Trade winds to Meluhha

Description

Samasin, an orphaned stable boy, rushes to help a foreigner sprawled with a slashed neck in a deserted tavern. Gasping for the last breath, the stranger presses a fish-hook in his hand and pleads, 'Give to Siwa Saqra.' Just then, a crowd rushes in and accuses the bewildered youngster of the Meluhhan's murder. In order to clear his name from the stigma of manslaughter, Sam must hunt down the killer.

He flees Babylon under the darkness of night, and shivering violently, swims to a ship setting sail for Meluhha. Unknowingly, he has embarked on pursuit of an evil trade wrecking the lives of many a young Mesopotamian. A severe monsoon storm, besides ravaging their little vessel, blows it off its course. During his journey in exotic Meluhha, Sam survives several situations which would have cost him his life. However, it never occurs to the naïve stable boy that a powerful foe does not want him to see Siwa.

Sam encounters Siwa's haughty daughter who takes an instant dislike for the grinning young man seemingly because he hails from Mesopotamia. Her slim dark form and long swinging hair steal his heart. With an eye on her as she hovers in the background, he sees Siwa staring blankly at the fish-hook and his jaw drops. Who else did the dead man actually intend to convey the 'message'?

Inspired by Thor Heyerdahl's voyage in a reed ship across Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, TRADE WINDS TO MELUHHA is an adventure unfolding between two ancient lands of Mesopotamia and Indus Valley Civilization.

About the Author

Vasant Davé was born in East Africa where his parents had migrated from India before WWII. He was schooled in Kenya when it had just attained freedom from the British rule. Although English is not his mother tongue, he could learn it fairly well with the help of two very dedicated British teachers, Ms. H. C. Davies and Mr. A. Bullock.

Vasant studied science in Elphinstone College and graduated as an electrical engineer from the University of Bombay. Besides providing Industrial Market Research services in India, he catered to corporate clients in Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, the UK and the USA. His work called for extensive traveling throughout India. It helped him to address a deep interest in archaeology by visiting numerous ancient sites.

During one of his frequent tours he happened to visit Lothal in Western India, and was awed to learn that it was a sea-port that conducted maritime business with Mesopotamia. Subsequently he visited other Indus Valley archaeological sites and had had discussions with authorities on the subject. Studying Mesopotamia, he found that 4,000 years ago women were more emancipated than their great great grand-daughters are today in what is now the Middle East. Gradually, a rough plot started emerging in his mind revolving around trade and cultural links between two of the most ancient civilizations in the world. After retirement in 2008, he took up writing 'Trade winds to Meluhha' and completed it three years later.

Earlier, Vasant's anecdotes and articles were published in 'Readers' Digest', 'Economic Times', 'Business India', 'Shankar's Weekly', 'Telematics India' and 'Studio Systems'. His technical background helped him to understand and apply historical, geographical, environmental and cultural nuances bearing upon the life during the Bronze Age, the period in which 'Trade winds to Meluhha' is set.

Book Details

ISBN: 9788192250649

Publisher: Vasantrai P. Davé

Number of Pages: 235

Dimensions: 5.5"x8.5"

Interior Pages: B&W

Binding: Paperback (Perfect Binding)

Availability: In Stock (Print on Demand)

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