Book Review
Vaimitra Chandrasehar.
Author: Nalini Ramachandran
Main characters: Mohini & Katha
Setting: Mithika
This is a book that shows all of India’s storytelling traditions through the story of Mohini.
Summary
Mohini lives in Mithika. She lives with her mother, father and her grandma. She comes from a family of story tellers. Her destiny and future were decided the moment she was born. Everyone in Mithika knew that she was going to become a story teller. Her grandma, her mother and her father were known for their unique story telling skills. And then there is Mohini who couldn’t tell a story to save herself. Mohini’s great-great-great grandfather started the practice of Sunday Story hour and Mohini’s parents and grandma would tell stories. Mohini showed no interest in storytelling whatsoever. After her grandma passed away, she stopped attending story hour. One day, teary-eyed, Mohini decides to run away from home. She boards a bus and the bus suddenly stops because of a flat tyre. She was in the outskirts of Mithika. She could see the Eerul Caves. People think it is haunted.
But Mohini is drawn to the caves. She decides to go near the caves and she sees a sign-“ TRESPASS AT YOUR OWN RISK.”
She goes inside. She notices that it looks like a house. Suddenly, a creature, translucent and colorful comes up to her. Mohini is very scared. She runs but she couldn’t go out. She is given a choice by the spirit -either she could leave now or she could face the consequence if she wanted to stay. She couldn’t leave now as there was thunder and lightning outside. So, she has to face the consequence. That creature is a spirit called Katha.
Read the book and find out what the consequence is, the various adventures they go on and get to know the story telling traditions of India.
Plot:
When Mohini trespasses the cave and gets caught, she has to face the consequence.
My favorite character and why:
My favorite character is Katha. It is a unique spirit with a unique personality. Even though Mohini is scared and she is in panic, Katha remains calm and never loses its temper.
My favorite part of the story:
My favorite part of the story is when Mohini enters Katha’s cave and gets caught in the consequence. This part of the story builds up the suspense and keeps the person reading.
My opinion:
I really loved this book. Unlike Textbooks and encyclopedias, this book isn’t boring. It has an interesting story and you can also learn about the story telling traditions of India.
Recommendation:
I would recommend the book for the age group – 9 to 16 and to people who like learning via having fun and those who love to learn about traditions and culture of India.
About the author:
Nalini Ramachandran is an author and editor. She is also known for her other books – Nava Durga: The Nine Forms of the Goddess and A.P.J Abdul Kalam, One Man, Many Missions