Key Points
An aspiring middle aged novelist who returns to her home in the hills attempts to investigate her relationship with herself, the region, and with larger forces..
Its fitting that the cover image of Namita Gokhales Never Never Land is modelled on his painting, Oirot Messenger of the White Burkhant (1925) based on a myth from the Altai region..
The story, that is suffused with the matriarchal traditions of the Pahari region, moves unhurriedly as she tries to investigate her relationships with herself, with the region, and with forces much larger than shes able to articulate..
But each time Iti makes any progress in solving the mystery, her attempts appear like false starts to the novels she has thought about writing but failed to finish among these are Promises to Myself, HypeReality, and A Litany of Lost Loves..
Particularly striking are the chapters entitled Rosinkas Dream Diaries and Badi Ammas Memories, which steer the narrative in a different direction while keeping it tethered and satisfying the readers curiosity about the other characters in this slim novel..
