Book Review - Malabar Musings by K T Rajagopalan

 

A large, joint and matriarchal family in a large house wherein the senior most members of the family stayed, and few smaller houses situated in the nearby vicinity – welcome to Tharawaad, an old type of family arrangement that forms the basis of this book.

The author K.T.Rajagopalan has shared accounts of his early life in a village called Koodali in the Malabar district of the erstwhile British Malabar Presidency. The stories feature his life in a typical Tharawaad, growing up in a large family and living with people who eventually became an extended family. These stories showcase the immensely alluring charm of life in a village. The description of the people, the words of the regional dialect that appear in the book and the brief glimpse of the lifestyle followed by the village bring it to life for the reader. Every chapter is rich in nostalgia and yearning for a lost time that is probably existing only in the memories of all those who have lived in those times when life was simple but rich in quality. Be it a scene from a typical family, or in a classroom, or the theatre – the description is rich in detail and makes the reader long for the days and times of yore.

The author has based several of his chapters on the people he met as well as his own family members, and every character, with their quirks and personalities, makes a distinct impression upon the reader. Some of the characters, with casual acts of kindness, impart unforgettable life-lessons.

The narratives have a healthy dose of clean and witty humor. I smiled and laughed throughout the book.

Being of Keralite origin and hailing from a joint family, I could very well relate to the characters and the events of this book. I am recommending this to all those who interested in tales (real life) from small yet precious villages with their simple and oh-so-rich lifestyle.