Garuda Prakashan’s Latest: A gripping World War II historical fiction novel from an Indian lens

Inspired by the real-life love story of his maternal grandfather, who served during WWII, and grandmother, an author revisits the 1940s through their tale

‘The Dogfight and the Lone Peacekeeper’, a gripping World War II historical fiction novel set in the 1940s, authored by Suyog Ketkar, tells the story of Wing Commander Vasant Kale in the run-up to the Burma Campaign of the British in the Second World War, who must survive himself, and also save his fellow warriors. Published by Garuda Prakashan, it also tells the lilting love story of Shakuntala and Vasant Kale derived from real-life events, while taking the readers through engaging, action-filled events of over 80 years ago. “She knew that he was a man who could take care of her ego if she could take care of his self-esteem,” says the author in the book on the relationship between Vasant and Shakuntala. 

In ‘The Dogfight and the Lone Peacekeeper’, Wing Commander Vasant Kale is training Junior Officers for flight manoeuvres. But in the run-up to the preparations, he notices some very unusual events in his squadron. One day, during his usual flight manoeuvres, his Hurricane is downed. But he must survive, as the life of the Squadron is at stake; and his presence is a must for the Burma Campaign to be successful. The book answers if he survives the Dogfights, what he does to save his fellow warriors, and if he can be the lone peacekeeper amid dogfights.

Some of the book’s tales are inspired from the author’s grandfather (aazoba), who was decorated with medals and trophies for his service with the Royal Indian Air Force in the yesteryears. For the author, the research for the book also entailed referring to documentation of war events and weaving the personal narrative into the larger storyline.

Sharing the backstory of the book, the author says: “I’ve spent all my afternoons during the summer vacations listening to the wartime stories from my grandmother. It is through her stories that the writer within me was born long before I acknowledged it. Her stories also told me how my grandfather was a larger-than-life figure. ‘The Dogfight and the Lone Peacekeeper’ my new novel, is a combination of both, the worlds of facts and fiction.”

He adds: “The story, in essence, is a work of fiction, but a few episodes draw inspiration from real life. The lead characters—the male and the female protagonists—are the namesake of my maternal grandparents. The events in the novel, such as the depth-charging of a German U-boat, are derived from real-life events. I’ve weaved the story such that the thin line between fiction and reality blurs even more.”

“When I wrote this book, the idea was to pen a character who could portray the ethics of my grandfather. As I concluded, I found that the protagonists from the book taught me as much as I would have learnt from my grandparents. Much like in real life, their lives too are full of the ebbs and flows of life. And much like the real-life, their triumph over those challenges, if it is the triumph, has come with a heavy price. The characters inspire us to look within ourselves and to listen to the inner voice, which never lies,” says the author.

The book is available on www.garudabooks.com and leading bookstores, and is a great read for World War II history enthusiasts in India.