After a short break, I am back with my book reviews. I had the opportunity of getting a copy of “Mens and Dreams in The Dhauladhar” from Writersmelon. So a big thanks to them for giving me a chance of reviewing this book by Kochery C Shibu. Publisher: Niyogi Books Publication Date: September 19, 2015 Print edition: September 19, 2015 What’s the book about? Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in the mountains? Not as easy as we think it is. This story is about a Hydel project set out in Dhauladhar in the remote Himalayas ranges. The three main characters in the story are Nanda, Khusru, and Rekha. Nanda is an engineer from Kerala, who ran away from his village, haunted by his past, torn between the love for his dear ones, and the Kalari code of revenge, trying to find some solace at the dam site. Khusru, is the one that grips you the most, works as a laborer at the site. He is a Kashmiri lad who is displaced by his village, becomes a wanted person for being part of a terror plot to blow up the dam. Rekha, on the other hand, is a unique character who is fighting her battle against her village that does not accept modernity and its population steeped in superstitions and religious beliefs. She is a Kathak dancer at heart, a doctor by profession. She is in search of a soul mate that can make her heart dance. What did I love about the story? It’s not one story, but many stories that are interlinked. Each story is as astounding as the other that talks about dreams, some realized and some unrealized. If you love novels that depict every aspect of a character, you must grab this one. I loved how Shibu through his writing has spoken about the culture, folk tales, and lifestyle. The plot is gripping, the author talks about corruption and the ill treatments that are carried out at the site. At first, you may think if this is how most of the laborers are treated, eventually, you do realize the truths. What I thought could be better?  Although the author has done a great job of providing technical details of the project and how things are carried out in reality when it comes to technology of building dams, a lot of readers would find it difficult to understand and comprehend such technical details. My Take  The author has done a great deal of research which can be clearly seen in his writing. He has great command over his language. The many books I have read, this has been a good one to read that too from an Indian author. I would recommend you to grab this book and definitely give this a read. About the Author Kochery C. Shibu is a retired naval officer. A graduate from the National Defence Academy he has held several important posts in the Indian Navy. Post his retirement he has executed hydroelectric projects in the Cauvery river basin in Karnataka, Beas river basin in Himachal and lately Teesta river basin in Sikkim. He holds a postgraduate degree in Defence Studies from Chennai University and MA in English Literature from Pune University. Men and Dreams in the Dhauladhar is his debut novel. The technical content of the novel, namely the setting up of a hydro-project is drawn from his experience in these projects since 2005, as are many of the characters inspired from those whom he encountered at the project site. Kochery C. Shibu was born in Kochi and now lives in Bangalore with his wife and daughter.