#BookReview : Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli

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Title: Snakes in the Meadows 
Author : Ayaz Kohli
Publisher: Rupa Publications 
Published on: 5th May 2019
ISBN:978-93-5333-360-7


" Don't just live to narrate stories of your cowardice.Someone will tell a better story of how you died,rather than you telling your children how you lived."



BLURB

  Jammu And Kashmir, 1987. In the hilly village of Pathri Aali, where legends appear true, Aslam and Ashwar, two young lovers, dream of marriage and of good things of life. But that is not to be. Unable to cope, Aslam leaves Pathri Aali forever. Years later, as men migrate to Saudi Arabia for employment, Pathri Aali is populated mostly by women and children. Soon they realize the Mujahideen, who guise themselves as their liberators, are the worst perpetrators, and misery seems inescapable. Ashwar refuses to be cowed down by this reign of terror and is determined not to let it devastate the once-peaceful village. The only one she can bank on is Aslam—and she calls out to him across the distance of time and space, to return and live up to the legends of their village.
COVER PAGE

The cover page of the book, Snakes in the Meadows is very simple having a picture of a girl, two people in the backdrop of beautiful valley of Jammu and Kashmir. It is very nice and attractive in subtle shades of green and blue.



 REVIEW
There are few books that shake the reader to an extreme level and 'Snakes in the Meadows' by Ayaz Kohli is one such book. I have heard and read a lot about Jammu and Kashmir but the kind of impact that this book made on me is extreme. I haven’t visited Jammu and Kashmir but through pictures I have seen the beauty of the state which is the positive aspect but the hidden and the negative aspect is the sufferings of the people who live there. This book made me think a lot and after finishing it, I took time to come out of the effect that the book had on me.

Snakes in the Meadows by Ayaz Kohli is a very intense read revolving around the lives of the people of Pathri Aali who live in utter misery as the militants enter their village and the people become the targets of the militants. This book is set in the 1980s when the rivalry between the two countries was at peak and a lot of unfortunate events took place in the valley. In the same valley, Ashwar and Aslam fell in love but got separated and Aslam ran away and migrated to Saudi Arabia just like most of the men  for employment leaving behind his family in the hands of the militants but he comes back to save his Eden which was filled with Snakes.

Snakes in the Meadows is a very gripping saga which very minutely focuses on the Pathri Aali village. The book took me on a terrifying journey which was filled with utter misery, love, hate, revenge, cruelty etc. The opening lines of the book blew me and the first letter mentioned in the book is so heartbreaking. I really liked the various tales of valour, they built up the background and raised my expectations. The writing style of the author is amazing and I was glad that I didn’t get confused while reading so many different tales. His writing style is filled with empathy. There are so many terrifying events that shook me and I was able to visualise the story which made my reading experience amazing. The plot is very tight and powerful.

There are a lot of characters in the book. Though, Ashwar and Aslam are the two main characters which are very well developed.  I really loved Ashwar’s character. Apart from them, there are characters of Lal Jaan, Haji Mir, Zaitoon, Humza, Adalat Shah etc. The author has written about each character in a way that I didn’t get confused. The narration is fast paced and the book is very engaging. The title of the book is also well justified.  

Overall, Snakes in the Meadows is a very realistic fiction that sent chills down my spine. It is filled with elements of love, hate, revenge, cruelty, etc. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. 


Image result for 4.5 stars


Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.in/Snakes-Meadows-Ayaz-Kohli/dp/9353333601



 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Ayaz Kohli

 Ayaz Kohli is presently serving as Joint Commissioner-GST, Mumbai. Having seen the rise and repercussions of militancy from very close quarters, and moved by the plight of the people of the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, he has come up with his debut novel, Snakes in the Meadows.







* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Rupa Publications) in exchange of a review. Thank You.


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Happy Reading!

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