Product Description

Extremism, now more widely termed, terrorism, is on the lips of every human being and on the front pages of the world s newspapers every day. But we still long for love and love still thrives. This poetic novel by Moncy Pothen plunges us directly into the forests and paddy fields of Kerala, India from the 1960s to the 1980s, describes the delicate and heartfelt awakening of love in two lives, and has roots in ancient Indian tradition. Can you forgive a terrorist, if he has participated in the murder of your own father? Like the heroine, Ahalya, we live in complicated times, where black and white give way to shades of gray, and in Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves, we hold our breath to witness which will win the battle, love or hate? Like the hero, Arjunan, we are fighting to win that battle within ourselves.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1677249 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-01
• Released on: 2006-08-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"I was very touched by Moncy Pothen's excellent presentation of life in Kerala, the southern Indian state, and every incident he narrates happens there every day. Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves offers not simply glimpses into life in Kerala but deep insights into how the people there think. It skillfully uses Malayalam words, for which no equivalents exist in any other language, leaving no room for ambiguity." "Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves is a very refreshing work, and it is not an exaggeration to say that every Malayalee would wish to have authored it." "A job excellently done. I rank Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves a notch above every other book written in English about life in Kerala, including, 'The God of small things,' which won Booker Prize in 1997." P.V.Vivekanand. Chief Editor, Gulf Today Daily, Sharjah, UAE and the recipient of the Journalist of the year award in 1997 by International Journalists Congress. --http://www.moncypothen.com

Author Pothen should be applauded on his ability to handle such revolutionary ideals as social enlightenment and welfare issues in such a backwater setting; a rather laid-back rural community where change is frowned upon and things can only move at a snail s pace. Linguistically, the book should delight all with its generous imagery and plethora of picturesque descriptions. The kaleidoscope of exotic characters, Hindus, Muslims and Christians, living side by side in peace and amity, also adds to the overall warmth of the novel." -Safi Abdi (Safia Mohamed), well known Somalian writer and the author of A Mighty Collision of Two Worlds and Offspring of Paradise. --http://www.moncypothen.com

Moncy Pothen's novel, Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves gives a panoramic view of the socio-economic life in Kerala in a realistic manner, threading along the warp and weft of the Kerala community. Arjunan the hero and Ahalya the heroine are mythological names. Arjunan is the ideal fighter in the eternal battle between right and wrong; Ahalya stands for the curse-befallen society that needs a stone-like persistence for its final liberation. The novel is full of meticulous descriptions of the coconut land filling the air with the flutter of the Coconut fronds and the fragrance of the paddy fields. The vernacular expressions in the novel add to the Kerala flavor of the story. -Prof. Bridget Joseph M.A.M.Phil. Retired Professor, Assumption College, Changanacherry, Kerala. --http://www.moncypothen.com

About the Author
Moncy Pothen was raised in a village in Kerala. Born in 1959 as the youngest and only brother of four sisters, Pothen started writing poems at 18. Many of his poems in his mother tongue have been published and broadcast over local radio stations. Raised by his father, a schoolteacher who left to eternity on February 29, 2004 and mother, who survives. Pothen is a member of the Orthodox Christian Community in Kerala. After completing his education in Kerala, Pothen started a career as an accountant in UAE in 1985. Now he lives in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and works as Chief Accountant at a private firm. He is one among the many millions of overseas Indians.