|
The River Turned Red-- India-West, January 23, 2004
Review by Punita Ghosh.
Nirmala Moorthy’s latest offering is a historical novel set in 19th Century colonial India. It is a story of love and betrayal, hope and desperation at a tumultuous time in Indian history. The year is 1857—the year of the Sepoy Mutiny when Hindu and Muslim soldiers took up arms against their British masters.
Against such a volatile backdrop, the story unfolds in the impoverished kingdom of Paramgar. The heir to the throne, the willful Lila, who has already given her heart to an English officer, is forced into a politically expedient marriage by her dying father to a man she detests on sight. But life as a virtual prisoner in a harem is not for this feisty heroine. She escapes, but only to find herself drawn into a bloody chain of events that leaves her more heartbroken than before. In her daring attempt to rescue her only true friend and governess from the terrible siege of Cawnpore, Lila finds herself at the mercy of her vengeful lover who blames her for the massacre of British women and children. Torn between two men—the lover who now despises her and the husband who spurns her—Lila must fight and overcome battle strategies and palace intrigues to reclaim her life and the welfare of her people.
Into this main plot are woven subplots of people caught in the vortex of these historical events—of Daulat Ram, who saves a British captain’s daughter only to find himself convicted of raping her; of his brother Kamal who must now assume the responsibility for the entire family; of Nana Saheb who appears to be both a friend and a foe of the British; of Mahesh, Lila’s brother-in-law, who is torn by his conflicting loyalties; and of the band of thugs who are perpetrating their own terror in the countryside.
Moorthy’s novel is a fast-paced captivating story of times gone by.
The River Turned Red –The Guru, published in Seattle and San Diego, January 9, 2004.
Review by Sonali T. Sikchi
With “The River Turned Red” Nirmala Moorthy has another page-turner for her many fans. Intrigue and romance, honor and sacrifice, suspense and mayhem intermingle with historical facts, and where reality falls short, Moorthy’s talented storytelling takes flight.
Lila, Moorthy’s signature lead, is the heir to the impoverished kingdom of Paramgar, India, in the days when the kingdom’s annexation by the British East India Company is a serious threat. In spite of this Lila finds herself hopelessly entangled with Stuart Wheeler, a captain in the British army. But to please her dying father, Lila disregards her feelings for Stuart and suffers through a politically expedient marriage to Vikram Singh, heir to the throne of Ratanpur, whom she dislikes passionately since their chance encounter during a hunt.
The British insensitivity and bigotry towards the religious and social customs of their Hindu and Muslim soldiers and their harsh punitive measures for the smallest infractions, fuel united anger and violence against the oppressive colonial rule. Through Lila’s pervceptive observances and experiences, India’s first bid from British rule, the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, unfolds in all its horrific drama and bloody aftermath.
Lila is trapped in this sinister web as she spurns her husband’s overtures, and he assumes an increasingly menacing stance as a practitioner of Thuggery. She escapes from Ratanpur to visit her fatally ill father and see to his last rites. Compromised and insulted by the Nana Saheb, sinister ruler of Bithore, her attempts to save her captured governess end with her fall into the vengeful hands of her British lover. Stuart holds her responsible for the massacre of the British women and children in the siege of Cawnpore. Her short respite in Ramnagar, at the home of Daulat Ram’s brother, is interrupted by her recognition by officials from Ratanpur, and she is summarily delivered into Vikram’s hands. She escapes to Madhuvan to meet Mahesh, Vikram’s younger, kinder brother, but ends up in a far direr situation than she has ever been.
What makes “The River Turned Red” particularly enjoyable are the strong, well-formed characters having their own distinct voices and personalities. With an authoritative command of rich historical details and a glimpse into India’s culture of a bygone era, Moorthy skillfully weaves the various threads of the story into a cohesive engrossing plot, appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Moorthy seems to relish and dwell on the gruesome and stomach-turning particulars of death by cremation, death by being blown to bits by cannon fire and death by the ruthless swiftness of the Thug roomal. A little less real estate devoted to this, and more spent on uncovering Lila’s thoughts and interpretations of the devastating events would elevate this book from an entertaining story to a memorable one.
| 
