With the rain gods giving Mumbai a July special, now would be a good time to relook at your bookshelf for titles that are a celebration of the spirit of the monsoon
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The Covenant of Water: Oprah Winfrey swears by the book, and admitted that after reading this eponymous title by master wordsmith Abraham Verghese, she is keen to visit Kerala. Set in the southern state where water and humanity coexist, the story tracks three generations of a family, where in each generation a member has lost their life by drowning. Verghese’s craft and wizardry is in full flow, often borrowing from experiences of his home state; the monsoon naturally acts out its part, like a companion, in some form or the other.
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Chasing the Monsoon: Alexander Frater’s tribute to the Indian monsoon makes for a compelling read if you’d prefer to look at it from the lens of a keen traveller/chronicler. Frater tracks the monsoon; at times he is ahead of it, and otherwise trails behind. It’s a fascinating ride that will also take the reader to places like Burma (today’s Myanmar). Brownie points for reminding us of the good old-fashioned way of storytelling from a historic and geographic perspective. Of course, with climate change creating havoc in existing weather patterns, this read becomes all the more interesting.
A moment from the film adaptation. PIC COURTESY/YOUTUBE
The Blue Umbrella: Despite not being a proper rain-proof umbrella, Binya — the protagonist in this Ruskin Bond bestseller — chooses to use it when it rains. This poignant, yet simple story is written in classic Bond-style, and is set in his favourite location — the Garhwal mountains. The rain is a constant character through Binya’s adventures and interactions. Pick it for your little one, or even yourself, and slip back into a nostalgic world where umbrellas were conversation-starters. Aspiring writers of children’s literature in particular, can learn a lesson or two on how a simple object is enough to take the storyline forward.
Monsoon Feelings: A History of Emotions in the Rain: Curated as a series of well-researched essays that look at this seasonal occurrence in the form of poetry, music, films, art and architecture, among other areas, this richly illustrated collection is a must-keep for those in search of deeper meaning of the monsoon. Put together by scholars Imke Rajamani, Margrit Pernau and Katherine Butler Schofield, these essays cover a timeline from the 12th century to present-day India.
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea: This sensitive coming-of-age novel by Shyam Selvadurai is a crossover in every sense — the young adult reader as well as older readers will find the narrative interesting and revelatory. One of the first titles to not only throw open South Asian milieu to the global reader, Selvadurai also addresses sexuality and young love with deftness and beautiful wordplay in this novel. The island nation’s topography, and by default its monsoon, makes an appearance every now and then to add colour, vibrance, and sometimes, melancholy to the plot.
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