giti tyagi

BOOK REVIEW BY GITI TYAGI (EDITOR, CREATIVE ARTIST, WRITER, POETESS, REVIEWER) ABOUT THE BOOK: ‘The Last Dance’, Anmol Arora’s debut novel, resonates with his idea of a dream come true as he reminisces: “It takes years to realise- dreams that we harbour in the hidden corners of our heart. They question everything, even our faith. Mine did. But on rare occasion they come true - like a full moon on a cloudless night sky. This story, The Last Dance, has been my dream for the past decade.” The novel consists of thirty four chapters arrayed in five parts, a well framed prologue and a concluding epilogue adding fervor to the main story. The prologue, usually depicts the backstory related to the main events, but Anmol has subtly manoeuvred the prologue to give a clear vivid picture of the sequence of events in the main character’s, Ayla’s life, that ultimately prove to be the turning point of all the upcoming twists and turns which she was to face in the impending future. Anmol, a student of history, a travel enthusiast and an explorer at heart opines:‘Travel has little to do with the destination, if at all. It’s about discovering something unique, hidden about yourself.’ Utilizing his travelling experiences to the fullest, Anmol has put forth a well researched novel with Turkish vocabulary and reliable knowledge related to the Turkish culture, cuisine, festivals and dance forms. ‘The Last Dance’ commences in the backdrop of the ongoing cultural, political and social scenario in Turkey in the mid-1990s. The continuous suppression of the intelligentsia, religious leaders and suspension of political and economic rights of the Kurds lays the foundation of the story that unfurls in the engrasping turn of events. Eclipsing affliction reduces the impact, perhaps making life safer and worth living for a refugee. Acceptance of fate, the only option for Ayla and her family, who with a heavy heart settled down in the new home, giving a voice to all the refugees residing in various parts of the globe : ’Memories of the past became hazy as the door of our motherland was shut on us.’ (14) The author does not believe in elevating the characters and presenting them as divinely and flawless. On the contrary, he adds a pinch of vice and virtue alongside in each character, making them as vulnerable as any human being. ‘The Last Dance’ portrays the rise and fall of emotions as the tides in the ocean- love and hatred, anguish and hopefulness, anger and solace, respect and defiance, fear and courage- defining the human nature in its most acceptable form! ‘Purity of thoughts and action lead to the Divine form of creativity.’ Anmol Arora’s wish to ‘create stories, not for entertainment, but to inspire the world’ seems to have been fulfilled in his debut novel. Anmol Arora’s simplistic lucid style succeeds in striking the right chords and creates an everlasting impression on the readers’ minds with Ayla’s and Guru Chandrashekhar’s characters occupying a special place in their hearts- sometimes empathizing, at times simply falling in love with their passion for perfection. Anmol’s debut novel ‘The Last Dance’ presents a flawless story amalgamated with easily comprehensible free flowing stream of words wallowing the readers in the well knit web of events, making their journey through the book uninterruptedly enjoyable from start to the finish. BOOK REVIEW BY: GITI TYAGI EDITOR,CREATIVE ARTIST, WRITER, POETESS, REVIEWER FORMER SENIOR LECTURER,MM UNIVERSITY, AMBALA, INDIA EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT, KARNAL,INDIA