‘Ghosts of Landour,’ published by Notion Press is Ritika Kochhar’s foray into the world of Children Literature. Not new to fiction, Ritika is the author of ‘Wild Things’ and ‘Weapons of Kalki – the Book of Love.’
A Doonite at heart, the author is a regular visitor to Dehradun visiting family, friends and finding her Muse for her next novel. Over a little more than two hundred pages Ritika intrinsically inter-twines folklore, hearsay and natural disasters that have plagued the hillside into her work of fiction.
It is through her young courageous characters Seher, Warris and Maya and their four-legged furry friends Pongo; Perdie; Bonnie and little Pepper Ritika takes her readers onto an adventurous journey bringing the otherwise sleepy nook of Landour, alive. Old spirits are stirred up as ghosts, bhootani, vampires, some you love and some you hate along with humble town-folks add humour and colour to the story.
The book is easy to breeze through and makes for interesting read specially for those who have grown up in the hills surrounded by a tight-knit community that stands-up for one another, come rain or sunshine. “Because it’s so high in the mountains, most people live faraway from each other, but the rule in the mountain is that everyone helps one another,” she writes.
‘Ghosts of Landour’ is a must-read for children as well as adults who want to relive their carefree childhood spent foraging into the forests in gay abandon accompanied by their loyal canine friends. It talks about bravery; unusual camaraderie; a strong sense of community, spirits laid to rest and respect for nature.
Though there are a few ‘goosebump’ moments here and there that keep you hooked onto the pages, ‘Ghosts of Landour’ makes for a perfect gift for adventurers aged 10+.
Published by Notion Press, the book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notionbooks.
