Chronicles of the Lost Daughters

Chronicles of the Lost Daughters is the most recent book I have read. I picked it up because of the beautiful cover and was not able to put it down without reading. Originally called "Narach" (which means weapon) it is a bestselling Bengali novel written by Debarati Mukhopadhyay. It is historical fiction, which is not my most beloved genre of books because of how detailed and heavy the stories end up sometimes. But this book with its easy language and engaging plot, was a page turner right till the end.

The story is set in nineteenth century Bengal. Tragedy falls over a young widow Bhubonmoni and her brother Krishnoshundor's family where they are forced to leave the village and the events follow one after the other. The story involves many interesting characters. The young musician Chondronath. The two young daughters of Krishnoshundor . Notorious businessman Nobokishor Dutta. In the narrative of this novel, many historical figures, including Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Kadombini Gangopadhyay, and Rabindranath Tagore, make appearances.

The story talks of many issues that prevailed during that time which revolved around women and girls. The caste system , child marriage and the situation of women belonging to different classes of society , married, widowed, young , old , ignorant or educated. The author has beautifully depicted the colonial era and talked of important events such as the introduction of age of consent laws and the protests revolving around it and the system of slavery and bonded labor that the British had practiced during that time.

The story is beautifully woven with interesting characters who have stories of their own. They way all the characters and their lives blend in to complete this story is amazing. The female characters have been depicted beautifully, the lives lead by women, the emotional paradox faced by them, all has been painted beautifully by the author.

With thrilling, heart wrenching story, interesting characters and a glimpse into the colonial era, (also a beautiful cover) this fast-paced novel has been an exhilarating journey. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would suggest this to everybody.

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