Author– M.A Chacko
Book– Two Leaves And a bud
Previous Works– The Circus And Other Stories, How He Met Me And Other Stories,
Publishers– The Write Place
Number of Pages– 309
Format– Paperback
Blurb-
In Two Leaves And A Bud, M.A Chacko shares his rich insights into the lives of the Syrian Christian community of India. Three distinct stories weave their magic in this novel: The first, The Faithful Husband, stars Seby, a true Sunday Christian, who has acquired land from the Malabar Namboodiris and contrives to retain the land for his family, using any means.
The protagonist of the second book is a young Catholic boy from Kerala, who sets off for greener pastures to earn a living as a construction worker. Chacko fluently discusses the interplay of family, values, society, marriage, dowry, and property on the day-to-day life of the community.
The Holiday, the final book in this trilogy, is a day in the life of Raymond, who wanders through old haunts in Goa on his day off. With its leisurely pace and graceful style, The Holiday gently touches ethics, culture, politics and religion in this multi-cultural tourist hotspot.
Review-
Two Leaves and a Bud, by M A Chacko, is a compilation of three stories. The first story, The Faithful Husband , is of a Syrian Christian, named Seby. Set in the mid twenties, the plot gives a certain idea of the similar craze that still exists for real estate. How a man tries to save his property from foul play and the struggle that comes with it.
The second story, Two Leaves And A Bud, is a rather unusual one. I found it most intriguing among the three. It is a love story, where a woman is desired by two people and both of them have a very different view. While one is attracted to her to have a family with her, the other sees her as his muse. She becomes the subject of his impeccable art. The story ends in a rather subtle and usual way and that what makes it the best among the three.
The third and the last story, The Holiday, is more about people’s lives. A simple stroll can be something worth reminiscing. The protagonist, Raymond takes a day off and he meets people and shares time with them. Interactions nourish our soul when they are with the ones whom we lost in time and that’s what is the gist of this story.
Also Read- Review Pen: Page 6 and Beyond by Hureen Saghar Gandhi
One each and every story deals with some aspect of the society that’s worth debating. thing worth noticing, about this book, each and every story deals with some aspect of the society that’s worth debating.We see how different are people’s lives and how different are people who might have had the same origin. The stories were unrelated and they touched the required subjects with a gentle nudge like fashion, not provoking any sudden thoughts, but if you process the facts, you get to depth of the stories.
The stories are were written in the third person narrative and is quite intense. Every part of the plot was explained in detail.
The cover is a simple art and yet beautiful and eye catching. The blurb, though too straight, is informative, giving a clear idea regarding the content.
Ratings-
Cover- 4 stars
Title- 4 stars
Blurb- 3 stars
Plot- 3 star
Writing and Presentation- 3 star
Overall- 3.4 stars out of 5
The stories weren’t the sort that most people would relate to and the intense writing made them difficult to read. They were too detailed at times, giving away too much information than the plot required. The narration could be seen being focused on things that were not related to the plot, thus might bore the reader.
Reviewed by- Banaja Prakashini
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About M.A Chacko-
M.A Chacko originally hails from Kerala. He started as a school teacher in Goa and retired as the Principal of a Higher Secondary School after a long teaching career spanning more than three decades. He presently lives in Goa, having made it his home, and pursues his passion for writing. He is the author of three other books: The Circus and Other Stories, How He Met Me and Other Stories and Those Memorable Days.