Book Reviews
A Prophetic Book Title
An author friend decides to have a book-signing event at a boutique store right near my home.
How could I not go?
‘Well, it’s a blazing 42 degrees outside,’ protested my concerned mom.
‘And trust him to name his novel “Scarred Earth”!’ I chuckled.
‘Is he always this prophetic?’ Mom gets curious.
‘Haha, let me find out.’
Mom scowled as I escaped the cooler confines for hotter pursuits.
Bhaswar Mukherjee, a multiple-award winning author, dons many hats – one or two too health-friendly for my liking such as running marathons! However, I enjoy his writer’s hat most as time and again, he effortlessly weaves his stories from start till end.
Scarred Earth by Bhaswar Mukherjee
Scarred Earth is about Baruni and Muneim.
No! No need for that eye-roll. This is not the cliched inter-faith story.
These two children are born to completely different worlds and face different experiences. They come together during a critical phase in their lives. How they deal with various relationships based on their past experiences forms a riveting tale. The story allows the readers to travel from the green fields of Banguran to the bustling city of Kolkata and then, further to the Himalayan foothill town of Siliguri.
Sharing any more would be a spoiler.
The premises, timeline, and characterizations appear familiar and relatable as human beings (no superheroes from other-lands here). However, there is no predictability for the plot’s twists and turns.
The surprise or shock quotient is just the right amount.
The graphic descriptions allow the reader to visualize the action sequences and the emotional segments without missing a beat.
These were the reasons that led me to return to book and resume reading at every possible opportunity between work.
The language used is moderate to advanced English – a joy considering the current penchant for SMS-language. The author has been mindful about explaining and describing the context for non-English references.
Value and Worth
I enjoyed reading the story not because it has been written by an author friend, but because it has been written straight from the heart.
The various characters who rally against or around Baruni and Muneim are people we have met in our lives at some or the other point. Thus, the myriad emotions that Bhaswar invokes through his narrative – despair from betrayal, relief in healing, sorrow of separation, or elation of succeeding – are all true to the core.
So, is there anything amiss about Scarred Earth? Yes!
Bhaswar, are you writing a sequel already? Because I did not want to bid goodbye to Baruni and Muneim so soon!
Quick Notes
Petals Publishers and Distributors
Pages: 269
MRP: INR350
Available on Amazon