The People Tree: Stories About Us and Them by Beetashok Chatterjee

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The vibrant yellow cover with a multi-coloured tree on it catches the eye even before one takes in the pun that makes the title, The People Tree, so unique as well.  Readomania strikes once again with an eye-catching cover that showcases the fourteen stories within the book.

Since I had already read ‘Driftwood’ by the erudite Beetashok Chatterjee, and been highly impressed by his writing style, I was eager to see how different his second offering would be.

From the word ‘go’, I was blown away. The first story titled ‘The Little Oxford Dictionary’ brought alive memories of a past that I had been part of as an Army wife, the tribulations faced in Punjab. “A memory surfaced, like driftwood out of water” - a line that I could identify with.

The stories that followed were as gripping. Is it possible to live an entire life, correcting the course of it, switching careers, even as one sinks further into the mire? As the poignant story titled ‘Ground Zero’ unfolded, another reference to the earlier book came across. “There is nothing worse than cops with sad stories. Except sailors.” What shone forth, of course, was “the triumph of the human spirit”.

‘Do You Want to Know a Secret?’ leaves the reader depressed, but not really surprised at the climax. ‘Two Close for Comfort’ amuses and makes one ponder about the complexities of relationships.

Does one ever know one’s neighbours and their past histories? ‘The Good Neighbour’ is a riveting read that keeps the reader wondering till “the memories surfaced, like debris from some distant shipwreck…”

‘The Holy Trinity’, far from being remotely religious, celebrates the joy of close friendships forged in the most unexpected manner, and maintained over decades. How often do parents curb the freedom of their children, expecting them to ‘Come Home’ and stay close? They forget that their children need them to “be a refuge from the craziness of life’s storm, not a hurricane” in their own right.

One of my favourite stories in the book is ‘Leaves That are Green’, a story that is lyrical in language and poetic in thought. “I have always loved the way the leaves move in a breeze with that soft whispering sound they make, like Nature loves to chatter too.” The romance shines through, but the soul of the story has a light of its own.

It is evident that Beetashok Chatterjee is a meticulous writer and researcher, a fact that comes out in stories like The Vintage Car Rally, The Holy Trinity and Ground Zero. However, what is even more evident is that he possesses an enviable writing style that can encompass themes as varied as romance, loss, envy, greed, and deception, which is a true gift for a storyteller.

Word Count: 471

 

 


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