Echoes...From the Shores of the Arabian Sea by Shobha Alva

The book Echoes from the Arabian Sea is about a little girl who grows up with her seven unruly siblings, loving parents, lots of cousins and other relatives in a huge mansion in a small town. This town Mangalore in India is famous for its scenic beauty as it nestles between the hill ranges called the Western Ghats and the shores of the Arabian Sea. The little ones in this book are like Natures children. They live in a magical world of innocence in the midst of trees, plants, birds and butterflies, in a carefree world where there is pure joy. The four months of spectacular rainy season is their favorite season. The only thing marring their joy is their school where the teachers are strict disciplinarians caning the children for every little mischief. The children hate these teachers from the bottom of their young hearts. The writer describes the beauty and splendor of the tropical rainfall, the rustic charm of her town, her turbulent adolescence and her beautiful life as a teacher adored by her little children. She shares with the reader how she comes to realize the enormous responsibility of being a teacher of young, fragile and precious children. The book is mostly about the carefree life of children in a tropical town, untainted by the sophistication of the high and elite society. Its about the fun and frolic of childhood. It is about the innocence of children, their vulnerability, fears and also the absolute glory of childhood.