The Drift Wood

Udit never counted his blessings. And he loved being a rebel. But little did he know that his rebellion would one day uproot him and toss him into an ocean of uncertainty. A moment of rage followed by remorse and then shame all contrive to force Udit the young protagonist to plot a great escape! Soon he discovers that his ship had neither sail nor anchor. And when he is convinced that he would remain the eternal driftwood coasting along the waves, surfacing and drowning at the will of the current, someone walks into his life.What happens then? Does his life change course? The Driftwood is a sensitive portrayal of the trauma the Joshi family undergoes while carrying on with the mundane task of day-to-day living burying deep the memories of an irreplaceable loss. Running alongside is the life of their neighbours and good friends Dr Arvind and his wife Yashoda who battle the empty nest syndrome only to discover greater heights of callousness and selfishness of their son and the unexpected graciousness of a total stranger. A gripping tale of everyday and not-so-everyday happenings told in a simple lucid style that keeps the reader glued on to the book till the last page. A must read.

Pratima Srivastava

Pratima Srivastava is a full time naturalist, part time traveller, birdwatcher, and nature photographer. She loves and appreciates different colours of life. As an officer of the Indian Forest Service, she travels to areas that are remote, far away from the urban and flashy, and where nature in its pure and pristine form awaits to delight and surprise with its beauty. She also composes poems in Hindi and English.