Guardian of Paradise by W E Lawrence takes you to a paradise like the tiny island in South Pacific sea. Island is a couple of days of sail away from Australia, inhabited by a tribe. A ship lands on the island with a stated intention of harvesting in the island. They, however, have a hidden mission to accomplish. What that mission is – I would not disclose that you need to read the book for that.
The story is that of a breezy romance between a girl living on the island but who is not really an Islander and a doctor who comes with the ship. Between the two of them, they discover each other while also playing a game with the ship’s captain. There are lots of scenes, the really graphic ones that can make your heart flutter. People who enjoy reading romance novels would love it. The setting is perfect, protagonists are anyways always perfect. The girl single-handedly fights with the mighty captain of the ship. Of course, she gets support from her friends on the island and the doctor who has more than one reason to help her out. Between the two of them, they become the proverbial guardian of paradise.
There are magical things like herbs that can heal any kind of injury in a jiffy. There are birds that can converse. Lands are so fertile and people are without any disease. There are hidden treasures that no one cares about.
I liked the description of the island and its simple people who believe anyone till they give them a reason to do otherwise. The story inadvertently brings out the contrast between the simple native people and the people who come with an intention to exploit them. Given the current scenario, it also brings out the healthy lifestyles of agrarian communities that live in harmony with nature. It brings out the community culture where the chief’s word is the last word, even if it lands the whole community into potential danger.
In the end, it is a story in which the good wins over evil, eventually. The kind of happy ending stories we love to sleep with. While reading this book, I could easily visualize it as a Bollywood film – it had all the drama, masala, and predictability of a Bollywood film.
It is a small leisurely read – something you read to relax!
Nice review
Thank you Rakhi.