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Of nostalgia and longing
Reviewed by Balwinder Kaur
Chanakya Returns
by Timeri N. Murari.
Aleph.
Pages 256. Rs 495
 Hoping
to make sense of her life, in retrospect a desolate Yasodhara looks
back. Unveiling history, both personal and national, she uncovers the
chain of events set in motion long before her birth. In
post-Independence Ceylon, a reversal of fortune forces the wife of
affluent Justice Ranasinghe to swallow Sinhala pride and take in Tamil
tenants. In the sprawling Wellawatte house, her’s and Shivalingam’s
children and grandchildren grew up sharing space and secrets, conflict
and companionship every day.
Before long the
widespread friction between Sinhala and Tamil inhabitants of Ceylon
sparked the raging inferno of civil war that scorched the land and
scarred its people. When mindless mobs killed her uncle in the street
and one night knocked at their door, it was time to flee. Safety in
America for Yasodhara and sister Lanka meant separation from dear
Shiva. Unknown to them on the same island, but a world apart, an
impoverished Saraswathi suffered hardships. Having little recourse,
she was brutally forced to take up arms and kill for the cause. She
had never met Lanka or hated her personally, their paths just crossed
at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Through the experiences of
three generations, the author eloquently documents the horrors, losses
and destruction of the terrible civil war that spared neither the rich
nor the poor.
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Uncles, Aunts & Elephants
by Ruskin Bond. Puffin.
Pages 338. Rs 299
 Ruskin
Bond’s enduring popularity among young readers proves that he
knows what they like. He has enthralled, inspired and
entertained children for over five decades. This book offers a
selection of prose and poetry from his vast and varied body of
work. The amusing escapades of an enviable boy’s idiosyncratic
extended family provide tales that regale.
The spirited
grandfather regularly dons disguises, has a house full of
strange pets and an inexhaustible repertoire of bizarre
experiences to share. His grandmother doesn’t mind sharing a
pillow with spotted owlets. An affable but bungling uncle, who
could put his nephew on board the wrong train and make enemies
of crows, is also a part of the book so is a relative who is a
serial killer. Hauntings, death-defying adventures and
hostel-life misadventures abound in just the first part.
Largely
autobiographical, the non-fiction section provides glimpses of
the author’s personal life and professional hazards, like his
loneliness in school hostels, the separation of his parents and
his ardent desire for a perfect
garden. The book is also
peppered with charming illustrations that serve to further paint
the described events. |
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