Book Review: Fire on the Mountain
‘Look Nani, I have set the forest on fire. Look, Nani – look – the forest is on fire.’
Gone are the days when Nanda Kaul watched over her family and played the part of Vice Chancellor’s wife. Leaving her children behind in the real world, the busier world, she has chosen to spend her last years alone in the mountains in Kasauli, in a secluded bungalow called Cariguano. The narrative starts with vivid description of the setting and introduces us to an elderly woman who has chosen to live a solitary life, until the day a postman brings a letter from her daughter announcing that her great-granddaughter Raka will be dispatched to Kasauli, at her care – and everything changes from then. At first dismayed at this departure from her acquired solitude with Raks's arrival, Nanda Kaul slowly discovers that they are more alike than they knew. In the middle of gradual resurfacing of Nanda’s old, hidden dependencies and wounds, Ila Das – her friend comes to Cariguano. Nanda prevents herself from making a proposal, that would shatter her solitude and rearrange re-engagements. Ila disappear into darkness. a tragic news arrives in Cariguano over a phone call from local police officer in charge, leaving Nanda alone to cry.
With very sensitive voice and economy of perfect words, Anita Desai presents us a story of three women who had embraced a world of seclusion to live in. Insightful descriptions let the reader peep inside the heart of a dignified yet solitary woman. One may find, prejudice and repression as active elements in the backdrop but are never stated explicitly and left for the reader to decide. The style and pace of the narrative may feel slow and boring to the casual reader but definitely a delightful read for the thoughtful one.
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Good read. I had received the review copy from Random House India. Thank you Rukun for giving me the opportunity. You can buy the book at amazon or at
flipkart in case you live in India. You can also find the lowest price of this book in India at shoppingwish.in
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