CHRONICLE OF AN HOUR AND A HALF BY SAHARU NUSAIBA KANNANARI

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BOOK NAME: CHRONICLE OF AN HOUR AND A HALF

AUTHOR NAME: SAHARU NUSAIBA KANNANARI

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION

PUBLISHER: WESTLAND BOOKS

BOOK BUY LINK: https://amzn.in/d/5tMWItm


BOOK COVER IMAGE



BOOK REVIEW

In a small town, Areekode, near Calicut in Kerala, Nabeesumma - mother of five boys who are now grown-up adults, opens her door to a news that is about to shatter her life. Her youngest, Burhan, is accused of maintaining an illicit affair with Reyhana, the mother of two girls who is fifteen years older than him. For any sane person, it’s an issue concerning two consenting grown-ups who should settle it among themselves and their families after reasoning. But what can stop a mob united by a common rage with a common purpose - to teach the seemingly consenting in a relationship a lesson that will cost them their lives? 


This book experience for me was close to when I watched a Malayalam movie named Jallikattu in 2020. Both of these are narratives set around exposing the vulnerabilities and bigotries deeply bound to human nature. A book that reads in a single breath from the perspective of everyone involved and helplessly watching the mob lynching. It was hard for me to believe that this was a debut book because of the extensive and vivid descriptions of landscapes, scenarios, emotions and human behaviours. 


The story induced a rage in me that started somewhere from the pit of my stomach, creeping up my throat until I wanted to smash the mob and retrieve Burhan and Reyhana to safety from people who assumed they had the power to punish people. Isn’t it strange that people are themselves sinners and abusers who think they can act as moral police for others? Though painful and heartbreaking, the ending perfectly summed up the theme of the story, which was how difficult it is for a woman to survive in a man’s world. 


With the many characters like Nabeesumma, Hakimaakka, Panchami, June and many others, it felt like a character study in itself. This glorious debut with an array of luminous characters, excellent writing, and a gripping and poignant tale is not to be missed, more so if you have heard of it already.


MY REVIEW: 5/5

This is a part of Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge

#penbooksandscalpel








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