Book review: 45 days in a cancer hospital

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

ISBN-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.