In our lives, we at times get confronted with intense and traumatic events which force us to question who we are, what really matters to us and what we believe in. In some ways these events alter our sense of reality.
Each of the four stories in this book draw inspiration from such crucible events that I have had to face. The protagonists in that sense carry a bit of my own ‘experience and thought’ genes. As I see them now within the larger fabric of the stories, I do notice shades of myself and others who have been part of my life. Writing the stories has been a personal journey in that sense. At times the stories seemed to write themselves.
Come……….rejuvenate your emotions!
Swastika Bhattacharya
Swastika Bhattacharya has found her life’s calling in supporting children with special needs to take their rightful place in society. A beautiful and empowering profession.
My sense is that Swastika would relate wonderfully with Shanti and the other protagonists in ‘The Chronicler of the Hooghly and other stories’.
The book continues to make emotional waves worldwide with more than a hundred excellent ratings and reviews on Amazon.
After a successful stint with the Saud Bahwan Group in Muscat, Souma Ray is now the Director, Haulotte operations in India and SAARC. He currently lives in Mumbai.
His response after reading ‘The Chronicler of the Hooghly and other stories’ was,’Loved reading the book. Each story is unique and totally relatable. Kudos to you….‘
Anantha Narayanan with grand-daughter Jahnvi
Anantha Narayanan hails from Palghat and was a colleague at Muscat for more than two decades. He is the proud grandfather of two beautiful children Jahnvi and Aarav.
He is now left wondering how he would divide the time between the latter two and the Chronicler.
The Chronicler of the Hooghly is making waves worldwide with more than hundred excellent ratings and reviews on Amazon.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, Riya with daughter Tiri decide to have a fun day with the elegant Mice couple, Mickey and Minnie. They have chosen to live by the Chronicler’s coaching philosophy of, ‘Life is….‘. As Professor Gracy Samjetsabam mentions in her review, ‘……..sprinkles of confetti of coaching in life skills.…..’
@Times Square, New York
The Chronicler of the Hooghly and other stories’ is available worldwide on Amazon, Flipkart and select bookstores.
Adjudged ‘Book of the Month’ for March 2021 by Booknerds, The book has already got more than a hundred excellent ratings and reviews on Amazon worldwide.
Professor Gracy Samjetsabam teaches English Literature and Communication Skills at Manipal Institute of Technology, MAHE, Manipal. She is also a freelance writer, authors a column in Sunday Guardian Live and a copy editor. Her interest is in Indian English Writings, Comparative Literature, Gender Studies, Culture Studies, and World Literature.
In her review of the Chronicler of the Hooghly and other stories in Borderless Journal ( May 14, 2021), she writes :
“ … stories help us make sense of our realities. Ghosal admits that intense and traumatic events in life have contributed to the creation of these stories. Part-memoir, part-historical, Ghosal paints the stories with strokes of personal experiences and from chapters of India’s long history, selecting those that converse about Kolkata. This tapestry makes the readers more aware of the nuances of history and vividly recreates these scenes in the imagined reality. Ghosal impressively weaves history and imagination to blend fiction and reality, thereby providing a voice of the unrecorded, the myths and legends around what happened on the other side of known history during the colonial period in pre-independent India or at present.
….. Ghosal sprinkles confetti of his coaching in life skills into the storytelling to create a set of modern-day tales that are easily relatable and palatable. The style and the settings are like fresh air that enlightens as it entertains. The stories are vibrant and close to current realities, making them a worthy read.”
As the capital of the British Raj shifts from Calcutta to Delhi in 1912, Junior Clerk Sujit with his wife Bina is forced to migrate from Calcutta to distant and dusty Civil Lines in Delhi. Shanti, born of a forceps delivery gone horribly wrong, comes into their lives. A tale of evolving relationships against the backdrop of momentous events in the nation’s history.
Author Vickram E. Diwan – Novelist is the famed author of the Warlock Series. In a recent post, he had pondered, ‘Is heaven possible without books?’
As he sat about engaging with the Chronicler of the Hooghly, it left me with the thought whether the latter could live up to his expectations?
Author Vickram E. Diwan
Adjudged ‘Book of the Month’ for March 2021 by Booknerds, the book has already got more than a hundred excellent ratings and reviews on Amazon worldwide.
Urvashi Basu , a British national, is a lady always on the move. Owner of Realty Design, Le Cafe Seine’and design studio, Urvashi effortlessly juggles the myriad roles of an entrepreneur, interior designer, wife and mother.
Can the Chronicler fit into her scheme of things?
Author Sambit Daspatnaik, author of the The Last War and other stories, now in its second edition, has this to say about the Chronicler of the Hooghly and other stories.
I love historical fantasies… and one may call it synchronicity that I had this wonderful opportunity to connect with Shri Shakti Ghosal, author of the book ‘The Chronicler of the Hooghly’, which is a historical fantasy. When I read his debut book, I was fascinated to see how beautifully he has narrated such wonderful tales. I would call it as one of the finest historical fantasy with a pure advantage of getting a chance to experience the historic city of Kolkata during the British times. The portrayal of complexities in human relationships in the backdrop of the British Raj is impeccable. Each of the characters are well thought of, along with a good amount of research done on history.
The portrayal of Shanti, the differently abled child in the story Ashtami is heart touching. The subtle change in the chanting syllables of Goddess from Shakti (power) to Shanti (peace) at the end is thought provoking and leaves the readers to draw their own references.
The complexities in the human relationships, the evolving social fabric and the affluence in India over the past 100 years and a critical comparison of the pandemic in the 1920’s and 2020’s makes the story Pandemic commendable.
The story Fault Lines, subtly juggles between the technical fault lines in the building construction and the fault lines that we often see in the human nature and fallacy.
Coming to the main story, The Chronicler of the Hooghly. It is in itself a masterpiece that weaves the history of Kolkata through the centuries, interwoven beautifully through the strings of the pearl necklace. Along with a historical ride, the story carries with it a sense of eeriness. Earlier, I had read the stories and works of Swami Vivekananda, about the temple of Maa Dakshinwshwari Kali and the appointment of Gadadhar as the temple priest who later came to be known as the beloved master, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. But this story references this from such a different and beautiful angle, that I had never imagined. The story reminds me of the story ‘Monihaar’ written by Thakur Rabindranath Tagore and later made into a movie by Shri Satyajit Ray.
Overall, the multiple stories remind me of Shri Satyajit Ray’s short stories and movies, while the beautiful narration in the backdrop of Indian history reminds me of E.M. Foster’s ‘A passage to India’.The language, the diction, the knowledge and the references shared through the stories reflect on the in-depth knowledge of the author, and how well read and experienced he is.I wish Shakti all the best for his future books and strongly recommend everyone not to miss this amazing book.
Do past flavours motivate folks to pick up and read a book? It appears to be the case for these two veteran Railway men.
Pradosh K. Sinha of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, looks forward to a rendezvous with the Chronicler of the Hooghly.
Sushil Luthra is a Railways and Transportation veteran, a logistics and Cold chain expert and currently the Director at Alfresh Supply Management. Sushil wonders if the Chronicler can bring in some fresh perspective during the current times.
Book of the month, creating waves globally with more than a hundred excellent reviews and ratings on Amazon.
Wasim Jawaid , former Senior Manager with Standard Chartered Bank, is a wonderful writer himself. His musings and short stories can be read at : www.thatodiaboy.com
Wasim Jawaid has this to say about the Chronicler of the Hooghly: “An enjoyable and entertaining read! It is a mix of both old world nostalgia and the new 21st century”
Available worldwide on Amazon, Flipkart and select bookstores.
Vidushi Nautiyal of the BookNerds Team, in her book review on Amazon, has this to say in her concluding remarks,
” Ghosal’s lucid narration and portrayal of tragedies of life through varied characters ranging from the humble, the corrupt, and theextraordinary are remarkable and didactic.
The use of slokas adds philosophical insights, and the flashbacks of events make the plot enthralling and engaging.”
I am delighted to see that she has given the book a 5 Star rating.
Booknerds Team Amazon Review can be read on the link below
The Chronicler of the Hooghly by Shakti Ghosal “A beautiful amalgamation of the past and the present.”Read the complete review and grab a copy now
A New Beginning 