img class=”aligncenter wp-image-7705″ src=”https://sirimiri.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Leaves-Bud-Chacko-Sirimiri-683×1024.png” alt=”Leaves-Bud-Chacko-Sirimiri” width=”499″ height=”748″>
Pages: 309
Genre: Fiction
Available in: Paperback and E-book Format
The Plot:
3 Short Stories make up this book.
The Faithful Husband: Seby is a smart, ambitious and assertive young man. He uses his astute intelligence, and the helplessness of others, to amass a large fortune, on the basis of which he gloats and arm twists people around him. How much is too much and where does greed lead to? Is money everything after all?
Two Leaves and a Bud: Love is love, whether it is silent, one sided or unrequited. Love causes some to blossom, while others wither away when touched by it. A young man from Kerala moves to the greener pastures of Mumbai to look for a livelihood. He finds much more than that. Does life change love or does love change life, is what this story will prompt you to ask yourself.
The Holiday: A holiday from work makes Raymond take a stroll around his city. As he walks along the streets of Goa, he bumps into old acquaintances and friends. These unexpected encounters shine the light on various facets of life and living and set him thinking and questioning.
My Thoughts:
This book can be judged by its cover, the simple beauty of which made me want to pick it up. Share on X The stories follow the same theme. An easy narration, smooth flow and a depth that leaves you thinking about life, people and decisions.
Three different stories, three different settings and varied characters in the same book are a serendipitous treat.
The Syrian Christian Community rarely gets written about. Which is why there is little, or no, curiosity or information about them. The Faithful Husband gives the reader insight into the community, the customs and its people. A real treat!
Communism in Kerala is a hot, debatable topic. In the first story the author shares both points of view intelligently and fairly, that of the communists and the people against communism.
People are hard to decipher, no matter how simple they may seem. Once the layers peel off, will you like what you see? This is the quandary the title story will put you in.
M A Chacko writes from the heart. His writing has the honesty, emotion and thought that can only come when it comes from experience. All the characters are well etched and identifiable. Simple people we come across in everyday life and situations faced daily form the crux of all stories.
My only quibble is the abrupt and incomplete ending to all three stories.
Reading Two Leaves and a Bud by M A Chacko was like savoring a simple home cooked meal. It bought contentment to the senses and comfort to the heart. Share on X**** 4 Stars to Two Leaves and a Bud by M A Chacko.
My rating chart;
*Use it as a doorstop.
**Read it if you have nothing better to do.
***You may like it if you like this particular genre.
****Must read!
*****What! You haven’t read it YET?
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review from Writersmelon
My interest in this book is piqued already, would love to read a simple love story with a tangent on the community we hardly know anything about. Good Review M.