Name of the book : Of Kings and Queens ( A drama set in early 20th century, colonial India)
Name of the author: Suneeta Misra
Edited by : Isha Misra
Format of the book : Amazon Kindle Edition
Disclaimer: I got the copy of this short story from the author in exchange for my honest review.
The Story....
The story is about Ram, Prince of Mirpur. Mirpur is a semi independent state of colonial British. His father, the King of Mirpur has a penchant for beautiful women. His numerous marriages are shrouded with mysterious deaths and treacheries. Ram’s own mother had a suspicious demise and she was replaced by the evil stepmother Noor. [I just hate these evil stepmoms but they are the ones who keep the story going. Sigh!]
All these had affected the small boy and he was finding it difficult to learn his lessons. He was home tutored, with the future planned for higher studies in England. But because he was a slow learner,his tutors abandoned him one by one, till he met Professor Badri Nath. Through him, he met his granddaughter, Maya.
Maya, intelligent, going against the norms of the society, represents the changing mindsets of the post British ruled India. Though monarchy was in abolition, but in many states, people were reluctant to give up the old norms. Maya not only gave confidence to the little boy as a friend, philosopher and guide. Never afraid to speak up, even to the old King, she crept into the heart of Little Ram.
But Little Prince Ram had to leave, due to attempts made on his life by the wicked stepmom [I told you. We need them to keep the stories moving] and he goes to England for further studies of Law. He meets Ela, and they get engaged, his past buried in the corner of his heart. But as fate [another companion of stepmom] would have, he had to return to Mirpur. Would he take off where his father left? Did he meet Maya again and the old, buried love ignite again? [Zipping up]
My Favorite Line...
“Yes, very closely.I was there that day.” She said simply.
What I liked....
I liked these lines because they literally gave me the goosebumps. The ordinary story became extraordinary at this point. I really love stories which catches me by surprise. This small package did! The sudden twist in the story had me doing a double take.
What I didn't like....
What I didn’t like: I as a reader would have preferred more dialogues Some places was very narrative, but here again I must mention, the author’s strong words have painted a beautiful picture of Mirpur with all it’s royalty and splendor. But when I read a story, I would love to have more interaction between the characters even if the entire story is penned beautifully.
Ratings....
Presenting Suneeta Misra
Suneeta Misra has been a teacher in the Maryland school district of the Washington, D.C., metro
area, for the last twenty years. She also likes to tell stories and in that vein, has written and directed several documentary films and short feature films regarding the state of rural education in India as a backdrop. Most of her stories are focused around strong female protagonists in a rural Indian landscape, since this environment is patriarchal in nature and has seen many crimes against women. Some of these crimes include female infanticide, child marriage, and honor killings of girls who dare marry outside the community. She has recently published her first novel, "Rani of Rampur," and a novelette, "Of Kings and Queens," both of which are set in mythical Indian villages and center around strong female characters. She has also written several short stories and screenplays, which she hopes to turn into films one day.
A Tete-a-Tete with Suneeta Misra...
• What inspired you to write your first book?
I am a teacher, documentary film maker and a writer. I was inspired by the courage displayed by the young girls I interviewed while filming a documentary in a remote village in eastern Uttar Pradesh called “A Dream of Education in Modern India.” These girls faced many challenges in pursuing their high school degrees such as lack of bathroom facilities, little or no parental support, and most of all a patriarchal village structure. The economic and political structure in this and other UP villages is also very feudal in that people pay obeisance to powerful people rather than institutions and this is something I wanted to explore in my first book “Rani of Rampur” and in my novella, “Of Kings and Queens.”.
• Tell us about your book?
I wanted to write a fantasy novel set in colonial India which showcased a strong female character battling many odds. “Of Kings and Queens” is essentially a romantic drama about two adolescent children from widely different classes of society who come together under trying circumstances. Ram, the central male character comes from a royal family where he has to battle palace intrigue and the murderous intent of rivals to the throne. Maya, the female protagonist, has led a more sheltered life under the tutelage of a scholarly grandfather, and has thus been allowed to evolve intellectually at a much higher level than her peers. The story focuses around how these two diverse young people are able to come together and create a friendship that lasts a lifetime and beyond.
• How did you come up with the title?
All of us have read fairy tales of Kings and Queens. My inspiration was one particular fairytale- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and then I twisted it on its head and adapted it to an Indian landscape.
• What was the hardest part of writing your book?
It was difficult to find the time to write without sacrificing my other passion, film-making. Then there is my full time job- teaching which is also emotionally draining and requires great commitment of time and mind.
• Do you ever experience writer's block?
I find that ideas flow freely if only I can discipline myself into writing regularly. The issue for me is always mental discipline more than the inability to come up with stories.
• What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
I grew up reading mysteries, thrillers, and historical dramas often of a romantic bent. To me a romantic tale can only be enlivened with a murder or two thrown in for good measure. My first novel, “Rani of Rampur,” was more along the lines of a thriller. “Of Kings and Queens is a drama rather than a thriller, with a supernatural element thrown in.
• Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I love creating tales on celluloid or on paper, around strong female protagonists set in village India. My stories are set in a rural landscape because that is where the real transformation from a traditional to a modern society needs to take place. Talking about the dispossessed rather than those with plenty, always makes for a more interesting story. Their problems seem so much more real to me than of those living in the big cities of India. I view myself as a story-teller who uses different mediums to inform and entertain, whether it is on paper or on screen. Look out for my next book about an autistic girl, who overcomes challenges to save her family, and in the process solves a murder.
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