Port Blair, March 14: ANDAMANS: This one word brings to us the images of tranquil beaches, abundant natural beauty, and tribes like Jarawas and Shompens, Onges and Sentinels. ANDAMAN also reminds us of the story of the resilient spirit of the people who survived the deadly onslaught of Tsunami in 2004. And lastly, ANDAMAN also brings alive the dread of the Cellular Jail, which is yet now bearing in its heart the scars and wounds of the independence movement of India.

Despite having such a rich history, stories of the human spirit, and being gifted with Nature's bounty, till now there is no full-fledged novel on Andaman & Nicobar Islands, describing its uniqueness. Probably, it never drew the attention of any Indian author as Andaman & Nicobar Islands is away from mainland India.

It is the first time an Indian author, Ratnadip Acharya, wrote a 440-page long novel on Andaman that traces the days from the Cellular Jail era more than a hundred years back to Tsunami-affected Islands and the native Jarawas and their exploitations. This large historical thriller, the surfeit of turns and twists on every page, explores the Andaman Islands like never before.

This novel is a sheer treat to the readers in the Andaman Islands and anyone who loves this Island state. The book is already on Amazon and winning hearts of the readers across the country. Interestingly, the novel is dedicated to the unsung heroes of the Cellular Jail, another reason to plunge into this novel.