Author: Hyma Goparaju
Book Blurb:
A well-to-do business family, whose members are torn apart by a turbulent father-son relationship shrouded in mistrust, suspicion, and contempt for one another – a result of the vagaries of the son’s mind and its maladies – suffers silently. Well-wishers fear that Badri is suffering from a mental derangement, and is on the brink of wiping away his father, Siveswara’s hard-earned fame and fortune. Unaware of the boundless periphery of its affliction, descendants of the five-generation lineage are confounded with an enigmatic and stigmatizing battle of their lifetime which they have to decode and overcome in order to ensure the well-being of the ensuing generations.
My Review:
This book deals with the stigma attached to mental disorders in Indian Societies. It’s true isn’t it? Going to a psychiatrist is still kept under wraps. If something is wrong with our physical body, we visit the said specialist….But if something is wrong with our brain, we need to hush it up.
The author has managed to highlight this fact beautifully in this book. It is a commendable efforts to not only tell a story, but also raise awareness about Schizophrenia. Not many books are able to maintain this delicate balance between fiction and fact, this book is able to weave both seamlessly.
The language, writing, grammar in the book is impeccable. The story telling technique is quite harmonious.
My favorite character in the book was Natya. She has the right kind of character, spunk and maturity. I found myself longing for mention of her while reading.
Coming to the cons, I did get the “Saas-Bahu” serial-esque feeling at the start of the novel, where females are just gossiping and doing generally what they do on TV these days. So, getting in the story was quite difficult.
Buy the book here.
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