Set in the city of the not-so-swarming Coimbatore of the 1970s, G.B Prabhat's third novel, Early Indications , is the tale of five friends who are christened by their kindergarten teacher as the Five Geniuses — Kani the philosopher poet, Dorai the auto whiz kid, Rohit the basketball prodigy, Shiva the supremely intelligent and Sarita the immaculate singer. It is a story of their lives from childhood through adolescence into adulthood. Do they live up to their early indications as children?
Seeking redemption
Narrated by the central character Shiva, the novel is packed with friendship, love, drama and action. Shiva's narrow escape during the 2004 tsunami makes his mind wander to a time twenty years ago when he had last encountered death so closely. He realises how ungrateful he had been to his saviour friend when he had asked for help. Filled with regret, he decides to return to Coimbatore in search of redemption.
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Is this search of his for deliverance a selfish desire too or is it genuine concern for his friend that makes him want to return? Had he been an escapist or an exploiter all his life?
The book is filled with mental imageries of the nuances that constituted the city of Coimbatore in the 1970s taking the reader on a blissful trip down memory lane. A mesmerising book that transfixes the reader's attention from the beginning till the end.
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Author: G.B Prabhat
Publisher: Gyaana Books
Price: Rs. 315
Srikanth is a III year Bachelors of Mass Media student at SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai.