IN SEARCH OF A RIVER

This is a delightful adventure story from award-winning children’s writer Saroj Mukherjee.A disappeared river concealing a hidden treasure, the myth of a dead king and a trailblazing adventure led by two young boys come together in a compelling finale in this book. Facets of old and modern India are seamlessly stitched together as the events unfold and Bharat and Hanumant uncover the mysteries of the mountain and river. The author’s fascination with the environment and the wilderness, especially the mysterious rock-cut caves and underground rivers around Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, pervade the fast-paced story. Tinged with humour and imagination, this translation by Tilottama Tharoor of the Hindi wraps itself around the lives of a group of people, all representative of the diversity which is India.

Saroj Mukherjee is a well-known author of children's stories in Hindi. Her book Anokha Aspatal was made into an award-winning film and screened at the Frankfurt and Chicago Children's Film Festivals. Several English translations of her books have been published by reputed publishers like the Children's Book Trust and Mango Books. Orient BlackSwan has included sections of these translations in its children's schoolbooks and the original Hindi stories are also part of the vernacular school curriculum. Saroj Mukherjee has published several articles in renowned publications such as The Telegraph, Dharmayug and Sarita. Born and educated in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), she lives in Kolkata. She is passionate about nature, the environment and wildlife, which is all reflected in the topics and contents of her stories. Dr Tilottama Tharoor is the daughter of well-known writer Saroj Mukherjee and grew up in Kolkata. She currently teaches literature and the arts at New York University, USA. She shares a great love of stories with her mother, brother Dr Chandrashekhar Mukherji and two sons-- Kanishk and Ishaan.