Book Review # 87 Life In The Sunshine: T Sathish

Got a copy from the author in exchange of an honest and unbiased review.

Blurb:

Sat, Sam, and Trib (a.k.a Triple sundae gang) are teenagers and they love cricket. They spend most of their time watching and playing the sport they love. They dream of making their living in the sport.

When they are not playing the game, they put on their thinking cap and come up with alternate versions of important matches or provide parodic answers to questions that have plagued cricket fans over the years.

However, fate intervenes in their idyllic life. On 18th April 1986, Javed Miandad hits Chetan Sharma for a six in Sharjah and leaves their cricket viewing life in tatters. The after-effects of this fateful event, continue to haunt them for many years.

Their problems don't end there.

Sat fails to graduate from school level cricket to state-level cricket. He is heartbroken by the loss of his dreams and faces a mini identity crisis.

How do the boys solve their problems?

Will the boys ever recover from that Javed Miandad incident?

Will Sat get his mojo back?

Come, join the heartwarming ride and find out the answers, as Sat takes you through his nostalgic memories of the sport and narrates his coming of age story, which is deeply influenced by the sport!"

My Take:

In a country where cricket is considered as religion, this book traces the journey of 3 friends. How cricket transforms their lives, what lessons they learn from the sport is the story about. The book started as a fast one to catch the attention, then the pace is medium for the characters to set and in the end is a six like India finally comes off age against Pakistan.

Its not a story of a failed cricketer as such, it speaks about the sport, their learning from the game, personal struggles,and how they work to achieve their dreams. A trip down nostalgia for most of us, who have played the game or followed the game. It was the 80's and 90's essence that makes is more interesting.Reminds of R K Narayan's writings where the story is the hero. The psyche and the emotions of a fan is well captured. 

More of a memoir the author has drawn parallels from his own attempts to make it big as well as Indian teams struggle in earlier days and their success. I liked the way the matches are described, it makes you feel you are watching live instead of reading. The India Pakistan encounters are highlighted beautifully, the amalgamation between the past and the present is commendable.

Grab a copy now and enter the time machine that transports you back to the beautiful 80's and 90's and wait for the story to unleash its magic on you.Lots of anecdotes, laugh out loud moments and all ingredients of a good book; sportsmanship, determination, success, failures, friendships, love and cricket. What more you want?

Rating:

I would rate this 4/5. Good job Sathish.