Book Review by Matthew Law "The Village by the Sea" written by Anita Desai

The story "The Village by the Sea" is about a boy called Hari and his three sisters, Lila, Kamal and Bela. Their father was a drunk and jobless. They were as poor as a church mouse, yet he drank toddy everyday. The children were left to fend for themselves and looked after their sick mother. Their village livelihood of fishing and farming were in danger due to the impending construction of a fertiliser factory.

Hari, the second eldest in the family, was upset with his family predicament so he ran off to Bombay. He worked in a restaurant as well as an apprentice in a watch repair shop. He was very homesick but he worked hard and saved all his hard earned money for the future of his family. Meanwhile, the girls were fortunate to also find work. The kind employer of the girls was able to help their mother get the medical help she needed. While their mother was in hospital, their father came to his senses and turned over a new leaf. He stopped drinking and even looked after the mother.

The story has a happy ending. Hari came home and went to the hospital to fetch his parents. They returned home happily with the mother, healthy and their father sober. The whole family rejoiced as they celebrated the festival of light.

The story is well written. The expression as well as the content are excellent. The author described the rural village live in India vividly. The language is simple and yet very creative. But I failed to understand how the alcoholic father managed to stop drinking overnight.

My favourite character in the story is Hari. Despite his young age, he was matured enough to think of the future of his family. He took chances and sacrificed a lot for the well being of the family. He worked hard, saved his money and also learned new skills. He was able "to make lemonade out of lemon" and he had a plan to improve the financial situation of his family. Hari, with his savings intended to set up a chicken farm on his family land. The whole family will work together to sell eggs laid by the chicken to the factory workers. He will also open a watch repair shop using his newly acquired skills to repair the watches of the factory workers.