Divya Divu

Book: The boy in the striped pyjamas Author: John Boyne Genre: Historical Fiction, Children's literature This one book holds a blend of innocence and pain till the very last leaf of the book. John Boyne, the author has tried to uncover the plot slowly with the development of the characters and the narrative. To me, Boyne remains successful to draw the plot behind the wires of the detainee/concentration camp in an intricate manner. Suspense remains the driving force of the novel. The novel opens us to the outlook and unawareness of a 9-year old boy to the big political and historical shifts during WW2. The shared food, memories, friendship and anecdotes of Bruno and Shmuel add up the real emotional arc to the novel. The tragic end of the plot left me with tears in my eyes and a void in my heart. It attempts to hold humanity before all else. Reviewed by Divya On 02/11/24

Book: Tomb of Sand Author: Geetanjali Shree Genre: Feminist literature, Post colonial, Post partition fiction. The novel tends to break the barriers of nations and borders of psychological confinements. It crosses the threshold of Indian household, religion, caste, and life. The story revolves around an aged lady named Chanda who has lost her spirit to live but her daughter to transform the condition of her mother. The mothering of the mother by her daughter revives her zest to re-live, recover, and reaccelerate her life. Chanda crosses the borders to find answers to millions of questions and dreams that she weaved in all those years. The novel leaves the readers open to the interpretations. This book is translated from hindi language (Ret Samadhi) by Daisy Rockwell and has been awarded the Booker Prize in 2022. To me, the book has somewhat lost it's essence in the translation. I will rate this book: 3.5/5 Reviewed by Divya On 19/11/24