Review- The People Tree by Beetashok Chatterjee

  BOOK SUMMARY:

Do you want to read stories that will take you to places all over this country and to faraway lands? Do you also want to read stories that will take you back in time—decades, even centuries? Then you must taste the fruit of The People Tree. Here are fourteen stories for you, a veritable potpourri of tales, each different from the other in style and substance. From the Khalistan insurgency in Punjab to a glimpse of the Mumbai underworld. From a doomed love affair in Hyderabad to a mature gay relationship. From a lifelong friendship formed in unusual circumstances to the pangs of a schoolboy crush to robbing an art museum there is something in this collection for everybody. And more. Love, loss, survival, lust, deception, greed Beetashok Chatterjee has covered them all. And more. 

Release date: July 1st 2021

Published by: Readomania

Page numbers: 192

REVIEW: 

Author Beetashok Chatterjee’s second book, The People Tree - the first being Driftwood - is a collection of fourteen short stories. Firstly, the title of this collection is so apt and creative, just like it’s cover. For a book to have a catchy title and an attractive cover is already a huge plus. To add to it, however, the contents of this book are also brilliant, which is the cherry on the cake, making The People Tree a must read.

While one story talks about a mature homosexual relationship, another talks about the relation between parents and children. Then there are stories about the Khalistan insurgence in Punjab and the 9/11 tragedy. Then there’s a story about heartbreak, one about gambling and another about a love that ended too soon. And these are only few of them. There are many more brilliant stories that are bound to keep the reader engrossed, escaping reality for a while.

All the stories in this collection take the reader on a journey that explores the entire plethora of human emotions in a manner that is relatable, simple and heartwarming. Written in a language that is crisp, easygoing and flawless makes the book even better. The only drawback with this collection is that it is too short. Author Beetashok Chatterjee’s storytelling and writing are such that they make the reader want more. There’s something truly captivating about them.

Overall, The People Tree is a lovely and brilliant collection that I see myself going back to at some point and highly recommend to all readers.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Readomania in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- Blasphemy by Osman Haneef

                                                                     BOOK SUMMARY:

A Christian boy in Pakistan is accused of blasphemy―a crime punishable by death.

Haunted by a tragic past, a young lawyer named Sikander Ghaznavi returns to Pakistan after many years abroad, and takes on the defence of the boy.
He reaches out to the sharpest human rights lawyer he knows―the woman he has loved for years, but now another man’s wife.

As they deal with their unresolved feelings, the lawyers confront a corrupt system, a town turned against them, and a prophecy that predicts their death.

Will they save the boy? Or will the city of Quetta, its prejudice inflamed by religious
extremists, consume them and deliver them to a deadly fate?

Release date: April 2020

Published by: Readomania

REVIEW: 

When I first saw- let alone read the summary or even the title of the book- I knew I had to read Blasphemy as it looked right up my alley. A book set in Pakistan dealing with the trial of a Christian boy sounded like a setup I would have picked up on my own anyway, but I’m so grateful that @iamreadomania kindly offered to send me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Sikander Ghaznavi returns to Pakistan and takes it upon himself to defend a Christian boy accused of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death, seeking a sort of redemption. He seeks help from his former lover Sanah, a human rights lawyer. Both the well developed characters with a story so interesting that ends in the most graceful manner (a rarity, really) come to terms with the reality of their country.

A poignant tale about religious extremism, Blasphemy is an eye opener not just to that, but various other issues like domestic violence, child abuse, death threats, false accusations, blind faith and so much more that plague the streets of Pakistan. Author Osman Haneef’s writing is brilliant, from the description of the city Quetta to its people, everything was put down meticulously. His storytelling had me engrossed throughout, and left me feeling shocked, stirred and satisfied.

This was somewhat like The Kite Runner meets The Reluctant Fundamentalist, but to be very honest, the comparison is just so a reader would pick up this book if they like the two mentioned. On its own, Blasphemy stands a sharp, unique, impressive and moving read.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Readomania in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- Mayurkhund by Sadiqa Peerbhoy

Mayurkhund on Goodreads 

Release date: February 15th 2019

Published by: Readomania

Page numbers: 288

REVIEW: 

I always enjoy reading author Sadiqa Peerbhoy's books. There's something very intriguing about her exquisite writing and her poignant storytelling. Very ethnic and spellbinding, her stories take me to a place in my home country but in a faraway time and place which is always exciting to visit. Her Marry Go Round was a fun and interesting story about arranged marriages set in Hyderabad, while my favourite of hers, House of Discord, was a story about family, politics and religion set in Mumbai. 

Mayurkhund, Sadiqa Peerbhoy's latest, is the devastatingly beautiful story of Zeenat who aspires to become a playback singer. Just when she thinks she's close to achieving her dreams, live starts throwing curve balls at her which makes her reconsider everything she had thought of for herself. By a series of events which are interesting to get to know but sad to understand, she finds herself in the Mayurkhund palace. Zeenat's daughter, Amari, grew up in Mayurkhund but eventually left the place due to her own fascinating series of events. She is haunted by the peacocks that Mayurkhund is famous for and when she visits Rajasthan for a work trip, she gets a call from the Queen to visit her childhood home. 

There is so much more to talk about the story but I would rather the reader discover how wonderfully it has been put down on his/ her own. The story alternates from Zeenat's life in the 1960s to Amari's in the late 1990s. The incidents that take place in both their lives are connected in some way or the other and add to the depth and beauty of the book. Sadiqa Peerbhoy's writing is, as always, incredibly easy to follow and yet so amazingly worded that even though it was confusing for me at first as who is who, it all fell into place quite soon and I found myself immersed in the story. 

The ending of the book left me with mixed feelings. I didn't laugh or smile and I didn't feel sad either. I just found myself relieved and at peace with the way everything turned out. That, for me, was a first. I don't quite remember feeling this way about any ending before, and that is one of the main reason I will remember this book for a long time. I would highly recommend this glorious read that is packed with rich history, tradition, family and the ethereal relation between parents and children.  

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Readomania in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- House of Discord by Sadiqa Peerbhoy

House of Discord on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A discordant family in a hate-driven city…will they find the ties that bind?

A tough matriarch; an effete father who escapes reality; a rebellious son who marries a Muslim girl; a depressed spinster daughter; a resident ghost and the discovery of some strange family secrets… 

The Deshmukhs of Barrot House are barely surviving in a rambling house in the middle of Bombay when violence knocks on the door.

The post-Babri Masjid Bombay of 1992 is a city wallowing in hate. The Deshmukhs find themselves in the vortex of the raging storm.

Will the famed Spirit of Bombay eventually rediscover the healing magic of communal tolerance? Will the family rediscover the love that will help them survive? Sadiqa Peerbhoy spins a multilayered family saga—a metaphor for the city she grew up in.

Release date: October 20th 2017

Published by: Readomania

Page numbers: 298

REVIEW: 

I quite enjoyed author Sadiqa Peerbhoy's Marry Go Round when I read it a few years ago. So when the author contacted me about her latest, House of Discord, I was pretty excited and immediately jumped at the opportunity to read the book. It was a delightful read that ended 2017 on a wonderful bookish note, for me. Besides, the entire backdrop of the book is what made me curious.

House of Discord is set in the backdrop of the communal riots that were a result of the Babri Masjid incident back in 1986. While the incident affected the entire country, this book focuses on the Deshmukhs of Barrot House, Rompton Road, Mumbai. A prestigious, respected and honoured family to everyone on the outside, the Deshmukhs make for a quirky and entertaining family, where it's difficult to digest how some of the members are blood related because they seem to be poles apart.

I enjoyed the company of the Deshmukhs so much that I found it hard to say goodbye to the book. I wanted their story to go on and on. Barrot House, which houses our ten main characters (and many more) in the book, was such a fun and wonderful place to be in. While all the characters were well made, stood out tall and shined in their own unique way, the one person whose dialogues, scenes and persona I thoroughly enjoyed was Dhonduram. He was an awesome character who I'm not going to forget easily.

Although I am not the biggest fan of movies, Sadiqa Peerbhoy writes entertainers that would make for superb Bollywood films, but all I hope is that the author keeps writing because her story-telling is excellent. While her first, Marry Go Round was a nice read, House of Discord was far more easier for me to relate to with it being set in late 1980s Mumbai and revolving around a typical Maharashtrain family. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful read which has easily been one of my best reads of 2017. What a way to end the year!

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Sadiqa Peerbhoy in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

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Review- Birds of Prey by Archana Sarat

Birds of Prey on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

You wake up, parched and famished, at the bottom of a deep well—dark and dingy with the foul smell of excreta and rotting scars and no seeming way to escape—what do you do?
This is the predicament that ex-ACP Anton Pinto faces when he reluctantly joins the investigation into the mysterious disappearances of men from affluent families of Mumbai. There is an inexplicable pattern behind the abductions and all suspicions point towards an old, physically-challenged, mysterious lady. Soon, Anton discovers that the seemingly unrelated men have one common link—the most popular and expensive international school in Mumbai.
Following clues that span from schools and old-age homes to illegal dingy hospitals, Anton is led through a labyrinth of incest, abuse, torture and suffering, spanning decades.
What secret does the school hide behind its gates? What was the undisclosed crime that is thirsty for justice? Will Anton be able to save the men? Will justice be served? 

Release date: November 1st 2016

Published by: Readomania

Page numbers: 192

REVIEW: 

It was, I believe, a year or two ago, when I probably read my last David Levithan book, that I read a book in one sitting. But once I picked up Birds of Prey and got into, I could not stop. It is such a fast-paced, engrossing, irresistible and thrilling read that I found myself finishing it in one dat itself, which is something that doesn't happen very often with me.

Posing as a contrast to what I just said, Birds of Prey was unputdownable, yes, but at the same time, every chapter, especially during the first half of the book, was so deep, depressing and devastating, that I found myself putting the book aside just to comprehend and digest what I just read. This book has so many feelings and emotions in it that it gets too much at times and all you want to do in such times is to just leave it all aside and try to understand.

There is such meticulous character-designing and development in this book that it's admirable. To top it all off, it is a brilliantly worded book. When I figured out the mystery on my own in the first quarter of the book itself, it was the writing that kept me going, because it was just so damn perfect, sharp and crisp. Author Archana Sarat delivers an absolutely well-written and flawless book.

Coming to the story of Birds of Prey, it was predictable but it was so well done and so well made. I don't really see a hero and a villain in this book, because every side was understandable. But the most interesting part of this book is that way in which it addresses an issue and a problem so important that it really makes you contemplate. Some of the gory descriptions get very uncomfortable sometimes, but this book is only trying to tell the truth.

I have barely read half a dozen books so far this year, but without any hesitation, I am able to say that Birds of Prey has been the most interesting and absorbing I've read, not only this year, but in quite some time now. I am falling short of words to describe how great this book is, which tells the story of both nice and bad people who make this world what it is.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Readomania in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book: AMAZON