Whispers in the Wind primarily revolves around the protagonist Ram, the son of a wealthy landlord in Bhutan, and the adversities he faces as he flees Bhutan with his infant son during the ethnic cleansing triggered by the king of Bhutan decades ago.

The story starts with a prologue where Ram’s son, now settled in Sikkim and a grandfather, narrates the story of his father to his grandson. The story then shifts to the 1950s, chronicling Ram’s childhood, his relationship with his wealthy father, the decline of the family, and what transpired thereafter that forced him to flee from his home.

The narration alternates between different timelines, and the transition is smooth and executed with appreciable expertise. The story is woven beautifully, and the flow is excellent, giving the impression of a seasoned writer’s work rather than a debut novel.

The story is told from the protagonist’s perspective, and the character development is well done. However, I couldn’t quite relate to certain decisions of the protagonist during the middle phase of the book. Yet, I carried on. The journey of the protagonist and son is interesting, and it is endearing to see the father caring for his son and doing his best to protect him despite battling the horrors of his past and the threats of the present.

The ethnic cleansing, previously unexplored in Indian fiction but a historically significant and sensitive topic, is also handled well, and it was heart-wrenching to see how the Nepali community was affected by the injustice. However, it would have been even more impactful if the conflicts were more tightly woven into the main character’s plot, rather than showing how the tragedy affected new, unrelated characters.

The language is simple and lucid, garnished with good wordplay at appropriate places. However, I found several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the book. The book needed at least one round of editing. The descriptions are vivid and well-written, though.

The climax is brilliantly executed, and I loved the twist at the end, which brings the story to a captivating juncture. However, the story then ends abruptly without tying up many loose ends. I feel it was essential to portray the protagonist’s reactions at that point.

Nevertheless, Whispers in the Wind is an interesting and well-intentioned book that explores the poignant and arduous journey of a father-son duo through a volatile Bhutanese landscape. I recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with a political/historical background.

3.8 stars from my side.