Originally
published by
Puffin India
Oct 2005 |
Y.A.
Short Story
the legend of a
lost island
carried secretly
by sea turtles |
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Young Adults // YA
I never had any intention to write for children. Which just goes to prove how wrong one can be….
Island of Infinity (11+)
Infinity was spoken of everywhere, throughout history and then it vanished.
Marina, Gautam and Tenzin find themselves on track of the lost island, along with their wacky, investigative parrot, Spark. It all begins when Grandfather receives threatening calls and their holidays are totally disrupted. The three children find themselves en route to Infinity, only to discover that the Dargate are right behind. Also trying to reach the island, only to destroy it, so that the world may never know of Infinity again. But the legend has a secret very few know…
Reviews:
Well written and past paced…complete with a kidnapped professor, the secret of the island, wicked and comic villains, the story weaves in messages relevant to modern society. But this is done subtly, not in an in-your-face way. A good read.
The Hindu
Many scenes in the humorous novel keep the reader at his wit’s end… The story also carries a strong message of man’s tampering with nature and how nature has strange ways of retribution…the book has it all: adventure, magic, a raft to Infinity and telepathy…
Sunday Tribune
There is more than one mystery to unravel…Anuradha Majumdar’s action brew has an added dimension. She brings in matters that are timeless and in fact spiritual… But not for once does she let the pace slow down or the humour wan. “Too-good-ya” as Spark would say and I for one would agree.
HT Next / Book of the Week
If you are looking for an adventure thriller for the teen reader, a distinctly Indian setting, with a brilliant mix of fantasy, sci-fi, myth, rolled out with lots of surprises… this is it, this is it, this is it… Expect a fast paced plot full of riddle situations, vivid imagery and much wild imagination, but strangely, very believable. With the twist of the mysterious… and talk of abstract notions like love and world peace and much humour … this is real original writing for children.
Parenting |
Island of
Infinity |
 |
1.
‘TOO-GOOD-YA!’
‘Shut up, Spark!’ hissed Gautam.
‘Ai-yo,’ came a wounded squawk as Spark dived under the table.
‘Where’s Karoo-la?’ Marina looked around the room quickly.
‘In the cave.’
‘What? Where?’
‘Under the table.’
Marina frowned. ‘Stop kidding Tenzin.’
‘Not kidding,’ Tenzin said calmly. ‘It’s his library, Marina. Get down under the table. I’ll lift the trapdoor.’
Gautam and Marina dropped on their knees at once and ducked under the table.
‘Now-what’s-happenin?’ Demanded a very indignant parrot.
‘No one knows,’ said Marina.
Tenzin lifted the trapdoor.
A narrow flight of stairs curved downwards, disappearing in the faint orange glow of a candle below.
‘He’s waiting for us.’ Tenzin whispered. ‘Let’s go.’
2.
Squid smoked another cigarette as he kept watch on Marina and Gautam. His grey eyes narrowed warily and his long, pinched nose twitched as his eyes darted around, suspicious. Marina wished their ship-wreck island had crows. Spark had wandered off again. But Squid’s long nose was made for crows to land on and cover with droppings. She wished there was a way to tell Tenzin all this. She watched Gautam watching Dharma-ji littering the beach. Gautam would explode any moment.
Dharma-ji cleared his throat and spat again. He ripped open a packet of peanuts, emptied it in a gulp and chucked the plastic wrapper over his shoulder. Dharma-ji burped comfortably. Gautam was slowly going purple. Dharma-ji picked out a banana next, ate it noisily, his mouth open, and tossed the peel on the sand.
‘Hey! What do you think you are doing? Littering this beautiful beach like that?
Dharma-ji looked at Gautam astonished. The miserable boy. ‘That ij no way to talk to elders!’
‘What kind of elder are you?’ Gautam bawled, thunder purple now. ‘You can’t even keep the place you stand in, clean!’
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