#602 - A Demon in Dandi
by Lavanya Karthik
“A Demon in Dandi” by Lavanya Karthik. Published by Duckbill. A gripping mystery set during the famous Dandi Salt March in 1930.
Preparations are in full swing for the Dandi Salt March that has been taken up by Mahatma Gandhi aka Bapu. Everyone’s eyes are on the tiny and remote village of Dandi by the Arabian Sea where Bapu will soon break the Salt Law to defy the British rule in India. Dinu is the youngest of the members of Arun Tukdi volunteers team preparing Dandi for Bapu’s arrival. He would rather be at home reading his favourite Sherlock Holmes books than doing this daunting task that lay ahead. He felt that he was a misfit in the Tukdi and had joined only at the insistence of his father who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The roads leading to Dandi were terrible. They had to live in a rustic Dharamshala and eat the simplest of food which could even be burnt Raab (a kind of porridge).
The village of Dandi has its own mysterious secrets. People there seem to be terrified of the presence of an unknown angry demon. As Dinu tries to find some respite in Dandi and manages to make some friends, a disaster strikes. An old steward at the Sakina Manzil bungalow near the beach is found dead and the evidence seems to point to the demon. Dinu finds himself being dragged into solving the intriguing mystery of the murder and the demon even when he has other dilemmas in his mind to tackle. Even as he and his friends race to find the killer, the demon strikes again. Can Dinu solve the crime like his favourite Holmes? Will Dinu be able to resolve the conflicts that are growing in his mind about being in the Arun Tukdi? Will the killer be caught before Bapu reaches Dandi? Read the delightful book to get a beautiful glimpse into Dandi of 1930 through the eyes of Dinu and the Arun Tukdi.
The book is a fabulously written account of a historical mystery which gives a beautiful glimpse into the setting of the Dandi Salt March. While we all know that the march happened, very little is known about the work involved in the background and the unsung heroes of the Arun Tukdi involved in making it happen successfully. And to do this by using it as a setting for a crime mystery while portraying the social conditions prevalent in those days and the lives of the people of different communities such as Dawoodi Bohras, Patidars and the Kolis is just amazing. My eleven year old son and I found this an irresistible read. This is a perfect read for all the Holmes fans. Also being a coming of age story of Dinu, it was heartwarming to see him mature in his thoughts and start appreciating the momentousness of his presence in the Arun Tukdi as the story progressed. We loved the way the author has drawn parallels between Holmes and Bapu which is not commonly thought of. History, mystery and logical crime solving have been masterfully interwoven together to create a wonderful treat for readers who like any of these themes. We loved the section at the end which has detailed notes of what is fiction and what are true facts in the story along with a recipe for the simple Raab which is one of the dishes that the members of the Tukdi cooked for themselves most of the times. Another fictional story centred around the Dandi March that we have read and enjoyed is “Heroes the Colour of Dust” which was my son’s first book related to the Indian freedom struggle.
The book is a part of the “Songs of Freedom” series which is one of our favourites. The series explores how the lives of children across India might have been during the struggle for Independence. Ever since the series was launched three years ago, my son and I have eagerly awaited reading every one of the books and we have never been disappointed with the stories. Like all the other books, the charming cover has all the elements which play a role in the book be it big or small. The series is getting stronger by the book and hooking us completely.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 10 and above.
P.S. - The other books from the series that we have read and enjoyed so far are “The Chowpatty Cooking Club”, “That Year at Manikoil”, “The Train to Tanjore”, “A Conspiracy in Calcutta”, “The Letter to Lahore”, “Postcard From the Lushai Brigade”, “A Melody in Mysore“ and “Rebellion in Ranchi”.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India (Duckbill), for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!