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Book Summary

Book Title: The Village By the Sea
Author: Anita Desai
Length: 260 pages
Genre: Children's Fiction 
 


Scoop in a Nutshell
A village by the sea. What does that remind you of?
Hawkers? Flea markets? Fishing?
Bring in all of that and more. Into the vibrant village of Thul, nestling by the Arabian Sea.
Breathing color and life and fish, Thul is a fishing-hub, complete with its share of routine bustle, markets, fresh palms, and the nautical breeze.  
And life goes on.

But does it, really?

When an industrial building is thrust into such a pristine frame, can life ever seem the same?
The answer, of course, is no, but unlike what you might have believed, it is the people- the villagers-that seem outlandish, and not the factory. City-folk have always had the knack of marking their territory, and so, as the old breathe the smoke of a transformed native land, and the young grapple between dreams of recruitment in the factory, and reality, life goes on.

Hari, a young boy, his sister, Leela, and their younger siblings are thrown into more turmoil than ever with the coming of the factory. What with  an invalid mother to tend for and a drunkard of a father to fend themselves from, there could never have been enough.

However, Leela and Hari deal with every situation with a renewed courage and strength, finding ways out and managing to keep themselves grounded  all along. But how long can it last? The shores have always been tempting, so Hari finally sets off all by himself to Bombay, to make himself a fortune that he believes can be of aid to his family.

There is good in every corner of the world. Hari would have rephrased that- every tenth mile has a helpful soul. In Bombay, a Mr. Panwallah, a watch-maker, is the companion Hari would just have needed while working in a hectic five to nine job in a local dhaba- The Shree Krishna Eating House.
Adventures, experiences, learning, courage and knowledge just fly to Hari when he takes up watch-mending 'part-time' with Mr. Panwallah. He soon realises that he has found a profession he is suited for.

And so the parting is a pleasant one. The man who comes back to Thul is confident, self-reliant, responsible and well-aware. His father has come to terms with the right kind of living, and his mother is in finer health than before.






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