Book Review: The Guardian Angels
The Guardian Angels:
| Publisher | : Grapevine India |
| Cover | : Paperback |
| No. Of Pages | : 328 |
| Date of Publication | : 2013 |
| Language | : English |
| ISBN 13 | : 9789381841280 |
| ISBN 10 | : 9381841284 |
| Year Of Publication | : 2013 |
| Author | : Rohit Gore |
About the Book:
Guardian Angels is the epic and tumultuous story of two star-crossed lovers who weren’t just soul-mates but were also each other’s protectors.
The fates of Adi Mehta and Radha Deodhar are deeply entwined when within days of their first rendezvous they save each other’s lives.
Despite their vast sociopolitical differences, they are drawn to an uncertain future fraught with contrasting ambitions, personas and ideologies.
. . . he is the son of a billionaire, she is the daughter of a socialist.
. . . he is quiet and unassuming, she is a firebrand and spirited.
However, the unexplained phenomena ties them forever – whenever they are in peril, they are each other’s only saviors.
Over the following two decades Adi and Radha live through hope and despair, joy and sadness, and try to decipher their relationship. As the truth of their bond is revealed, they must confront the true nature of love, and ultimately, their destinies.
About the Author:
Rohit Gore grew up in a number of towns in India. At various times in his childhood, he wanted to be a theatre actor, an architect and a bookshop owner.
After his engineering degree, he was based in Mumbai. An MBA from S P Jain Institute followed and since then he is in the IT industry.
He loves sports, specifically the discussing and watching part of it, since the playing days are long gone. He has travelled a lot – a consequence of living in Mumbai and London. His greatest passion is reading and it inspired him to write. He is a frequent contributor to many online writing forums and wishes there were more writing groups.
He has a keen interest in history, especially the history of music and arts. One of the things he would like to get better at is photography.
He currently lives in Pune, a wonderfully vibrant city with his wife Pranita and son Sahil.
The Review:
I discovered Rohit Gore last year when there were ads on homeshop18.com for his book, Circle of Three. I had liked the book immensely and immediately, but never got around to reviewing it - because simply put, I'd not become an official reviewer till this year.
I applied to review The Guardian Angels from the Tales Penseive because, I wanted to read more from Rohit Gore and also because the blurb really attracted me, The key words for this attraction was, "star-crossed lovers."
The book arrived at my doorstep on Panchami (09.10.2013), the day before the five days of Durga Pujos start in Bengal...I was a bit worried about when to begin reading the book, because I knew once our crazy days start, I wouldn't get to spend two consecutive minutes with the book.
I finally managed to get some time for myself and once I began reading the book, there was no stopping. I think I paused once to have dinner, and once to sleep a little and till I finished the book, I couldn't leave it aside...
Adi and Radha are characters who are brought to life by Rohit Gore. We encounter them first, when they are merely twelve years old...and we witness them, growing up and changing into distinct individuals.
One could say the book actually narrates the lives of Adi and Radha since the time they met each other, then they go their separate ways...but something always pulls them back to one another. In truth, they are exactly what the book's title tells us from the start - The Guardian Angels.
The writing is simple, lucid and well, at times heartbreaking. From experience I know, it is the simple words which manages to wrench your heart. I don't remember crying so much, while reading (unless you count the time I bawled my eyes out when J K Rowling mercilessly killed Dobby in Harry Potter.) Nor do I remember getting so involved in a book.
Rohit Gore uses a semi-epistolary form of writing, with the help of entries from Radha's journal. Other times it is either Adi's perspective, or other characters from the story. What I greatly appreciated was that even though the supporting characters have their own roles to play and do not seem like mere puppets for the story, the focus never shifts from Radha and Adi.
This is a book definitely worth reading, especially on a rainy afternoon, when you don't feel like doing any work. You might finish the book in record time (like I did), but the story will stay with you for a long time afterwards.
A friend of mine had once written on my Facebook timeline (back when it was called a wall), "One day the music will stop, the curtain will fall, and all the characters would leave the stage. But you'll still remember it."
There can be no other phrase to describe the impact this book is going to have on you, especially if offbeat romance tales are your cup of tea.
Rating: 4.5/5
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The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.
