Rain,Reading,Ginger Tea make the Monsoon memorable:My Son's Father, a famous autobiographical book by poet Dom Moraes and Raj by Gita Mehta is a fiction based on researched historical facts

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                          This year the monsoon set in earlier than the last year. The monsoon is always awaited eagerly and passionately, year after year. One never gets tired of this season. This year, the monsoon is bit special. It started early, it came with a great force, it confined all of us to home nearly for more than a month. Staying indoors for more than one month without the glimpse of sun rays appeared a little upsetting as we Indians are used to sunny days, but other things made the house confinement fruitful and interesting. The rain has been lashing day and night, filling the rivers and canals to the brim. Some places have received such a heavy rainfall that the roads,houses, hospitals,offices and undergrounds are filled with water, inconveniencing the citizens for weeks together. Every day, the newspapers alerting about the continuation of heavy rain fall have been reporting the devastation that  has been created in different areas, but the other side of the  monsoon cool and romantic, favorite of all creative persons. With the rain outside, with endless cups of tea and tasty snacks like pakodas following , the monsoon appears as the heaven for a creative person.

 In my town, it has been raining day and night. Sometimes, it lashes so furiously that the sound makes one scary. The continuous rain has kept me indoors, except for brief visits to the shops to buy necessary things. After lunch, covering myself with a shawl, I huddle into a corner with a book  and a couple of cushions for  comfort. A book and cups of ginger tea make the day !

 Since  a long time I wanted to read My Son's Father, a famous autobiographical book by Dom Moraes.  I got engrossed into it as I started it. Very candidly written book this is, which reveals the journey of a budding poet. Dom Moraes was an Indian writer and journalist. His father Frank Moraes was an editor for many leading news papers in India before independence, and he was an Indian correspondent for war times in Burma and China.  Because of his father's profession and extensive contacts, as a boy Dom Moraes had lot of opportunities to meet famous and influential people and visit many countries, even during war time. The exposure to politics, exposure to war situations, exposure to different geographical locations in the childhood offered ample scope to have wider and multiple perspectives and to crystallize his thoughts as a sensitive poet.  On the other hand, he unveils the traumatic childhood experiences regarding his mother's health, but his father 's unfailing love and support enables him to realize his dream as a poet, finally.  The interesting part in the book is, he meets famous poets and authors during his studying abroad. Life in Oxford, meeting with poets, discussions with great personalities in the cafes, girlfriends, travelling to  the European countries at the age of 19 - all the realities of western world and culture have been written very frankly. It is definitely a very interesting read.

          After this autobiographical book, I laid my hand on the book Raj which is written by  Gita Mehta, who happens to be the daughter of Biju Patnaik and the sister of Naveen patnaik, the chief ministers of Orissa, India. Gita Mehta studied in India and England- Cambridge University. She has worked as journalist and documentary film maker. Though the book is in fictional form, it is based  on the well researched historical facts of the colonial power  in India. The book deals with the colonial period and presents the vivid picture of the changing conditions of the Maharajas[ princes] in the colonial era.  Some incidents like famine show how the people of India suffered , resulting in endless death and dire poverty.  The issue like the British convincing princes to give land for the railway projects  enlighten the readers on many subtle hidden agendas. No doubt, it is a very interesting fictional novel based on historical facts. There are some details and descriptions of Maharajas attending the coronation of queen Elizabeth, which tease the sensibilities of readers. On the whole, it is a good read with historical details.

Still the rain has continued and the sky is overcast. The smell of ginger is lingering.