A
poem from the book –
India,
an Enigma
She stands with arms open,
steadfast in times of turmoil,
donning the lovely tri-colors,
holy rivers making a beautiful
smile.
She is the mother of pearls.
The land of festivals,
with a romantic history,
language and God of choice,
and culture has an identity.
Here music finds its voice.
Her magnetic architectures,
as old as her mysterious
traditions,
hold beautiful treasures.
When people want to break her,
it so pains my heart,
the image of her future seems,
a mirror of the past.
And my dreams remain just
memories.
But India has won,
you and I can live together
as one,
now and forever.
- Rahul
About
the Author –
The author
of this book has chosen not to reveal his identity and has instead used the
penname “An Indian.” The only information we have about him is that he was born
and raised in Mumbai and moved to the US in 1989. He now lives in Los Angeles
with his wife and two children.
What
the book is about –
As
the name suggests, the book is about our wonderful country, India and the
different people who inhabit it. The story revolves around Vijay (Jai) and Kahani
(Kaahi), their college life, their friends, their families, their interests and
their future. As the story unfolds we find the protagonists falling in love and
moving to the US for work. Life goes on and they settle in, but soon there are
other things in store for them. Will they separate? What will happen in the
land of their birth? Will India remain one?
What
I liked about the book –
As
mentioned earlier, I am very particular about the books I read and because of
that I usually read books only by an author I like or one that a friend
recommends. Well! This one was an exception and I am glad to have read it! The
main thing that worked for me in this book are the sentiments attached. The
love that the author has for the land of his birth is clearly evident from the
way he describes the festivals, the food, the customs and the places. Any
reader who has never been to India would actually have a very good idea about
India because of this book. Of course, I would be wrong not to mention that he
has written about other places in the world in with the same amount of
detailing, providing readers a view of the world as seen through his eyes!
What
did not work for me –
One
thing the writer could have done in order to keep the flow intact was write the
explanations of the new words/words not known by people outside India, at the
bottom of the page. That way the story would have flowed better. He could also
have gone deeper into some of the topics instead of just touching upon them and
leaving the reader wanting more!
All
in all the book is a good read, especially if you want to see India through the
eyes of someone who left long ago and yet feels so much love for his country.
Where can I buy the book?
Where can I buy the book?
India
Was One, is available, both, in paperback as well as in eBook (for all devices)
format. It is available on popular sites, like: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple
iBooks, Google Play etc., which can be accessed from anywhere in the world. For
reader in India, in addition to it being available on online stores, such as:
Flipkart, Infibeam, etc., it also is available in bookstores in Mumbai at
Oxford Bookstore and Crossword bookstore. Very recently, it is also available
in all the Sapna Book House stores in Bangalore and online with free shipping.
The book's website also has a lot of goodies, such as, artwork used in the book, poem used in the book, some reviews (including media reviews that was published in India, Canada and the US), interactive map of India, a few sample chapters, and much more.
Website: www.IndiaWasOne.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/IndiaWasOne (over 27,000 fans)
Twitter: @IndiaWasOne
Find out more about the book at www.IndiaWasOne.com/FindOut
If you want me to
review your book, mail me at myriadhues14@gmail.com
You can also
follow me on twitter - @GuptaRach
