WINDCHIMES BY THE SEA – STORIES BLOWN ASHORE BY BEETASHOK CHATTERJEE - BOOK REVIEW
“The sea has so many stories to tell.”
With that sweeping statement, the author who dubs himself
“this old sea dog” has taken on the mantle of bringing his second collection of
sea stories, the first one titled ‘Driftwood’. Published by Readomania, this
collection has eleven stories that wax eloquent on war and peace, trials and
triumphs and sadness and laughter.
The cover in blue is as evocative as the melodious title
of the book. Every story is preceded by a black and white illustration that
gives a subtle hint about the story to follow.
The first story titled ‘Service to the Nation’ is
narrated against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak war of 1971, where a stroke of
luck prevented a major catastrophe. Many are the sagas of the unknown sailors
who wreak miracles without realising what they have done, and go down in
history leaving no traces behind them.
‘In the Heat of the Night’ kept me transfixed as 22-year-old
Harjit, lands in New York with stars in his eyes, only to get stuck in a total
blackout that turned the entire scenario around. “The great city lay stunned
and passive, indifferent to tiny scurrying humans.” How easily dreams get
shattered!
A rare romance in a collection of sea stories – that is
what the picturesque ‘Island in the Sun’ is. It deals with love at first sight
at Hispaniola in the Caribbean, a strategically planned sea battle, and the
pain that speaks “of long lost loves in distant shores, blurred in the mists of
time.” This again is a favourite of mine as it ends with a revelation that
stays on in the heart.
‘The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald’ speaks of a ship that
disappeared, carrying her secrets to the grave. The author ends this story with
a beautiful quote. “The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the
skies of November turn gloomy.”
‘Shore Leave’ can go terribly wrong, as is proved in the
case of Abhay Rangnekar, who starts off on the wrong foot, and ends up with
numerous mishaps as he goes ashore for a medical emergency. Is it a case of
vendetta or pure malice? The reader is left wondering.
Captain Beetashok Chatterjee proves to be the proverbial
storyteller at sea as he provides interesting nuggets about ‘Okinotori Shima’,
a small uninhabited island, a coral reef between Japan and Australia. His sense
of humour peppers the story titled ‘The GM Diet’ which is described in detail
as sailors strive to lose weight, some unwillingly.
There are circumstances which are so dire that one’s
mental depth come outs at the right moment. Jaya, the mother of a one-year-old baby,
discovers her inner reserves, during a nightmarish experience that brings out
the innate strength of a fauji daughter in the turbulent tale ‘There and Back’.
Another interesting tale titled ‘The Forgotten’ describes
the mental state of sailors during the travel restrictions of the Covid scenario
who feel that they are prisoners at sea forgotten by the rest of the world. However,
sometimes it takes only a couple of vital connections to turn the whole
scenario around. A cleverly imagined plot that keeps the reader intrigued!
‘Frozen’ is portrayed through the diary leaves of a young
Chief Mate whose ship sails to the freezing port of Nampo in North Korea and
the various travails experienced by the crew caught amid ice floes of varying
sizes. When they finally sail out from there, the Chief Mate’s diary records the
following words: “Nampo, I will not forget you. You are a sore that hasn’t
healed.”
The last story is aptly named ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’
and describes the urgency of Chief Engineer Narciso, a grumpy Croatian, who
wants to get to Australia before the first entry deadline, and finally decamps
without a replacement in the ship. The tale ends with a twist, which is the
best way, I personally feel, to end any tale.
To end with a quote from the blurb of the book – “Veteran
sea captain Beetashok Chatterjee… whips up 11 windblown stories with a hint of
brine for you, intended to transport you to the world of the seafarer.”
He most certainly does that with flair!
737 words
Publisher: Readomania
Price of the Book: Rs 399
Buying Link: https://www.amazon.in/Wind-Chimes-Sea-Beetashok-Chatterjee/dp/819741243X
A great review—detailed and thorough. Not the usual copy-paste.
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