Monday, 23 December 2019

#BookReview : Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar by Kochery C. Shibu



A Hydel project in the remote HImalayas- three people brought together by fate.
Nanda an engineer from Kerala at the dam construction site, hiding from his past, from the law, torn between the love for his dear ones, and the kalari code of revenge.
Khusru, a youth displaced from his native village in Kashmir, a gambit in the terror plot that threatens to blow up the dam, working as a labourer at the site.
Rekha, a kathak dancer at heart, a doctor by profession, arrives at the campsite as the consort of Khusru.
A village that accepts the dictates of modernity with a heavy heart, its population steeped in superstitions and religious beliefs.
All throng the campsite like moths to a flame, some escape untouched,successful;some miss a step and perish. each has a story to tell and a dream to realise. Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar is about the aspirations of these people, with their cares and worries woven to the site life. The fury of nature and hardships of project life have no mercy for the weak and no time for the dead.
Like an eternal spectator the Dhauladhar watches as men risk their lives and limb in the quest to fulfil their dreams.

Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar is a fiction written by Kochery C. Shibu. The author is a graduate from the National Defence Academy he has held several important posts in the Indian Navy & he has retired as a naval officer. Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar is his debut novel. The technical content of the novel, namely the setting up of a hydro-project is drawn from his experience in these projects since 2005, as are many of the characters inspired from those whom he encountered at the project site.
The plot is set up in Dhauladhar, Himachal Pradesh where three of our main characters Khusru, Rekha & Nanda meet. With a plan to blow up the dam by terrorists, what will be the role of each one of our main characters is what the whole story is about. With deep character building by the author, we come to know about each one of the characters. And as the story progresses you will stay hooked to know more about what happens next.
The author’s experience with hydro projects has proved to be extremely useful for including details that only he could write about. The suspenseful backdrop along with three extremely diverse characters with intense life histories is what made this book riveting. The language is simple though in some places a bit technical but even with that, it’s a breezy read. Shouldn’t miss.




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