Amish Tripathi brings forward a captivating story with numerous twists and turns which keep the readers hooked without fuelling anxiety in the young readers’ minds. Starting out as fierce rivals from their first interaction, the two protagonists ‘Dhruv and Tara’ navigate a journey as a team competing for ‘Hamara Itihaas’, the Great Indian History Quiz. This quest is full of moments of banter, grit, anxiety and an indomitable level of trust which gradually develops between the two quizzers.
Throughout the pages of the book, numerous foundational aspects of Indian history are discussed from nationalist and cultural perspectives. Through fine storytelling and meticulous attention to detail, the book introduces young readers to field-based observations in search of historical evidence. The selection of moments in history for the purpose of the quiz competition in the book is also carried out very intricately to both excite and inform young readers. The author has taken care to provide the source of the information. The quizmaster in the book, Arun Pathak, leads the quizzers through the city, state, regional and national rounds of ‘Hamara Itihaas’ through questions surrounding India’s political systems, educational heritage, relations with other civilizations and other important aspects of Indian history. A striking feature of this book is the emphasis laid on Indian mythology.
In this one book, youngsters get a history lesson, nay, an elementary history course, a gripping story and issues of everyday concern to ponder upon. The balanced manner in which Amish Tripathi has toggled with these three elements is what sets this book apart.