Sons of Sea (Hardcover)

‘Sons of the Sea: Sons of the Sea is Quazi Mostain Billahs translation of Harishankar Jaladas’s first and prize-winning novel Jalaputra. Separately, the Bengali words jal and putra mean water and son respectively. But Jaladas has combined the two words to make one-jalaputa- to denote a fisherman. Trying to keep close to his meaning, the translator has chosen Sons of the Sea as English for Jalaputra as the narrative involves characters whose life is tied to the sea. The sea, like a mother, provides for them and as they plow it for survival they make true sons of the sea. Jaladas himself comes from a similar community and his own story of life seeps into the tale here and there. But the unearthing of that requires a separate investigation.
Sons of the Sea narrates the simple but impoverished life of a fishing community whose members live in dehumanising poverty. In weaving the tale of the fishing community, Jaladas has captured from A to Z of the life of its members. The readers come to know not only how they live or work, what their rituals are, what gears they use for fishing or what makes them happy or unhappy but also what forces undo them.
A reading of the novel will help the readers see, feel and think about the fishing community whose life Jaladas has penned with sympathy, empathy and effortless craftsmanship.