Lamchwa

Recently, I got to read a novel by D. R. Michael Buam who is an author from the beautiful part of India – the North-East region. His novel Lamchwa is based on the life of an energetic young man of determination. And in fact, the title is also based on the same young man or you can say borrowed. Lamchwa is a person who has seen many tragedies in his childhood and after the death of his father, the desire of getting educated only rested somewhere deep in him. Nevertheless, he does not let his younger brother and sister remain uneducated. And Lamchwa understands the importance of education very well. These lines spoken by him very well express his character:

“It is also our wish, that your education gives you the independence and freedom in life.”

Lamchwa says this to his sister Morbod when he persuades her for her studies in order to become a nurse which she always wanted. And the same, he sends his brother Salan also for higher studies. And all this could be possible because, in the backdrop, Lamchwa worked very hard!

He begins by working as a labour and eventually, with his hard work and zeal, becomes a manager whose work is to supervise the workers. He also ensures that his mother does not have to work and she remains home taking care of the youngers and the household. Lamchwa’s dedication and determination impress the rich man of the area, Kiang, and he takes him to the post of manager in his shop. And from there, Lamchwa’s fortunes take a different path…

Saving the lives of Kiang and Maya (Kiang’s daughter) he wins the hearts and favour of both. He almost becomes a family member and eventually the business partner of Kiang. Maya, who is secretly in Love with Lamchwa, tries to disclose her love through letters but cannot. It’s only Pynhun, her close friend, who falls in Love with Lamchwa and he also loves her back. And Maya later understands that Lamchwa always loved her as a younger sister and cared for her always. She accepts it and later finds a suitable life-partner in the form of a doctor who takes care of Lamchwa’s life when he suffers from cancer.

So, this is a domestic novel, one can say that. I have been reading novels for many years and I will say that this was the first chance (reading a contemporary novel by some Indian author) that I got to read something as simple as this. Nevertheless, simplicity in this novel is only wonderful! You can feel the closeness with the characters and their actions. There are no any unnecessary elements added to the plot! The theme is simple – the exploration of a village youth’s who wins his fortunes and love by his hard work and determination and accept that it’s wonderful! As many expert book reviewers have said, this novel surely takes the readers back to the works of those in the Victorian era or in the early 20s or the late 90s… There is nature; there are simple human beings; there is love and also, there is the tiny bit of an evil character…

I am sure the readers will like reading this novel which won’t take more than a day to be finished! Only 190 pages of pure pleasure and a sense of attachment you will find in this work by D R Michael Bloom! You can get your copy of Lamchwa from Amazon now.

Review by – Amit