A sparrow's fall resonates

Fall of a Sparrow
Jims Andrews
Frog Books.
Rs 195
167pgs


 'Fall of a Sparrow' is about sensitivity and courage under a time of great stress

"We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun" - William Glasser.

The book, 'Fall of a Sparrow' is exactly about these five elements. It is about the tragedies that the tsunami brings to the world of the protagonist and also about his delightful childhood and college days.

The central character of the story is George, a marine engineer by profession, who sails on the passenger liner called MV Himalaya. His liner visits the tiny, but picturesque, island of Chamundi near the Andamans, when the tsunami strikes and his life is changed forever. George somehow survives the waves as so do a few of his colleagues and the inhabitants of Chamundi.

The story is neatly wound around George, who hails from Calicut, and the flashback technique used to narrate his childhood and college days is fascinating. His early days in a village called Enamavu in Kerela are enjoyable and have an element of innocence in them. The stories of the Pooram festival and his favourite tusker, Kannan are very touching.

George's father Peter, and his grandfather Ouseph, have small tussles, and George loves his grandpa a lot. George often boasts about his deeds to his younger sibling Isobel and the latter is mesmerised by them. The narration of his college days has a liveliness to it and one feels that it is more than a bit autobiographical. The immense bond of friendship between George, Aman and Mahesh is narrated delicately, and so is the sacrifice that Aman makes for George.

George's story of survival in Chamundi is realistic. Some of the nuns in a convent in Chamundi also survive the tsunami attack and how they help George and Manju (who works as a nurse on the MV Himalaya, and is a good friend of George) is effectively told.

Annie, a young orphan who works in the convent as a teacher is George's love interest and the bond between the two in the adverse situation is portrayed thoughtfully.

Annie is an unblessed orphan who has suffered all her life. She gives George a new life by taking care of him day and night when he slips into unconsciousness. Unfortunately, she loses her own battle with life at the end. The survivors' fight to remain alive and help others who are on the edge is stirring. The characters appear to be real and each character is unique and plays an important role in the story.

This is Jims Andrews first book but it shows no evidence of it. The protagonist hails from Calicut and is a marine engineer as is author Jims Andrews. The author was sailing onboard a passenger liner in the Andaman and Nicobar islands when the tsunami struck in December 2004. His experience can be seen in the way he sensitively handles the whole story from beginning to end.