Oct 20, 2010 12:53 PM
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There were two reasons I picked up this book- one, the title itself was intriguing "Where Girls Dare." Second was the cover illustration which had a flower popping out of a gun saying- They're in the army now.
Where Girls Dare is the story of the first batch of Lady Cadets (i.e. women) to have passed through the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. It is narrated in the first person style a` la Chetan Bhagat. Except his first book, I am not a big fan of Mr. Bhagat. But he deserves full credit for popularizing this genre of tell-all-about-your-college/workplace/love life and drastically upping the readership for desi English authors. In spite of the large numbers, the books in this genre remain both readable and enjoyable. Case in point.
Bhavna Chauhan relates a fluid and funny tale of how the 52 women cadets compete and contend with each other plus with the 400 men, starting with the very first day at OTA and ending with graduation. The characters are diverse, colorful and believable. There is rivalry, friendship, plotting, stress, crushes...along with front rolls, rifles and route marches. The trials and tribulations of military training are blended with the routine ones in an engaging way.The author is a pass-out of the same academy and the novel is drawn from her experiences.
The narrative is light and easygoing and does not fall slack. Some parts are actually laugh-out-loud funny. However the editing could have been better at some places. One big difference from the routine books is that there is no romantic plot. So for a change, we do not have a protagonist who has either an indeterminate no. of affairs or goes off to la-la land with her college sweetheart.
The author is never preachy or moralistic but a major chunk focuses on the difficulty of being a woman in a man's profession. These women finally find the respect and admiration which is their due, solely based on their abilities and dedication.
It also brings out army as a wonderful institution. For someone like me, who does not know anyone in the armed forces personally, it provided a wonderful view-point and made me respect their commitment all the more. The training, the discipline..all unmatchable. A big salute to those who fight for us!
If you are looking for an intellectual or adventure story, this book is not for you. But if you are looking for a comfortable, amusing story from a different vantage point, give it a read. You wont be disappointed.
Publishers- Penguin, India.
Length- 230 pages, Paperback
Price- Rs. 150
