Book Review : The Wrong Turn by Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose

Book: The Wrong Turn

Author: Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Om Books International

Price: 295 INR

Pages: 488

Blurb:

"1944, Kohima — a normal, sleepy town in northeast India. Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) along with the Japanese, are on the brink of bringing the Empire to its knees and forcing the British out of India. But, inexplicably, the tables turn. The INA’s advance is thwarted and the victory march to Delhi is halted. Seventy years later, the British admit that the Battle of Kohima was the greatest battle they had ever fought. Even more so than the battles of Waterloo and Dunkirk.

Was it then that old Indian curse — betrayal? Someone from within Netaji’s own ranks? Were there forces other than the British, waiting in the shadows closer to home, who stood to gain even more from the INA’s defeat? Or was it just love that irrevocably altered the course of India’s destiny?
The Wrong Turn: Love and Betrayal in the Time of Netaji, is a sweeping tale of passion set against the freedom struggle. Debraj, the rakish playboy and scion of a distinguished Calcutta family, and Nishonko, the fiery revolutionary sworn to the cause of the INA, must not only fight their common enemy, but also for the love of Aditi, the rebel with the healing touch.

A haunting tale of love, friendship and betrayal of an entire nation, The Wrong Turn veers inexorably towards a poignant redemption."

Review:

The book is a great piece of art in itself not just in terms of the subject matter but in all spheres all together. There is a magnet pre-installed in the title itself that bounds the reader to get attracted to it without any hardships and obstacles. The book scores full marks in the blurb section which was as fascinating as the book, the front cover which was though beautiful couldn’t express much and the title which was enhanced beyond the extremities due to the “sub-title”.

I have always been intrigued by the story of Netaji and have read quite a few books dealing with the same topic and this book was not disappointing at all. It had all the elements that make a work of fiction become more lively and energetic so as to throw the same zeal in the readers.

If I talk about the characters then there was no loop hole in the characterization. There were enough of them to stuff my imagination in the right proportions. They were well described, well brought up and well treated. Also a great care was taken in penning down the antagonists and the side characters; they were a treat to the eyes.

The best part in the book is that it has different hues in the form of different cities. There was so much to explore, so much to know that it became a treat throughout.

A balance was maintained at every juncture. The author has kept a great proportion of everything, be it romance, be it history, be it juggling between light to dark read. But I thought that there was a little need of separating some sections to avoid confusion.

The vocabulary was good but a bit over the top for me and especially for a story of this kind. There was no need to be hilarious at some places, there was no need to play with words either as some places, it was just a little mismatch at some points.

The Love and Betrayal part as mentioned in the tagline is well played with by the authors. If I sum up I can certainly say that this book is a great read and every effort of the authors can be seen in this highly refined story and twists and turns and imageries. It is totally worth your time.

Recommendation:

This book can be read by any reader irrespective of her/his genre choices. It is one great read but it demands your time and attention. So it is not for naïve readers.

About the author:

Sanjay Chopra: He is an airline pilot and author of two collections of short stories, Said and Done and Tailspin stories. He believed that his office forty thousand feet in the sky and his travels provide his with a view that fuels his vivid storytelling that cuts a wide arc through time and space.

His stories have won the Invisible Ink, the Millennium writers and Southport awards in the UK and USA. In the words of his reader, ‘He is a storyteller like those of the old days, yet his stories are as modern as tomorrow.’

He lives in Mumbai with his wife Tisca Chopra, an actress and he is currently working on a film script and a web series.

Namita Roy Ghose: She has established her storytelling skills through her script writing, screenplays poetry, fiction, legendary advertising campaigns, and as a renowned advertising film director. Namita as Creative Director with HTA, left after 13 years to start her own film company, White Light, one of India’s top ad film outfits. She is a social activist, and the founder of Vanashakti, an NGO that works to protect the environment.

Namita has done pro bono work on social issues such as domestic violence, child welfare, sexual harassment and forest preservation. She is also an avid traveler, a photographer, foodie and teacher.

Buy the book:

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