Flute In the Forest

A heart-warming tale, Flute in the Forest is the story of 13-yearold Atiya Sardare. Atiya is her parents’ only child. Her mother left their home when Atiya was little, and a polio afflicted Atiya lives alone with her father, a forest officer in a jungle in southern India.

Atiya is a loner but loves to explore the forest, often without the knowledge of her father. During one such exploration trip, she hears the melodious notes of a flute being played and is mesmerised. She soon finds out that the player is an old and mean man whom she calls ‘Ogre Uncle’. But this very Ogre Uncle teaches her how to play the flute. Atiya’s flute-playing skills manage to calm not only her own nerves, but also those of Rangappa, the rogue elephant. How her flute brings back music into her father’s life is also a vital thread in the book.

The book is quite fast-paced. For a light yet meaningful reading experience, this Ruskin Bond-suggested book is definitely worth giving a try.


Book Review: Flute in the forest
Author: Leela Gour Broome
Publisher: Puffin
Price: Rs.199/-

The book review was published in Navneet Newshouse (Vol. XV, Issue no.46 ) dated April 9-15, 2011