TITLE: Tiger Hills
AUTHOR: Sarita Mandanna
GENRES: Fiction, historical fiction, romance
MY RATING: 4/5
SYNOPSIS
“She knew her child was special, had known from the very day of her birth, the day of the herons…
1878, Southern India. As the first girl born into the family for over sixty years, beautiful, spirited Devi is adored by everyone. And when she befriends Devanna, a gifted young boy whose mother died in tragic circumstances, the two swiftly become inseparable.
Their futures seem inevitably linked until one night Devi meets ‘the tiger killer’ – and makes a decision that has heartbreaking consequences for generations to come…”
MY SUMMARY
The story opens with the birth of Devi, who the book largely focuses upon, though she is by no means the only main character. Set between 1878 and 1930 in Coorg, Southern India, it centers on a love triangle between Devi, her closest friend Devanna and Machu, the tiger killer; and the events that develop as a consequence of it.
Devi and Devanna grow up almost inseparable as children after Devanna is taken in by Devi’s family following his mother’s death. Both children are enrolled in the local missionary school where very soon Devanna’s superior intelligence is recognized by the head of the school, Father Herman Gundert, who makes the boy his protege and comes to regard him as the son he never had.
Devanna’s love and devotion for Devi is clear from the very beginning and he believes his feelings to be reciprocated. However when, at the tender age of ten, the headstrong Devi meets Devanna’s cousin Machu, the famed tiger killer, she vows to herself that she will marry no one but him and for the following years does everything in her power to put her plan into action. And it might have all worked out and been a more or less happier and ordinary story if not for a decision that Father Gundert makes, altering the course all their lives might otherwise have taken.
MY THOUGHTS
The Good:
Overall I quite enjoyed reading the book. There were some instances where it dragged a bit but for the most part it kept up a good pace and held my interest. The author has a wonderful way with words and the use of language was well executed in giving such precise descriptions and vivid imagery that the story just rolled out like a movie playing in my head.
I appreciated the many references to the culture, traditions and beliefs of the Coorg people, of whom I knew hardly anything before reading this book. It was also interesting to read about the lives of the Indians as well as the foreigners living there during the colonial times, what each thought of the other and their interactions with each other. The ragging that that takes place at the medical college Devanna attends is described so effectively that it made me really empathise with him and I couldn’t help shedding a few tears at the culmination of this brutality that eventually sets the story rolling in the direction that will have a devastating effect on the lives of all the characters.
This is a heartbreaking story, fraught with what if’s and if only’s. It is a story of loss, where it feels like the misfortune of the characters can be blamed on themselves to some extent but at the same time I cannot help sympathising with them. They all seem to be dogged by misfortune wherever they turn but towards the end the author makes it look like there might be some hope after all, some hope for forgiveness and for redemption, though it is hardly a happy ending for those involved.
The Bad:
I do have a few complaints about the book. I wish there had been further development of Devanna’s character; after the first half of the book he mostly fades into the background as the focus shifts to Devi and the two sons (I won’t say whose sons because that would be a spoiler). The description of the relationship between Devi and Machu struck me as a tad bit dramatic but then again maybe that’s just my distaste for their behaviour and for overly romantic stories.
And one thing that really got on my nerves while reading the book was the liberal use of the word nonetheless; it just seemed to pop up everywhere! It was so repetitive at times that my attention kept getting drawn towards it which retracted from the reading experience. I’m sure a suitable synonym could have been substituted here and there.
The Conclusion:
As a rule I tend to avoid books with a sad story because they leave me feeling unsettled and depressed but I didn’t feel that way much with Tiger Hills. In conclusion I would say it was a pleasure to read this book and I look forward to reading another one of her books soon.
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