The Dove's Lament - Book Review

The world is full of conflicts posed on the grounds of race, religion, customs, border disputes and many other reasons. Have you ever wondered who is at the receiving ends of these conflicts? Yes, of course those who fight for their so called cause are the ones who suffer. But the majority of those who suffer are common citizens. Amongst them too the women and children are the sections which suffer the most. They are vulnerable. As a result they are the first to bear the brunt of all these conflicts created by man.

Dove’s lament introduces us to the conflicts that exist across the globe. It has fictional stories weaved around these real issues that are threatening the humanity. So there is a story called Genocide which is set amidst genocide in Rwanda. Fire in a Ring revolves around the Srebrenica Massacre. For the love of a motherland is about the Israel-Palestine conflict. The story home deals with the illegal occupation of West bank. Sacrifice narrates how young boys are exploited in every possible way in Afghanistan. It breaks the myth that it is only women who are exploited sexually. The brutal attack at the army school of Peshwar becomes canvas for the story the smallest conflict. The desiccated land is about the Kashmir issue, while Princess is about child marriages in India. A night to Remember is about human trafficking in India. Explosion is set against the backdrop of suicide bombings in Sri Lanka. Imprisoned tells us about the drug trade in Colombia. Esther’s Story is about the refugees in the Congo after Rwandan Genocide.

A book of this kind required a lot of research. The writer has done her homework well and annexes a short essay to each of the stories. It tells us more about the conflicts. This is a good thing, for apart from the issues in our country and the neighbouring nations, we have just heard about others disputes, we really do not know them. This book will serve as a primer in understanding the man-made conflicts across the world. It will move you. There will be a tear in eye and lump in your throat as you will read these sad stories. They will make you realize how fortunate you are. The author has succeeded in crafting the stories around these heart wrenching conflicts. Her writing style is unique for in most of the stories are written in two voices. Sometimes it takes time to comprehend the story written in two voices. But once you become accustomed to her style, you will enjoy it.

That doesn’t mean that there are no flaws in the book. Now how come the girl in Princess who was never allowed to go to school could write letters to her mother? Again in the story a night to remember, how could a man living in a guest house, who doesn’t want the world to know his whereabouts, print visiting cards giving the name and address of the guest house?

That apart this book needs to be welcomed for it articulates the pain of millions of our unfortunate brethren across the world.