Book Review: Faith and the Beloved by Kochery C. Shibu

Faith and the Beloved
Author: Kochery C. Shibu
Publisher: Self-published
Rating: 3.5/ 5

“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another.”
― J.M. Barrie

Often destiny rolls the dice in such a way that we are left in a mare’s nest. However good we are or pretend to be, if fate decides to become cruel, the intentions take a back seat. Based on the same theme is the book ‘Faith and the Beloved’. A crime thriller, Faith and the Beloved traces the life of three protagonists who are on a quest to salvage their beloved from the sea of problems.

Following a continuous narrative (a narrative that includes multiple scenes in a single frame), this story revolves around the betrayal, the vice of lechery, the thirst for vengeance and the power of faith. The story begins on a grim note when one of the protagonists, Alice, is found fleeing from a murder scene. The layered revelations add to the eerieness of the atmosphere. Following the quick peek into Alice’s life, we are introduced to the brothers- Arun and Prem- who are inseparable and devoted to each other. The unfortunate murder of Arun leaves Prem angry! Consequently, he decides to punish the culprit by tracing back to the reason why his brother was killed. The third story revolves around the life and choices of Alice’s mother, who has experienced bereavement a long time back and is on the same path yet again. These three protagonists are on the run and things become interesting when they get caught up in the same setting. Another interesting aspect of the book is the melee between faith and purpose. Bringing a terrorist group, the underworld and the political bigotry in the frame, the author does a wonderful job with the plot.

The story is fast-paced and the sequential narrative keeps the readers hooked. While Naithy, Alice’s mother, comes across as a bold yet sly woman, Alice exudes goodwill and determination. She is a victim of the circumstances and the author makes sure to deftly carve out her character in a grey shade. Prem, too, is one of the characters who successfully connects with the readers owing to his misery. While the characterization is apt, the editing of the book misses the mark. Another round of editing would have helped for sure.

Nevertheless, the book passes the muster because of its taut narrative and brilliant execution of the plot. I liked how the author subtly hinted towards the themes of the emergence of terror outfits, misfired government policies and the political agendas.

Best wishes to the author!

Buying link: Amazon