Publisher: Leadstart PublishingISBN-13: 9789381576823
ISBN-10: 9381576823
No. of Pages: 298
Format: Paperback
Language: English
About the Book:
Life gets serious –but only during debatable conversations-
and cancer is no way a topic I am comfortable at discussing! Perhaps, simple
language, the scent of suspense and the air of a jam packed thriller kept
persuading me- as I read Alka Dimri Saklani’s new book- 45 days in a cancer hospital. Recently- I have grown out of the
teenage books- Twilight and Harry Potter seem strangers on my shelf. This
transition is not easy-. I pacified my fluttering beliefs- I should trust
Ashritha’s instincts. Not my love interest- Animesh enjoys the lion share of
her destiny. And readers Ashritha and Animesh are not my friends. They are the
lead characters of 45 days in a cancer
hospital.
The novel is about a well known writer voluntarily staying
at a cancer hospital for 45 days- with a strong and noble intention. She wants
to write her novel based on the miseries faced by cancer patients staying at Dr
Chatterjee’s Umeed Hospital. Now this Doctor had lost his mother years ago. The
unfortunate lady was diagnosed with bone cancer. But the worst fact was- her
unloving husband did little to save her. My psychology teacher would say this
doctor might be suffering from Oedipus complex- because he can’t forgive his
fate. He has renounced almost all desires of human life- and has dedicated
himself to his profession. He is complex because he sees a reflection of his
mother in all his bone cancer patients and is very possessive about them. To
justify his obsessive behavior- he keeps a diary- a medium of one way conversation
with his late mother.
The hospital is not a clean haven. Something uncanny is
taking place- patients are dying- nurses are leaving their jobs never to
return. Being a writer Ashritha is curious and with some tips from Animesh- a
CBI officer she starts investigating. There are too many shady characters to
speak of- but Dr. Amin is a man of heart – though wrongly accused. I find 45
days a novel that documents the tragedies that take place in the Medical world.
Some of the cases discussed is heart wrenching indeed- especially of Pinky and
Saurabh. I find Shyamlal and the gate keeper unfit for their posts. Real menace!
The story is well framed- you have days and room numbers as chapter headings
and sub headings. The cover is simple- a blood pink crab- the zodiac symbol of
cancer diagonally placed. The blurb keeps most of its promises- though at places
Alka was quite predictable- a flaw for any suspense writer. In 5 point I can
give this otherwise entertaining writer 3.5.
