Debashis Dey

Mr. Dey has written poetry and this shows in the beautiful writing style of this novel. The descriptions of people and places were so vivid that I felt I was there.

This is a story about the meaning of love. When Nisha marries the love of her life, she feels betrayed when he suggests a common marriage with his brother. This is a common tradition in his culture, and is seen as a way of strengthening the family. We watch Nisha deal with what is being asked of her...her perspective is richly narrated and thought-provoking.

My one criticism of this novel is that I found the dialogue weak...but I still enjoyed the book very much.… (mehr)

Actual Rating: 3.5

*NOTE: Author Debashis Dey provided us (The Readdicts) a copy of his novel,Murmur of The Lonely Brook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank Debashis for the book!

Author Debashis Dey spent a lot of time in the remote areas of the Himalayas to find out more about the general lifestyle of the village folk and it shows in his first novel, Murmur of The Lonely Brook, which is a result of detailed research and profound understanding of the subject at hand.
Murmur of The Lonely Brook starts out with a brief description of the main characters; Shevak and Parvati, parents to two boys, Pravin and Diwakar and a girl, Ria. I really liked the idea of introducing the protagonist family in the initial part of the novel so that we get a general idea about them all. Pravin, the eldest son of the family, marries Nisha, his bride by choice. Nisha adapts to the ways of her new family very easily. She is a good wife to Pravin, takes care of her in-laws, has a sweet and tender relationship with her brother in-law, Diwakar and is an idol to Ria, her sister in-law, who is obsessed with movies, the city life and the idea of love.
For me, Nisha was the core of Murmur of The Lonely Brook. Everything seems to be going great for her and she is so devoted towards keeping her family happy; until Pravin proposes that he and his brother share a bride to avoid any land distribution disputes within the family.
The book is explained from various points of views, but I found Nisha's to be the most acute and emotional. She is a firm giver and is willing to do anything for her family so long as they are happy. When she is put into the situation where she has to accept the practice of polyandry, her views about it evolve and it is very easy to understand them. I liked how the novel focuses on women, how much they have to go through in order to keep others happy and how they selflessly devote themselves to the needs of others.
Murmur of The Lonely Brook introduces us to a new culture, customs, traditions and a general way of life in remote tribal areas. It focuses on life in village and how much the villagers have to struggle to put up even one proper meal for their family. The faith of the villagers in God is simply astonishing. They believe that as long as their Devta (God) is watching over them and blessing them, everything will turn out fine in the end. The religious customs did seem a little uncanny to me, but that is the way things work. It was an enlightening experience to read about it.
Author Debashis Dey has done an excellent job in researching and writing in his first novel, which is well-written, refined and gives us a glimpse into an India that we thought was a story of the past, but is still very much existent. I enjoyed reading the book and for me, as a reader, it was very informative.… (mehr)