A Hundred Little Flames
It’s a breeze of fresh air
A Hundred Little Flames is a captivating story of family relationships and friendship in the context of modern India.
It starts when two people from different generations meet for the first time and how they get along with each other. The book starts with Ayan attending an office party and going to work in the next morning. At the same pace, his grandfather who lived thousands of miles away had a fall. Little did they know these two events change their life forever.
When 26-year-old Ayan is sent to live with his grumpy old grandfather Gopal Shanker, in a tiny village, in Kerala, he is understandably devastated. What can a sleepy, idyllic village without even Internet connectivity offer a young man?
To make matters worse, Jairaj, Ayan’s domineering father has his own plans and is determined to have his way. Soon, Ayan has to come to terms with the hard realities of life and the blindness of greed as he and Gopal Shanker learn that life can sometimes unravel in unanticipated ways.
In a nutshell, a young man, whose life lies ahead of him meets an old man whose life is all in the past, and in a few months, everything changed. A Hundred Little Flames is a charming account of a relationship across generations and also a meditative look at the issues of old people.
The story has quite a few interesting characters among all four are main. Gopal Shanker, an elderly grumpy person, is a retired bank employee who suffers from schizophrenia. He lives with Velu, who is the housekeeper of Thekke Madom and the most trustable and caring one. Ayan is a young man who is on pursuit of finding himself. Rohini is passionate about conducting cultural camps around the country. She was also Gopal’s friend when they grew up together in Poongavanam and Gopal Shanker has immense love for her. Jairaj Shanker is Ayan’s father, whose sole purpose in life is wealth accumulation. He is quite adamant about selling the house Thekke Madom and not giving a damn about admitting Gopal Shanker to a mental asylum, he is such a cruel, selfish character in the story.
My Verdict:
“Sometimes, a journey back is a step forward”
That’s exactly what happens with Ayan in the story. He rediscovered himself.
The story teaches a handful of lessons about friendship and pure love. It reveals the sad reality of many old people who are left to stay in old-age homes and mental asylums. I guess, there is a lot to learn here for our generation and future generations like how our generation is busy and not well connected with their elders.
I do feel the book could have been shorter and the predictability in the plot exists, but Preeti Shenoy has won my heart. This book will keep you hooked till the end and with a lot of learning.
