A GEMSTONE ODYSSEY

AMID the chaos of blazing guns, armed bandits and humour, author Richa Goyal Sikri deftly weaves in nuggets of information about the trade of coloured stones in the African continent in her latest book No Stone Unturned: The Hunt for African Gems (Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd).

- RIYA YADAV

Set in the vast terrains of Africa, the book strings together 24 adventure stories based on true events surrounding notable gem traders over the last 60 years.

With its narrative style reminiscent of the eminent author RK Narayan's Malgudi Days and the action-packed stories similar to Indiana Jones, Sikri calls it a deliberate fusion of both. "I believe the book is a cross between Malgudi Days and Indiana Jones. "I'm a big fan of RK Narayan's stories and writing, I wanted to capture those elements that exist in Africa which I've seen and experienced during my travels," she says.

However, the process of writing the book took four long years for the author, also a journalist, who delved into extensive research and interviews of industry leaders who were willing to share their stories. "Gemsfield commissioned me to write this book with the objective that if we don't document these stories, vital historical moments and knowledge about these gemstones will Muzaliluilall Tough TUDIES die with them.