Subi Taba’s Tales from the Dawn-lit Mountains: Book Review by Dr. Susma Sharma Gurumayum
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Tales from the Dawn-lit Mountains by Subi Taba is a very readable collection of ten short stories deeply rooted in the folklore, geography, flora, and fauna of Arunachal Pradesh. The collection opens with the short story A Night with the Tiger, where a tiger is killed during a father-son hunting expedition—an act that unleashes a chain of misfortunes for the hunter’s family. It sets the tone for the book, where nature is not merely a backdrop but an integral part of the stories.
Macabre Memories of a Headhunter follows the story of Patei Lowang’s path to becoming a headhunter, which involves his brother’s head being hunted—a brother he secretly envied for his talent, looks, and popularity. Sibling rivalry turning into grief over sibling loss, to avenging the death of his brother, to becoming exactly what his brother would have been had he not died - this story explores a myriad of emotions.
The Lost Village recounts the uprooting of an entire clan by another, and the quiet survival of a lone man from the displaced group. His only companion is a python, who serves both as guardian and friend. The story explores how the search for the lone survivor ultimately leads to the annihilation of the aggressor clan. In The Curse of the High Priest, a dwarf slave steals the High Priest’s sacred tassang, and the story that follows is straight-up horror! Meanwhile, Plant, Pig and Woman is a darkly humorous, almost fable-like tale narrated from the perspectives of a plant, a pig, and a woman. The Puroik woman had consumed a big, fat pig which was her bride price, and the pig had consumed a stinging nettle plant. The pig ghost and plant ghost help her escape. It offers a scathing commentary on human insensitivity, ending with bitter irony - the same situation repeats with a different set of beings.
The Cobra Man is based on a real-life incident. It tells the story of some men who went viral during the COVID lockdown for carrying a dead king cobra around their necks, announcing that they would eat it. The national media, believing in the nonsense spewed by the drunkards, assumed the worst of the state—that the people, being extremely poor, had resorted to eating snakes. But the truth was entirely something else. A Man from China follows an Arunachali hunter who mistakenly crosses into Tibet/China and begins a new life, only to lose everything.
It is a poignant tale of the tragedy caused by human-made borders. Spirit of the Forest and Love and Longing in Seijosa are meditations on nature, beauty, and the delicate balance between humans and their environment. While Spirit of the Forest explores greed and nature’s unforgiving justice, Love and Longing in Seijosa is a lyrical reflection on loss and letting go, experienced by both humans and animals. The cicadas, hornbills, and timeless rhythms of the Pakke Tiger Reserve shimmer throughout these stories.
Subi Taba’s writing is immersive, with detailed descriptions that transport the reader straight into the misty mountains of Arunachal Pradesh. Her lyrical prose is evocative, with a tinge of humour that is not overdone. The stories show her in-depth knowledge of the natural landscape and biodiversity of the region. Through these magically realistic stories, she offers a literary window into the region and does so with sensitivity, imagination, and deep reverence for the land and its people.
The author will be a featured speaker at the Shirui Lily Literary Festival (21-22 May, 2025), which is a part of the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul, Manipur, organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur. As part of the panel discussion Beyond Legends: Imagining the Now in Contemporary Fiction, she joins other contemporary voices to explore storytelling. Her presence at the festival affirms the significance of her work.
Dr. Susma Sharma Gurumayum is an Asst. Professor (History) at MB College, Govt. of Manipur. She can be reached at [email protected].
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