Author: Sutapa Basu
Publisher: Readomania
I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you heard the story of Parvatibai before?
Parvatibai was the brilliant and dynamic Baisaheb and wife of Sadashivrao
Bhau who commanded the Maratha forces at the Third Battle of Panipat. She was
the witness as well as survivor of the entire siege and battle at Panipat
between the Marathas and Afghan invaders led by Ahmad Shah Abdali. Observed
through Parvatibai’s eyes, this historical narrative counters some common
controversies… Why were the valiant Marathas defeated at Panipat? Was it
treachery of the Maratha sardars or a nefarious infiltrator that stabbed them
in the back? Despite losing the battle, how did the Marathas succeed in their
mission? Unprecedently told from the perspective of the vanquished, this tale
explores the causes, strategies, and consequences of this great endeavour to
safeguard India for Indians.
Sutapa’s book explores the life and times of Parvatibai and how her life shaped up. She has beautifully captured the development of a young woman into the fierce warrior and astute strategist that we come to know her as. The storytelling in the book is quite captivating and keeps you hooked and interested in the events that are occurring. The research in the book is also quite detailed and the descriptions of the places and events is quite accurate which helps you understand and relate to the book as well. The writing is emotive and quite easily manages to convert a historical story into a gripping narrative that keeps you interested. Another aspect of the book that was interesting was the fact that it is not a one-sided narrative, rather each character is given their own space and you get to see a wholesome narration of the events as they occur. The language of the book is easy-to-understand and Sutapa has retained the conversation in Marathi in places along with the English translations which adds to the overall reading experience. The climax of the book has been treated well and the manner in which she leaves it open to pique the reader’s interest to research further and read more about Parvatibai is the true mark of a storyteller.
Coming to the characters, Parvatibai’s story has been explored in detail,
right from the struggle of childhood to the challenges of her marital home,
Sutapa has taken her time to build her story and give due credit to the valiant
nature that she possessed. The other characters are also given due time and
space to develop so that it does not feel like glorifying one person. Another
aspect of the character development which I liked what that the strengths and
weaknesses, both, have been explored and rather than a historical enigma,
everyone is shown with their virtues and flaws.
This is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes to read historical fiction and is interested in the modern Indian history. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore!
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