V S Mani

Wishful Dreams V S Mani

The novel quite impressively brings out the life in the 50s in the UK. It paints a vivid picture of how the issues of race and colour were prevalent under the surface, despite Britain's fight against apartheid. The hero navigates the various sensitive issues carefully and, at times, intellectually and psychologically to build friendships.

Wishful Dreams is a story of love as it depicts how the protagonist had to use a lot of effort and some guile to get his 'love at first sight' despite her and her family's prejudices. Each character in the book is nuanced and strongly brings out their inner feelings and discusses all issues without censoring anything.

Finally, this story is one of grit and inspiration for it tells of how the protagonist, a young man from Madras, India, builds up his Surgery Practice in a small town in the UK, which is highly charged on the issues of race and colour.

A beautiful and inspiring tale, one can only look forward to its sequel.