The review of My motherland by Jyothirllatha Girija

Book Name             :      My Motherland         

Author                     :      Jyothirllatha Girija

Publisher                 :      Cyberwit.net

Genre                      :      Historical Fiction

Number of Pages    :      84
Language                :      English (Translated from Tamil)

Publishing Year     :      2015

Binding                   :      Paperback

Blurb

An excerpt

The room was silent but for the tick-tick sound of the wall clock there. On the northern side of the room was found a big cot made of silver in an artistic manner. It was very beautiful. A girl, aged about thirteen years, was found sleeping on the silken mattress spread on the silver cot. She was sound asleep, keeping her head on her arm folding it and using it like a pillow. A little away from her head lay a soft, unused pillow.

Characters

Princess Valarmathi

Parasuraman

Nandagopal

Vijayan

Gatekeeper Ezhimalai

Army Chief Parakraman

British Officer Johnson

Plot

Parasuramn, his father Nandagopal, his friend Viajayan along with several Indians form a party to fight the British from seizing the Kingdom of Indrapuri. They realize that the English Man Johnson is enticing the King with liquor and making him a puppet. Parasuram saves Princess Valarmathi from a Tiger. As a token of appreciation, Kind invites Parasuram to palace and arranges a party for him. When Johnson arrives for the party, King realizes that Parasuram and Johnson are rivals. Kings falls into a dilemma. Whom will he support? What happens to the protesters? What happens to Valarmathi?

My Review

Highlights

The story is a palpable and inspiring one in the background of the freedom struggle. It is the story of Indians who foresaw the danger, which could have happened and prevented the British from devouring the nation. The book made us wondering what India would have been if every Indians were proactive like them. The book is explained as the story for the teenagers but I would say the book is for every Indian who loves their nation. The narration, language, storyline, characters, craft everything is just perfect. No wonder the book was translated to Ukraine.

Drawbacks

It is said that we should not judge a book by its cover but I feel that the cover should have some connection with the story. Here the cover image doesn’t go with the story, which is a historical fiction.

One Liner

A perfect example of how India would have been

Avail the book from  Cyberwit.net 

About the Author

Born in 1935, Jyothirllata Girija started writing in Tamil for children first in 1950 and then was introduced as an adults’ writer by ANANDA VIKATAN in 1968.  She has more than 500 short stories, 25 novels, 50 novellas, 3 full-length plays, several articles on social issues, translation of major part in Tamil of Kiran Bedi’s As I see it etc. to her credit. She has won 20 awards so far for her Tamil creations. Her teen-agers’ novel which already won an award in Tamil Nadu was translated in Ukraine and released during the Festival of India in Moscow in 1987. As for her creations in English, introduced by Vimla Patil of Femina in 1975, she has written about 36 short stories in the Indian periodicals – THE ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY OF INDIA, FEMINA, EVE’s WEEKLY, PRATIBHA INDIA, YOUR FAMILY, FICTION REVIEW, WOMAN’S ERA, MOVIELAND (MALAYSIA), THE SUNDAY (INDIAN) EXPRESS, THE WEEK END and EVE’S TOUCH.  Several articles on social and political issues in ALIVE and OPEN PAGE in THE HINDU. Long rhyming poems in couplets that were serialized in POET, Chennai - edited by late Dr. Krishna Srinivas - viz. Ramayana in Rhymes, The Story of Jesus Christ, Voice of Valluvar (Tirukkural, The Tamil Veda), Pearls from the Prophet (300-odd sayings of Prophet Muhammad in verses), Song on the Sun God (English rendering in verses of Aditya Hrudayam) and The Living God at Puttaparthi, in quatrains. Gandhi Episodes, based on Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, is being serialized now in In METVERSE MUSE, (Visakhapatnam), edited by Dr. H. Tulsi. Also several single poems in anthologies of various poetry magazines of India.

Reviewed for the publisher(Cyberwit.net)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.