A Chera Adventure

by Preetha Leela Chockalingam and illustrated by Rabia Özyurt

“A Chera Adventure” by Preetha Leela Chockalingam and illustrated by Rabia Özyurt. Published by Penguin. A story of a spirited girl who finds herself on an adventure of a lifetime in Cheraman Perumal Empire of 11th century BCE.

Sharadha lives with her mother, grandmother and family in her ancestral Tharavadu. Their grand old house is called Vishwasam which translates to trust and faith. It is located in the heart of Marayur right next to the forest in the Chera kingdom. Her grandmother Devaki Amma was a singer for the royal family and also well known for her medicines. She and other adults of the Vishwasam family were experts at making special spice mixes for food and medicinal pastes in addition to potions and powders for diseases.

Life is good for Sharadha in her sleepy village. But she is a curious one who wants to explore her surroundings and likes her little escapades. One such occasion leads her on an unintended adventure and not a small one either. She encounters a mysterious trader and ends up finding herself in the capital city of Mahodayapuram. The hustle and the bustle of the city allures her and makes her want to know more about it while missing her family and beloved home at the same time. She makes friends with Ruthie who is slightly older than her and tries to find her way into the complex multicultural place that the city is. Life in the city is definitely more complex and intriguing compared to her simple village life. The colours, languages, religions and political scandals are aplenty. Sharadha needs to be very careful before every step. Will she be able to find the trader who got her there?  Read the gripping story to know whether Sharadha can ever get back to her home when a sudden war erupts with the ambitious and powerful Chola dynasty.

My 8.5 year old and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Given his newfound love for historical fiction books, he found the book so interesting that we couldn’t put it down. We read it quite fast given that we have been trying to recover from a nasty viral infection. The topic is amazingly fresh and I have never read about the Cheras before. The vivid description of the places and the characters gave us a beautiful glimpse of how life might have been in that era. Not to forget the descriptions of the delicious food which made us crave for it :)  We felt like we were in the middle of the action along with Sharadha and Ruthie.

The name Marayoor sounded very familiar and I realised that it still has a sandalwood forest. I had read about dolmens built there during the Neolithic age but couldn’t visit it during previous trips to Munnar. The story has made this a must visit for us next time we go there. Now my son wants to stay in a traditional house like Vishwasam. The book is the latest one in the “Girls of India” series which has been on our wish list for a while now. The series makes us travel back in time to different eras of Indian history to view it through the eyes of girls who lived in them.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 9 and above.

Reasons to Read

The book gives a fascinating insight into the society and life in general during the times of the Cheras through the eyes of children. This makes it interesting for the children who read it.

Where to buy from?

An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Greeshma and Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!