A gripping fictional work following the adventures of a young Sumerian boy as he journeys through the ancient Indus civilization. Based on the latest research, this rich story gives the reader a good sense of what the complex interpersonal and intercultural links must have been like during the Bronze Age.
One of the greatest challenges in ancient Indus research and education is bringing to life those times. Having not interpreted the script or many other sources with which to recreate everyday existence, options are limited. Vasant Dave has carefully composed a story that takes the reader from ancient Mesopotamia to the major Indus cities as a young boy, Samasin, goes in search of a missing necklace and ends up finding much more than he bargained for. The writer is true to facts as best as they are known to us today, and has taken advice from leading Indus archaeologists to ensure that what he is conjuring up has a basis in reality. That said, the imaginative works very well, the story is well-told through dialogue and a vibrant plot. For children and adults alike, it brings to life a whole dimension of ancient Indus experience that we otherwise have no access to. Best of all, many of the incidents and adventures that underlie the tale are familiar to us today, from smugglers to the sex trade, to rogues and false fakirs - in this sense, this work of fiction manages to convey the reality that there was much in common between ancient Indus and Sumerian experiences with what we see going on throughout history including the present.
Highly recommended, and exceptionally inexpensive as a Kindle book. The book was revised in early 2016.
Vasant Dave speaks on video about Novelizing the ancient Indus Valley
The free sample Chapter 9 below describes the hero's first exposure to the ancient Indus Civilization.