The Tales Pensieve

When I went through the book blurb for the first time I knew the story is going to be something that is totally unlike other thrillers. As the cover of the book hints, the sole theme of the story is based on the significance of the emblem printed on the cover of the book.

The story, Borrowed Plumes, revolves around Rai family and a secret that has been buried for generations. The book starts with the story of Ragini and Indrajit Rai in 1805 and a family secret or a treasure buried deep under the earth. Then as the pages of the book are turned, generations after generations are introduced with a distinct story of their own. The book, divided into four sections, spans about two hundred years. As the story unfolds, we can see how the Rai family migrates from their native place, settles in Rajpura and flourishes over time. The second part of the story describes the life of a descendant of the Rai family, Himmat Rai. This part of the book develops our liking towards the Rai family and their members. In this part, the lifespan of Himmat Rai and his wife, Ayesha has been illustrated with such a depth that it can easily strike the readers’ mind. This part can also be called the nucleus of the story as the story takes a great turn from this part. The story takes a stirring turn when Himmat Rai, a retired army officer and Ayesha, his beloved wife settled in Rajpura after their only son Rishabh and his wife Natalie settle in Paris after marriage. The village of Rajpura is disturbed as the young girls of the village are getting abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered by someone the villagers are scared of. Someone is suspected of taking advantage of his supremacy and doing the heinous crimes repeatedly without any fear of getting caught by the law. When Ayesha starts investigating the whole thing, situations take the worst turn ruining their peaceful life. Will the deeds of the devil be stopped ever? Who will stop him? The final part of the story reveals everything. The hidden secret of the family is also divulged.

The author, being a woman herself, has portrayed some beautiful pictures of women in the story. Every woman in this story is an example of modesty, kindness, empowerment, knowledge and steadfastness. All the women in the story are presented with a strong persona which I really like. Also there is something that grabbed my attention. All the members of the Rai family described in this story are given a very liberal mindset. Starting from the earlier 19th century to the present, everyone in the Rai family has been given a broadminded attribute. Their perspectives are clear and not influenced by the conventional norms of the society.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my read. This book has a bunch of imageries that clears our perspective towards many things such as the early ages, the social changes, and acceptance, the army life and it takes us on a visual journey spanning two hundred years. I loved Pratima Kapur’s ability to create magic with words, describing everything in a way that the reader could relate to the story. She, very beautifully, has created an image of the different ages that it does not seem to be a fiction at all.

Fast paced and enjoyable. Recommended.

Title : Borrowed Plumes
Authors: Pratima Kapur
Publisher/ Imprint: Leadstart Publishing/ Frog Books
Pages: 284
Genre/ Sub Genre: Fiction/ Thriller
Rating: 4.50 of 5.00
Reviewed for: Publisher

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