I was naturally inclined towards reading this book after reading the blurb because I wanted to get an in-depth understanding of what went through the lanes and bylanes of smaller and major towns of Kerela when the Sabrimala judgment was passed. Previously I have read arguments from both sides of the spectrum, but only as a third person. This gave me an opportunity to witness it through characters
The book I am talking about is To Colour the Heavens
A very simple cover marked by two colors. Author could have gone for a more vivid cover as this kind of gives feeling of an old school book or some older novels, so I wont judge the book by its cover. To me the cover was simple enough and attractive yet not really pulling. So, I would stay neutral.
The book is a story of seven individuals from different walks of life, different ages, different educational backgrounds, different fields who come together to visit the Sabrimala temple after the judgment was passed that women could, in fact, visit the inner sanctum. Few of these are pure devotees, some just want to be a part of this journey while some just want to be part of this group. The story is told from the perspective of each of these seven individuals, their relationship with each other and how this journey changes their lives.
The book has a complex subject to deal with. It has to show the side which was in favor of the judgment and the author has picked up his seven characters well. Some are devotees so want to visit since childhood, some are just wanting to be part of the historical judgment. They face challenges and fury of those who are against the judgment. Each character has its own arc and their relationship with each one of the other is portrayed well. The book is written in a non-linear fashion where there are time jumps and also character jumps(what one character says in the end of one chapter is picked up by another.) Author has tried to keep the narrative going forward through how each character tells their story and is definitely a fresh take.
On the flip side, a few hiccups here and there do exist. There are two kind of books- character driven and plot driven. This one is character driven. In a character driven book, cohesion between pages is very important. In a character driven book the author cannot assume the reader knows his characters already. He has to introduce them to readers and build them up gradually so that reader knows them properly. There is a good amount of backstory and history for each character but author has started them right off the bat without letting reader learn about them. Another major hiccup is lack of and improper quotations, punctuations and paragraph breaks. These hiccups dont take anything away from the book itself but make it a very demanding read where you have to pay more attention that what it should take.
Though I wont say these hiccups impact the book and narrative highly negative. This was a complex book and the first book by the author. These are somethings he can work on in future. The history of each character described is very thoughtful and well researched. These are people who actually can exist in your office, your college, your neighborhood and yet each have a story worth telling.
This was a good read as it introduced me to a new perspective. I would give this book a 4/5
You can buy the book on Amazon
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B096YGYXF2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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