Review- The Legend of Lachit Borphukan

 I would start with a note here. I am not a fan of historical fictions. And my not liking historical fictions has got lesser to do with the genre itself and more to do with the writers not able to do any justice to the theme they pick up. Most would just pick up a personality or event of their choice and then spice it up with some "must-have" themes of love, friendship. They even mostly go through similar journeys irrespective of the book or the topic. With time I have realized, the reason is that most of the times the authors do not understand the people they are writing about.

And that exactly is what has made this book different.

The Legend of Lachit Borpukhan works not because of Lachit Borpukhan himself, but because the author Nilutpal Gohain understands him so well and his resistance against the Mughal army. 

This is the perfect lesson on how historical fictions should be written. Covers everything and does complete justice to the lead character as well as the important event of the naval war that takes place as the heart of the story. The events and details which lead up to the war and then its subsequent execution and final victory is so beautifully written, you almost feel a part of the time and era itself. You can almost feel how much Nilutpal really cares about the subject and Lachit himself and you can very easy relate to how much the legend means to the land of Assam. 

This is a perfect David vs Goliath story where the wits and tactics displayed by Lachit is what made all the difference.

Mostly I would put out positives and then negatives and give my final rating. But I honestly didnt find any negative aspect to the book or the writing style of the author.

I would give it a perfect 5!!

You can buy the book from

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8195176119

Review-Dare. Dream. Travel by Shefali Arora

 A few weeks back I had the pleasure of reviewing On the Krishna Trail by Lalitha Balasubramanian. She very clearly brought out the difference between visiting a place of worship as a devotee vs a tourist.

Now, what is the difference between a tourist and a traveler? The book by Shefali Arora brings out this difference most clearly, as traveler focuses more on the journey rather than the destination itself.

 

A very interesting cover. I have been an avid fan of Life is Strange game series, and the cover starkly resembles the artwork in the game. So, definitely a plus from my side.

The book is actually a compilation of a few female travelers who wanted to share their experience of various journeys they undertook and how it went from being ordinary to an extraordinary endeavour and what they learnt out of it. At a lot of times, their experiences also teach a lot of things to interested travelers who seek similar adventures.

The book is for everyone. Any person who dreams to travel or who finds peace in traveling will find a major or minor connect with this book. The fact that these all are stories of female travelers adds another zing to the book.

A few of these experiences felt very close as I myself had experienced a few similar to those. The one driving in snowfall, or the one about having a generous host, as I mentioned previously, everyone will find some or the other connect to one of the experiences definitely.

The book is written in a very interesting narrative. Kudos to Shefali sometimes normal telling of certain events also sound interesting because of the narration.

On the flip side, nothing to take away from the book or the writing itself, certain experiences turned out positive for certain travelers, but might not for those who seek similar adventures. But again, that takes nothing away from the book.

It is a must read for those who wish to share their own experiences some day as well. A perfect case study in how to compile as much varied experiences and then narrate in the most interesting way. I would rate it 4.5/5

You can buy the book from Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/Dare-Dream-Travel-Shefali-Arora/dp/939131726X