Set in a Malabar village of Christian settlers, The Book of Passing Shadows, translated from the Malayalam original
Aayusinte Pusthakam, tells the story of a family’s fall from grace, and their
journey to redemption.
As the narrative unravels against the wider inner
conflict between bodily temptations and spiritual aspirations, the sins of one
generation seem to visit ominously upon the next. Through his journey from an
innocent childhood to a ruined adolescence, Yohannan loses everyone he knows as
‘family’—a father who is a convicted felon, a grieving mother who passes away
while her husband is in prison, an elder sister with prospects who elopes to
build a better life, a grandfather who embraces death after committing a sin,
and a best friend and lover who chooses religion over a domestic life. The only
solace he finds is in the loving companionship of a grieving widow, Sara, who
has been equally wronged by fate and unbundles her woes with him.
Faith plays a pivotal role—provides a mythical,
ethical, and moral scaffolding of this heart-rending novel, which resonates
with the agony and pathos of the human spirit caught in
the travails of earthly life.
Written in a sublime style made lyrical with a biblical
cadence and rich in scriptural allusions, this passionate and visionary
narrative has remained popular with readers since it was first published in
1984.