In her next book, “In the Name of the Father and the Sons,” Arunima G builds a world that is distant and close to this one as well as has traces of the elements of fantasy with the accurate use of imagination and realistic elements. As the title suggests, the novel explores a story across generations and the darker side of what otherwise may appear to be a life of glamour. Through this, the author not only highlights and gives words to the unsaid but also gives readers a new perspective and thought. Each character that the author builds comes with a unique identity. Whether it is the power-hungry Ratna Bai or the present-day policewoman Madhavi or younger characters like Shushant, Prachi or Bela, the author shows dexterity in understanding the mindset and a strong understanding of the needs of the people of those age groups. She does justice in presenting the states of the characters and expressing their thoughts.
However, the central theme around remains pervasive in “In the Name of the Father and the Sons.” The author explores women who are powerful, cunning and deceitful, gullible and naive, and victims of the evils of the world. Speaking through the minds of different women also highlights the versatility of the author to adapt her pen to the needs of the characters. She also delivers the silent message that we live in the same world where the power balance is so unbalanced, but it is the real deal, after all. Most importantly, the distinguishing feature of the book is the manner in which the readers are equally engaged in unraveling or conjecturing the mystery that the author creates and build up on. The attempt and desire to find answers to those questions becomes one of the primary factors that keep the readers actively involved in the plot development, where they also keep making a mental note of what happened earlier to join the dots later.
The speed of the development of the plot is the attraction of the book. Once the author does the background building of all of them, she gives “In the Name of the Father and the Sons” enough speed, which is full of action and quick developments. At the same time, it is as distinct as her earlier books as here; the plot is rooted in people and their behaviors, but their motives of action are different. In that way, the readers would find this book to be a refreshing reading that features an exciting plot, close-to-life unpredictable characters, twists that are least anticipated and loose ends that are all tied up in the end to make sense and meaning. This book is recommended to all readers who are interested in reading a work of fiction that is driven by the actions of interesting characters to find themselves as well as the questions that they have in mind. Altogether, Arunima G’s “In the Name of the Father and the Sons” has all the features to come out as a promising reading.
