Tiger by the Tale
Lakshmi Prathivadi
ISBN: 978-93-81115-32-9
Frog Books; Price: Rs 150; US $8; Pages: 164
Four shots rang out in the silent darkness — one, two, three… and four. Four lives are taken in a moment. This is witnessed by three children: fifteen-year-old Ram and his two younger siblings. They see their parents, grandfather and brother Gaurav die in front of them.
Ram also sees the face of the killer in the darkness; he sees the eyes — bloodshot red, eyes that he will never forget. Ram then learns that the killer is a British police officer.
The deaths leave the three children homeless and orphaned until they are rescued by Ravi, Gaurav’s best friend.
It was the British rule in India. The Freedom Movement was strong. Indians were willing to die for their country’s freedom; freedom from the British. Will Ram take revenge? Will he succeed? A saga of a broken family and the journey of a patriotic teenager…
About the Author
Born in 1993 in Bangalore, and currently a senior in a high school in Temecula, California, Lakshmi Prathivadi scripted this story that is set in pre-colonial India. The story draws from her childhood experiences in India, before moving to the US when she was eight. By applying modern writing techniques and style to a more traditional storyline, the book draws from various historical sources to portray a society bound by colonial chains. She first developed her zeal for writing in fourth grade, when she wrote short stories that were later published in the school publication. In middle school, she began to read a variety of books that inspired her to write her own book. In high school, she finally decided to script a story that related to her own background after she visited India in 2009. Expecting only a relaxing and fun-filled vacation, she instead found herself enthralled by the extent of Indian history. This book captures the essence of India in the 1930s when the country was embroiled in political upheaval and the social struggle for independence, which is revealed through the eyes of the protagonist Ram Sarvarkar. Lakshmi can be contacted at lakshmi_prathivadi22@hotmail.com
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