BOOK REVIEW: THE TREE WITH A THOUSAND APPLES

Author: Sanchit Gupta

Number Of Pages: 284 (Hardcover)

Genre: Thriller, Historical Fiction

Trigger Warning: Violence, Rape

 

 "Oh, you foolish children! Curfew is never over. That is a thing about curfew in this town. It doesn't matter what the loudspeaker says, the curfew is never over. This town is a prison, a prison with lakes and flowers."

I remember asking my parents as a child why we never go to Kashmir for a holiday and they used to answer," waha ka mauhal sahi nahi hai abhi, jald hi theek hoga toh jayenge." It is not safe to visit Kashmir right now, as soon as it is safe we will definitely go. It has been twenty years to this conversation and they still answer the same.

The Tree with a Thousand Apples, is a story based on true events across a span of 24 years. It follows the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir and the effect that left on the community of Kashmir. The story focuses on the lives of three children, Safeena, Bilal and Deewan and how everything turns upside down in one night leading each of them to take actions that they never imagined in their wildest dreams.

Praise should be given to the author because as the story progresses, there is violence in the name of peace and religion and the author has maintained a neutral point of view without creating any prejudice in his characters, and providing understandings of the mindset of all the people and communities involved.

Gupta paints an extraordinary before and after picture of a beautiful and a war torn Kashmir which we could possible never see from our eyes. 

"Only a few years ago, the smell of cardamom and cinnamon would fill these streets, where tourists would flock and pack the exotics away in jute sacks. Today, the smell of burning rubber and tear gas from protests during the day resides in the air."

The violence is explained quite vividly in the book which might be a trigger warning for some readers.

The writing style is direct and to the point. The Tree with a Thousand Apples stands tall and proud amongst its contemporaries with its strong plot and crisp writing and can easily give them a run for their money.

The fast paced, and suspenseful storytelling makes this an engrossing read. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. 

My Verdict: 5/5

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