GEISHA IN THE GOTA PATTI BY CHETNA KEER – BOOK REVIEW
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The fascinating Chetna Keer has done it again. Her third
book in the Gulmohar series is another gem that is every bit as intriguing as
its title sounds. Once again, Lollita, aka Laasyanga Mansingh, finds herself amid
a mystery surrounding teacups and teapots. The narrative starts with the
following quote:
“There is a great deal of Poetry and fine sentiment in a Chest of Tea.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The cover is like a delicate Japanese miniature with its vibrant
Geisha painted on a teacup, a cover that gives a tantalising hint of what lies
within the book.
From a satirist to a suspense writer, Chetna Keer has had
an interesting journey. In her third book in the series, tea is the thread that ties up the whole narrative. The book is divided into five
parts, each starting with a memorable quote to do with tea. One entire chapter
is devoted to a tea party where all her interesting guests are likened to
varieties of the beverage. As they sip delicately at their cuppa, they come out
with the most entertaining tea anecdotes and superstitions which keep the
reader enthralled.
As in her earlier books, the author keeps her
characterisation as descriptive as ever. Right from the stylish Lollita to the matriarch
Bade Beeji, Buddhua and Behraa, and the family members and diplomats, all her
characters come alive through the pages. For example, the Japaani Bahu blossoms
with the exquisite description:
“Floral aromas flowing from a fragile teacup. As bony as
breathtaking bone china. As fluid as fragrant floral tea.”
Her husband, Nawii Mama, comes across as “sturdy and
swank as a tall teapot. A teapot with a sharp linear snout with a bit of a
pout.”
Alliteration appears across the whole narrative, adorning
it with admirable brilliance. There are examples galore of the author’s craft
behind the creativity.
“Time warp tiptoed out for a tryst with Time ticking on.”
“Lollita’s voice floated forth over the hanging heartbeats
of heirloom wishlists.”
Another example that I cannot but mention:
“Teatimes had left their tell marks. Tales etched on its
teak skin, a testimony to times when partaking of tea was not a hurried slurp on
the sands of time but a ritual to be savoured sip by sip.”
Bone china also runs through like a motif through the
book, as do the beautiful Japanese traditions like the ritual of paper cranes, the
minimalistic Ikebana, the references to prized porcelain and Hanami, the
globally famous ceremony of celebrating the Cherry Blossoms.
As the reader continues to peruse through the narrative, the author’s painstaking research comes to the surface. There is a blend of history, fact, fiction and art all woven together to tell a riveting tale. The 1971 Indo-Pak war, the 1984 riots, the era of Kashmiri militancy and the rites of diplomacy all play their roles to perfection even as the suspense winds its way to the very end.
As in Chetna Keer’s earlier books, her penchant for satire and humour spring out, bringing a smile on the reader’s face.
Bhopa Singh, the guide and waiter, sports a “trademark
mountain mutton chop that acted as a natural filter for speech.”
She writes with affection and humour about Behraa, the
ancient gardener. “When a 50-ish belly has feasted on butter chicken legs,
downed with a couple of pegs, it’s not easy to bolt out of snoring.”
There is so much more to this wondrous novel, but I do
need to leave some things for the readers to savour. However, it would be amiss
of me if I did not mention the use of personification in this book, another instance
of Chetna Keer’s craft. She has brought alive the Gulmohar with its awe-struck
gaze and wrinkled skin, the telescopic table with veins and arteries with “the
scratchings and scrapings of Time etched on its once blemish-free skin”, and of
course, the roshandaan, with its clouded vision and sleepless vigil.
What makes this book even more relevant in today’s world are
the references to global warming and climate change which affect both the
Gulmohar and the Cherry Blossom. The author asks whether they are noveau relatives
of a common calamity, a collective threat? “Was Winter the new Summer of global
warming?" harking back to the earlier books which also designate Lollita as a climate
warrior.
Finally, to end with two passages of evocative prose: “…
marmalade sunshine – a marmalade goldenness that comes from peaches, apricots
and oranges bringing their complexion to the sun’s forking fingers.”
“Twining tendrils of mist traipsed like pearl wool
strands wishing to be threaded into the tapestry.”
Thus, while ‘Geisha in the Gota Patti’ is a suspense novel, there is so much more to entertain and instruct the reader, both in the intriguing theme and in the style of writing. Definitely a book to savour and to treasure!
818 words
Geisha in the Gota Patti
Publisher: Readomania
Paperback: Rs. 355
Buying Link: https://www.amazon.in/Geisha-Gota-Patti-Chetna-Keer-ebook/dp/B0DLVB4ZF7
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