Book Review: Thunder Demons

Thunder Demons by Dipika Mukherjee

Review by Serena Wadhwa

I confess that when it comes to the politics of any culture, I am politically challenged. While I have my views on the various issues that plague America, I am unaware of those that exist in other countries, particularly on the other side of the world. As it happened, I met the author of Thunder Demons for coffee, as we shared membership in the Chicago Writers Association and in our cultural background. Indian authors have always fascinated me and I looked forward to the meeting.

After a few hours of coffee, tea, and conversation, as we were wrapping up to go our separate ways, Dipika Mukherjee asked me to review her book. Initially, I hesitated, as I confessed my lack of knowledge of the political, cultural and economic turbulence that she seemed well aware of. This didn't matter as she requested a review that was based on the writing, the story and the characters. I agreed.

And I am grateful that I did so. When I started reading this book, I didn't know what to expect. I'm not a fiction reader, as professional and non-fiction readings occupy my time. However, when I began reading the first chapter, I was immediately drawn into the mystery of the scene and the characters themselves. I wanted to know more about this seemingly heartlessly loyal colonel, the passive, divided scientist and the twists of love weaved through the book. I struggled with putting the book down, as I did not want to stop reading.

Set in Malaysia, this fictional account challenges the reader to consider where they are at with such issues of love, loyalty and obligation, to country, principles and people. How the past can influence our present and our future is skillfully woven into the fabric of this story.

If you're looking for an intriguing read, something to get you out of yourself for a moment, something that seems larger than the moment, with realistic and "live" characters, this is it. Thunder Demons is one of those books that keeps your interest, gets you involved and clarifies your beliefs relating to the matters that these characters struggle with.