Bitter Wormwood  (English, Paperback, Kire Easterine)

Bitter Wormwood is about the trials and tribulations that plague the Northeastern hill state of India, Nagaland, through this simple, descriptive tale.

Summary Of The Book

Kire presents the story of Nagaland through her central character Moselie, fondly called Mose. The book begins with a gruesome killing of a young man in the market of Kohima, in the presence of Mose. The story then shifts to 1937, the birth year of Mose, and traces his life up until his death. Bitter Wormwood is the tale of how Mose’s life gets wickedly intertwined with the stormy history of the state.

Mosel’s simple and traditional village life is filled with excitement when his mother buys him a radio. The villagers are shocked as they listen to the happenings of the world and in a short period of time learn and understand the concept of partitions and independence. Eventually, Mose and his friends get sucked into Nagaland’s struggle for independence that rips the society apart.

Mose joins an underground movement in his youth to fight for his state. The author brings out this underground movement and highlights the role of the Naga National council leader A. N. Phizo, Nehru and Gandhi in the fight for independence with extreme finesse. In 1963, the state of Nagaland officially came into existence. Mose and his friend come out of hiding and decide to lead a normal life. However, normal seems to be a difficult thing to achieve, as the struggle for existence and the strong hold of the Indian army in the region makes a simple life seem extremely complicated.

Bitter Wormwood then goes on the highlight the challenges faced by the Naga youths as they strive to achieve quality education and a successful career in India’s influential states.

About Easterine Kire

Easterine Kire Iralu is a novelist, a poet, and a master story teller. She is one of the finest writers from the Northeastern part of India.

A Naga Village Remembered, Forest Song and Mari are her other works.

Armed with a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Pune, Kire is involved in creating better opportunities for the youth and promoting the Naga folk tales. She is also the co-founder-partner of Barkweaver, a publishing house.