Who was to be blamed, when everyone he held close to his heart disappeared forever? Who could he have turned to for help when life, as he knew it, was gone in the blink of an eye? Such is the paradox of life, they say. Life is never fair, they say. Come to think of it, I can only say how odd is life - I started 2021 reading 'Shuggie Bain' and ended it with 'The Small-town Sea'.

The Ivory Throne is the true life story of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the last ruling queen of Travancore. It wasn't because she was a Queen that I liked her story. The evolution of her character and its integrity, and the graceful dignity with which she conducted herself through the trials and joys of life.