Title: The Tree, the Well & the Drag Queen

Author: Salini Vineeth

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Red River Story

Let me begin this review from the title : The Tree, the Well & the Drag Queen, intriguing, isn’t it? Well, it took a few chapters to realize that these three, the tree, the well and the drag queen are the pillars that hold the story aloft.

The story set in Kerala with the beliefs and mention of chathan, starts with a couple Maaran and Marutha digging through their house in search of a treasure. They tread upon a seed that can be metaphorically considered to be the seed for their desires and over desires. The seed grows into a tree and the story begins from there.

A little boy who enjoys his time with his grandmother fears the wrath of his father, who expects him to play with boys and be more manly in contrast to his wishes. His mother doesn’t bother to interfere and remains busy with factory work. One fine day, grandmother dies and what happens after her death is akin to a horror movie.

Through the journey of the boy, the reader is taken on a roller coaster journey of emotion, trust, friendship, hatred and yes surprises too.

What happens to the boy, who flees to Mumbai from Kerala, his parents form the rest of the plot. Even though I classified the book as fiction, Salini takes us through horror and fantasy genres too. Her in depth research on identity and revelation is commendable.

The smell of jackfruit lingers to the reader as well. The climax is indeed spine chilling and shows the power of self-realization and self-belief.

This plot is apt for a movie and I hope to see this on the silver screen soon, not as a fantasy but as a horror movie. 

Link to the book : The Tree, the Well & the Drag Queen