come out as a winner in this everyday fight against corruption, terrorism and inequality. He talks about the people of every strata and their daily fight for their basic right to live and find happiness admist all their struggle. 

Though Tanweer has showcased the good, bad and ugly parts of Karachi in a very beautiful, synchronised manner, I personally did not like the book. I was very disappointed and was almost tempted to leave it even before I finished the first hundred pages. For one, I found the book to be very confusing, in the way the story moved forward. I am no expert but I did not like his style of writing. I found it to be very abrupt with sudden beginnings and endings in every chapter.

All my friends were questioning me as to why read a debut novel, when it must be all so raw. I agree that this novel does seem rough at the edges and though I did not like the book much, I applaud to the spirit and the firm belief of Bilal Tanweer to write his debut novel on such a sensitive and emotional 

BOOK REVIEW : The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Authors are very special people who have the rare talent of creating stories out of events occurring in our regular lives. With their magical wand i.e. their pens they breathe life into the stories with such real characters that we start believing in their existence and living their lives for a short span. 

Jhumpa Lahiri is one such accomplished author. Her characters are so believable that one can easily relate, empathize with them.

The Lowland is another beautiful creation of hers'. 

This is a story set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement which had rocked West Bengal in the 60's and the early 70's. It is about two brothers Subhash and Udayan who are born just fifteen months apart . Though the  brothers are very close and are always together, their nature and temperaments are polar to each other. Where Subhash is quiet, responsible, always towing to the line, Udayan is the risk taker, challenging the societal rules and very impulsive. Once they grow up, the brothers become distant, each choosing his own path- Subhash going away to America to pursue a  life of scientific research and Udayan getting drawn into the Naxalite movement.Subhash returns back to India after he gets the news of Udayan's death. Back in India Subhash feels betrayed by the sudden and mysterious death of Udayan. For the first time in his life Subhash leaves his sensible side and on an impulse gets married to Gauri, Udayan's wife, taking her to America to start their lives anew. But life is never as simple as we want it to be. It throws unexpected twists in the lives of Subhash and Gauri as they try to make a life for themselves in a new territory amidst the omnipresent memory of Udayan and the unclear events surrounding his sudden death.

The story progresses through the lives of these central characters across India and America, with them growing old, living with their guilt, regrets and some deep hidden truths that never let them sleep peacefully in nights.

Lahiri ends the book not with a happy ending but on a positive note, because we all know that life is not a movie or a classic mills and boon story which has a picture perfect end. It is rather an always moving forward journey where we take along the good memories and experiences, leaving behind all that saddens and hurts us.

This book just like our lives is not perfect but is sure worth a read to be able to appreciate Lahiri's deep understanding of the human psyche. We are the most complex creatures as we are not drawn not only by our basic need of food, clothing and shelter but also by our emotional, mental and deep psychological needs.

BOOK REVIEW : The Alchemy of Desire by Tarun Tejpal

The name Tarun Tejpal is associated with lots of things - be it the sting operations on the key members of the political party BJP when they were in power, his close associations with the Congress party or the latest sexual abuse charge on him by his employee who is not only his daughter's age but also a close friend of his daughter.
What came as a surprise to me is that this man is an author and a good one too. He has written three books till date. The Alchemy of Desire is his first book.
I was halfway through this book when I got to know about the sexual abuse charge on him. This deplorable behaviour of his put a very ugly blot on my impression of this extremely talented author and I was almost tempted to throw away the book. But the avid reader in me would not let me do so. I did finish the book but the initial joy and the continous delight in finding a great read was missing and it was more of a job than pleasure. I blame Mr. Tejpal for taking away my joy.
The Alchemy of Desire is a story about a young man and the love of his life, his wife Fiza, whom he calls Fizz. They are madly in love with each other and the deep intensity of their mutual desire keeps the relationship alive inspite of the small skirmishes and disagreements. They are not rich in the monetory sence but they are extremely rich when it comes to love, passion and desire. He is a journalist by profession but in heart, he is an author, who is trying to write something special. Their life is running through its smooth course till they suddenly become owners of a bungalow in the foothills of Himalaya. It is here that they come across a trunk full of diaries while renovating the house, which changes the very equation of their relationship. The diaries belonged to an English lady who was the original owner of this house. The protagonist gets totally involved in deciphering the diaries and as a result he starts distancing himself away from Fizz. His life changes completely as his obsession with the diaries increase. The story ends with the protagonist understanding himself better and also as to what matters most in his life. The story ends on a positive note.
Tejpal as an author has immense talent. He is in love with all his characters,  be they be small or central. The way he gives them physical, emotional, mental, psychological traits is commendable. He brings all the characters to life by his beautiful narrative. It is a sheer delight to read.  He writes about the different eras with such detail and thought that it brings every scene alive in the reader's mind. I did find the book a tad too descriptive in certain places but overall it's worth a read.
The only thing which stops this book from being the perfect one is Tarun Tejpal himself and am very disillusioned by this whole goa episode.

BOOK REVIEW : The Dalai Lama's Cat by David Michie

I was in the 8th standard when I had gone on a ten day treck to Sikkim. It was there in the beautiful landscapes of Sikkim that I first got introduced to Buddhism. We had gone to visit a Buddhist monastry on our way to Gangtok and I was just spellbound by the tranquility and peace that was prevalent there. It was a surreal experience for us and the feeling still stays with me. Till date I associate Buddhism with that same tranquility and calmness and a deep sence of peace.
Though I am not a vert spiritual person nor a cat lover, this book appealed to me on some inner level. The author,  David Michie is a well-known author whose books Buddhism for Busy People and Hurry Up and Meditate are bestsellers.
In this book Michie talks about the teachings of Buddhism through the perspective of a cat. The story begins with the Dalai Lama adopting a tiny kitten and taking her to Jokhang, the beautiful sanctuary of the Dalai Lama himself, in Dharamshala. Here the kitten encounters different types of people who through their experience with the Dalai Lama undergo a deep cleansing of their souls and are able to let go of their negativity and embrace life with all its positivity. Michie talks about conquering one's anger or fear of the unknown through the teachings of Buddhism.
I could very well relate to the teachings of Buddhism which are so nicely explained in this book. This book is not about preaching Buddhism but talks about how we can change our lives for the betterment following some simple Buddhist principles. Wish to enjoy happiness and the wish to avoid suffering are the two basic wishes of all beings. So if we can be considerate about the suffering and happiness of others and ensure that none of our actions adversely affects others, we can live a happy and contended life.

BOOK REVIEW : The Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

 

I got introduced to the author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni through her novel Palace of Illusions. Needless to say I really liked that book. So now when Sridevi, a very dear friend and an avid reader told me about the Oleander Girl by Divakaruni, I had to read it.
The story is about a young girl named Korobi who is orphaned at birth and is brought up by her maternal grandparents in Kolkata. As any other normal eighteen year old, Korobi too dreams of a handsome young prince who will come in her life and sweep her off her feet. This dream turns into a reality when she gets engaged to Rajat Bose, son of Mrs and Mr Bose who own a very famous and successful art gallery in Kolkata. Though happy about her engagement, Korobi has a deep yearning to know more about her dead parents. They are a mystery to her as her grandparents never spoke about them nor did they encourage Korobi to talk or ask about them. So when her grandfather passes away0 suddenly on the night of her engagement party, her grandmother reveals a secret to Korobi which changes her life forever. Korobi is forced to reevaluate all her existing relationships and go in search of that One truth, across the seven seas, to America that will make or break her life. In her quest to find the truth she meets many new faces who teach her about the different traits of man and they even help her to understand her own strengths and weaknesses.

It is a beautifully written story about a girl who starts has had a very sheltered upbringing,  who is in awe of everything around her, unsure about what she wants. But by the end of the story she emerges as a confident young woman who is willing to fight for her self respect and who is strong enough to withstand  any storm in her life, just like the Oleander flower.
All the characters in the story are very well etched with believable traits which we can all relate to. The one character whom I really liked is Sarojini, Korobi's grandmother. She is shown as a meek housewife who is always in the shadow her husband's name and title. But her inner strength, the deep love and understanding, her ability to brave the truth comes into forefront when she is forced to look after the huge house, its finances and her granddaughter after the untimely death of her husband. There is a line which Sarojini says that is the essence of ever person. " How many layers there are to a man's heart, tender spots beneath the calluses, hidden even from himself" .
I am partial to stories with happy endings because they always leave a warm fuzzy feeling in the heart and makes me smile. This is one such book. It is a sweet story which stays with you long after you've finished reading it and makes you want to believe in love and faith and trust.

BOOK REVIEW : The Blind Man's Garden by Nadeem Aslam

The Blind Man's Garden by Nadeem Aslam 

"The Blind Man's Garden" - the title was what made me read the synopsis of this book and place an order for it. And from here a new literary journey began. As expected I was counting the days till l had this book in hand. I got this book delivered two weeks back and since then we have been inseparable. But this book was unlike others in the sense that I could not connect with it from the very first page. The first 100 pages or so were an ordeal and I had almost given up on it. But slowly and skilfully like a magician this book put a spell on me. It is primarily a love story told amidst the ruins of humanity, a sad but true outcome caused by greed, an intense hunger for power and lack of tolerance towards fellow beings.
The story is set in Heer, a small town in Pakistan. Rohan, a retired school headmaster lives in a beautiful house named the Ardent Spirit with his son Jeo and daughter in law, Naheed. The story is set in the present times where the Americans are in Afghanistan trying to hunt down Al-Qaeda post 9/11,with the support of the Pakistani government and how the civilians are caught between the pro-government and the anti- government establishments. This book emphasises on the extreme difficulties faced by the common man in his very existence both in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. Aslam takes the readers right in the middle of the war affected zone, when Jeo and his foster brother go to Afghanistan to look after the wounded civilians. The moment they enter Afghanistan, they get kidnapped by the local warlords. The twists and turns in the lives of these two men from the lush greens of Heer, to the hide outs of the Al-Qaeda in the hilly terrains of Afghanistan to the  prisons in America is very harsh but real at the same time. It is very scary and chilling to read how a few powerful men are exploiting the common citizens either to extract money from the Americans or to weaken the partnerships between the local government and the Americans in their fight against Al-Qaeda.
Aslam is a compelling author who weaves a beautiful but hard hitting tale which catches you in its web quite effortlessly. The way he describes the Ardent Spirit is so magically beautiful that it makes me want to live in such a aesthetically pleasing house. Aslam's love for the nature with its lush greenery, sweet smelling flowers, the ripe juicy fruits and the colorful insects abound is evident from the many descriptions. At the same time he doesn't hesitate to write about the cold and heart wrenching reality of the war zone.
As with all love stories this book also ends on a positive note. It stresses on the one thing which inspires man to move ahead in life - Love and Hope. There is a line from one of Wamaq Saleem's poems that Aslam uses in his story which sums up the book. It says, " Love is not consolation, it is light" .
 

BOOK REVIEW : The Second Empress by Michelle Moran

The  Second Empress -- the title of the book seemed interesting to me and without even reading the summary, I placed the order online. And thankfully I was not dissapointed while reading the book. This is the first book by Moran which I've read. 
The story is a fictional account of the life of Marie-Louise Habsburg, the princess of Austria who is forced to marry Napoleon in order to save her father's crown.   The princess inspite of being in love with the brave and handsome Count Adam Neipperg sacrifices her love for family loyalty and agrees to marry a complete stranger who is twice her age. Marie-Louise  has to adjust in a new country with its whole set of new customs, food habits and climate. But over and above this, the major adjustment which she has to endure is having a husband who was very selfish, erratic, callous and unpredictable. It almost becomes a challenge for her to win her rightful place in the Palais Des Tuileries, France where Pauline, Napoleon's sister lived , who was obsessed with her beauty and Napoleon.
Though it's a historical fiction,it's well researched and the main aspects of the book are taken from primary resources. I truly loved the characterisation of Princess Marie-Louise and  at times could relate to her situation. Like the time when she feels an inner turmoil for being happy that Napoleon is going away to Russia to wage a war against the Czar but at the same time feels a righteous indignation for the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were forced into a war by their power hungry emperor. Similarly after Napoleon's defeat she flees from France to save her son from Napoleon's open ambition ,while at the same time hating herself for abandoning the citizens of her kingdom at such a crisis.
 I enjoyed this light and interesting read. It was nice to know about Napoleon's later years albeit in a fictional format.

BOOK REVIEW : 21 New Beginnings by Viveik Pandit

 

21 New Beginnings by Viveik Pandit

 

A very old n popular saying goes, " Never judge a book by it's  cover." I would like to add here that, nor should one judge a book based on online reviews too.

I was on an online site browsing through books, when I saw this book. The cover of the book was interesting enough but what sealed the deal for me was the reason Pandit gave in the prelude for writing this book.  When Pandit was writing this book a well-meaning friend of his, asked him, "But why women?" And the answer which Pandit gave compelled me to place an order for the book. He had replied, " Women are less corrupt."

This is the second book by the author. His first being, By Mistake. Here, he writes stories where women play the central character. It talks about the hope, aspirations, dreams, courage, strength, creativity, temerity, sacrifice and all those things that define a woman, even with her gray shades.  This book has two sections. The first section is a compilation of 21 short stories by the author himself and the second section is very special and unique. Special because here we have 23 amazing 'closet' writers  whose stories on women are nothing short of brilliance.

The stories in the first section are a mixed bag. Barring a couple of them, I found the rest to be very abrupt, as if I was left hanging. On the other hand there are some stories which were terrific. The story of two friends and their unspoken understanding and communication in The Nook or the chance meeting between two women at the departure lounge of the airport where they discuss about the author of a book in Thrice Lucky. After reading Suite No 308, my reaction was 'Atta girl, way to go!' I could not stop laughing after reading Talking to Alka and was wondering what I would have done in a similar situation.

I loved all the 23 contributions made by the rookie writers. Naina Katoch's contribution is a beautiful verse titled Memsahib which has an excellent end. Contradictions Within by Kavita is another gem. A Mumbai Night by Vandana Nair is very unique. Unique because it talks about how even the bleakest time can bring hope in people's lives. Nostalgic Silence by Shweta Dasgupta, I feel is the best contribution as it is about the unselfish and an encompassing love of a mother for her children. I was deeply moved and in tears by the end of this story.

Overall Its  an average book.



BOOK REVIEW : Hello Bastar by Rahul Pandita

HELLO BASTAR by RAHUL PANDITA



                      "Naxal, Naxalite and Naksalvadi are generic terms used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes. In the eastern states of the mainland India (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha), they are usually known as, or refer to themselves as Maoists while in southern states like Andhra Pradesh they are known under other titles. They have been declared as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of India (1967).^[1][2][3] Leaders of the movement have been found to have hideouts located in China.^[4]

In 2006 India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing estimated that 20,000 armed cadre Naxalites were operating in addition to 50,000 regular cadres^[6] and their growing influence prompted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare them to be the most serious internal threat to India's national security.^[7]"

The above paragraph is taken from wikipedia. I wanted to find out what the term NAXALITES meant to us , and, I am not surprised that as usual we have half-baked information at our immediate disposal. Though it is authors like Rahul Pandita who passionately work hard to bring the real picture infront of us.

Yes, I agree that the maoist or the naxalite movement is the biggest internal threat to our democracy. And kudos to our security forces for sacrificing their lives to keep us safe and trying their level best to contain and reduce the influence of the naxalite movement in India. But is this all that is there in this picture?

Are the naxalites power hungry? Are they doing this under the influence of some foreign power? Are they really forcing the localites and the adivasis of their areas to follow them against their wishes?

The answer is an emphatic NO..

Though our country India claims to be the biggest democracy in the world, I would say it is a farce. How can a country be democratic when more than half its population, living in villages are ruthlessly exploited by the local officials and the rich landlords since the time of Independence. We talk about globalisation and FDI and becoming a global power but on what account? A country does not become advanced just on the basis of its handful og big cities and a handfull of rich inustrialists. Today whether it is Chattisgarh or Andhra Pradesh or Maharashtra or Madhya Pradesh or Bihar, it is the downtrodden and the forgotten section of our society who are taking up arms to protect their right to live peacefully in their areas.

I wish to applaud Pandita for writing such a meticulous and detailed book on the maoist movement in India. As expected, it is a very well researched book which traces the origins of the naxalite movement from West Bengal upto the present day scenario. I was surprised and at the same time impressed to read about the Janathana Sarkar or the People's Government formed by the Maoists in the areas of their influence, which really works for the beefit of the localites and guarantees the massess all the fundamental rights denied to them by the sysytem.

Pandita has written extensively about the organisation structure of the Maoists,their fundings and even their method of procuring the weapons.

The book ends with an afterword written by Kobad Ghandy, a pioneer and a visionary of the Maoist movement, who is in Tihar Jail since his arrest in the year2009.

Here is a poem by revolutionary poet Gorakh Pandey  which expresses the sentiments of the thousands of young men and women who fight for a purpose which we the common citizens know as MAOIST MOVEMENT :

                       It's thousands of years old
                       their anger
                       thousands of years old
                       is their bitterness
                       I am only returning their scattered words
                       and you fear that   
                      I am spreading fire.

BOOK REVIEW : The palace of illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Mahabharata is one mythological story which we all know very well and have grown up listening or reading it's various tales. I was around 10-11yrs old when I first heard about it from my grandmother who seemed very excited about Mahabharata being aired on Doordarshan every Sunday morning. And so developed a Sunday ritual at my place. Everyone would get up early, take a bath, have breakfast n then sit in front of the television to watch Mahabharata.
Mahabharata is an epic tale wherein the main theme is the fight against injustice and to act in accordance with your dharma. It is the story of the families of two brothers Dhritarashtra and Pandu, the Kauravas n the Pandavas and how their enmity ultimately leads to the bloody battle of Kurukshetra which brings an end to the Third Age of Man or the Dvapar Yug, as per the Hindu scriptures.
Many authors have written about the varied and fascinating tales of Mahabharata. This book, though, is different. In this book, the author talks about the Mahabharata through the eyes and emotions of Draupadi.
The book starts with the birth of Draupadi and her brother Dhristadyumna from the sacrificial fire of the great Yagna organized by king Drupad who wanted to take revenge from Drona, the great teacher of Warcraft, who not only taught Kauravas and the Pandavas but even taught Dhristadyumna. Draupadi talks about her childhood which was very lonely and gloomy and how she always dreamt of getting married and going to a new ideal palace. The story moves ahead to her swayamvar where she snubs Karna and eventually gets married to Arjuna. She talks about the horrible way in which her new mother in law Kunti, gets her married to all her five sons and the strange special code of marital conduct designed by sage Vyasa to foster harmony in the Pandava household. As Divakaruni writes, Draupadi says, "like a communal drinking cup, I would be passed from hand to hand whether I wanted it or not." Post marriage, Draupadi along with her husbands and her mother in law go to live in the royal palace of Hastinapur. But Draupadi could never settle there and always had an intense desire for a palace of her own, which would be designed according to her choice. This heartfelt desire gets fulfilled when they shift to the barren Indraprashtha and the Pandavas ask the great Ashura magician Maya to build them the most beautiful palace. It was the most magnificent magical palace that shifted the settings strangely making the palace new each day. The Pandavas loved their palace but in the end, it was their pride in this magical palace which made Duryodhana greedy for it leading to the infamous game of dice where the Pandavas lost everything. Yudhisthir, not only lost all his riches and the magical palace but also his brothers, himself and their wife Draupadi. It was Draupadi's humiliation by the Kaurava brothers in the royal court of Hastinapur that made her vindictive and so determined to take her revenge from the Kauravas. It was she who with her open, matted hair, her sharp comments and taunts never made the five Pandavas forget her humiliation during their long exile of thirteen years. When even after the exile Duryodhana refused to give back Indraprashtha to the Pandavas, it leads to the bloodiest battle of that age which wreak destruction, both physical and emotional, of a magnitude never imagined before. Though technically the Pandavas won the battle of Kurukshetra but in reality, they had lost all that mattered to them- their sons, their beloved family members, their values n the righteousness which Yudhisthir always prided on.
Divakaruni is undoubtedly a master storyteller. This take on Mahabharata from Draupadi's perspective is a refreshing change and makes the reader view the Mahabharata from a totally different angle. To read about a young Draupadi, a lonely motherless princess who has never received any love or affection from her father and how this craving for love, fame, and power changes the life of Draupadi as well as those around her, is a sheer delight. It is intriguing to read how Draupadi was so ruled by the prophecy, which was made at the time of her birth. At the same time it is inspiring to know that in spite of all her hardships, she faced life like a regal queen stoically without begging for forgiveness or sympathy.
A must read for all those who love the mythological tales with a strong female protagonist and you can grab your copy right here: https://amzn.to/2KPmpNB

HAPPY READING!!!