Book Review: Love Across the Borders

Publisher: All about Books Global

ISBN-10: 81-925690-0-0

No. of Pages: 250

Format: Paperback

Language: English

 

 

 

 

About the book:

I am looking at my bookshelf. Twilight, Dimpy Dairies- my collection… Dad’s Hardy Boys and Ma- Nancy Drew- I inherited not only their habit to push up the spectacles up their broad nose- but also their library and the addictive reading habit. It is not until that I felt I should start writing as well that my teacher told me I need to read a lot first. (Phew, as if my personnel 300 some books were insufficient!!)

The target “reading a lot” made me pull up and start analyzing books at random. And that is how I came across Sudam Chadra Panigrahi’s “Love Across The Borders”.

 In one way I am different from my classmates- while they read chick-lits the most and believe in posing to by an avid reader- I prefer to be a true bookworm. I don’t always like reading the classics- for they are too outdated at times. Neither do I gorge on the popular books that provide least literary values and momentary bliss. Therefore to me- this book is unlike all those international titles and high end novelists I hear of. This is a book that gives the writer a chance to express his imagination and gives him a chance to be an author. I am not a poetry loving person- but I did like the poetic sentences and if poem is said to be an expression of love- then the love story of Jia and Jivan is unique. My parents might have read many of the strangest love stories- but to me this one is the best.

 The way the author tries to make Jivan and Jia confess and believe in their power of love is great. Even in the hospital room when Jivan assists Jia and secretly adoring her innocence and beauty is skillfully portrayed. Jia ia a strong girl – she is strong willed and is confident of her feelings for Jivan. That is the reason why she tells her mother that she wants to be the ideal bride for Jivan and feels wonderful after trying out the Indian dress. She even works to bridge the differences and lives up to the expectations of Jivan’s mother and sister Arpita. The story of Shibani is an unfortunate one. Whereas Wan, who happens to by another admirer of Jia- is too forceful and therefore Jia can never feel the same for him.

The book also deals with the difficult political situation existing between India and China. (Though things are not as volatile as the novel suggests.) For the sake of the story- Mr. Panigrahi- makes living in India a threat to the lives of the Chinese people with work visa. I cannot comment much on this part of the story because- politics bore me. I found it funny to read a story that starts with an accident and end with one. It seems like the author believes life is a circle- if one starts at one point- one should end it at that point itself. Nevertheless- the novel does teach me aspects I need to keep in mind when I will be write mine- may be in a couple of years time.