A Burning

The poor and disenfranchised made convenient scapegoats to larger political will otherwise ambivalent to people found on the fringes. Self interest and the slim chance of upward mobility are enough to turn a blind eye, to rationalize inaction. Tiny omissions, petty corruptions and the occasional lie - minor infractions easily justified even as their effects cascade. The press happy to fan the flames of scandal while politicians preen delivering vague promises to credulous constituents. And with this debut we're introduced to the tumultuous and completely foreign world of modern day India.

The book opens with a young Jivan posting an angry and pointed rebuke online after she is witness to a deadly train fire that kills hundreds of innocents. It is enough to have her arrested, a confession beaten out of her, and confined to a jail cell.

From there we are introduced to two individuals who might prove her salvation. There is Lovely, a hijra recognized as a third gender in India, an intersex and transgender people who are believed to have a special connection to god and get by in the community by offering blessings at births and weddings. Lovely knows the package Jivan was carrying wasn't a bomb but rather books she was bringing to help with the English she was regularly tutoring her in. We also meet PT Sir, a simple school teacher who remembers Jivan fondly for her athletic ability and sought to be her mentor, sneaking her extra food, knowing how poor her family was.

And yet their prospects seem to rise even as Jivan's falls. They will both have to decide what price their success. Is salvation possible for anyone? Thank goodness this is set a world away, the examination of self-justification and willful blindness in the face of injustice, of individual success regardless of a larger cost, or performative action and rampant opportunism might otherwise hit a little too close to home.

This was a powerfully politically charged novel. This story follows three main characters in contemporary India. Lovely a transgender female aspiring to be an actress, PT Sir a P.E teacher aspiring to work in politics and Jivan a poor young girl living in the slums suddenly accused of being recruited by terrorists. Through twists and turns of fate these three characters and their narratives become intertwined and that makes up the bulk of the plot.

I found this story incredibly poignant and sad. But very of these current times we are living in politically, with the rise of social media and news media and its influences on the public and public opinion. There is lots of rich material within this book to unpack. But also the short and snappy chapters make this book a pleasure to fly through. This book deals with hard hitting subject material but writes about it in such a compelling and propulsive way. An incredibly addictive and impressive debut.

Thanks to the author Megha Majumdar, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one has been on my scope for months, but it made the TOB longlist so I decided to start it and I couldn't put it down. My main concern is that it is poverty porn. I grew up poor, but the American standard of poor is nothing compared to this. Nothing. I acknowledge my privilege. I was entranced by these intersecting stories of 3 people in Kolkata, India who are connected to burning of a train. The novel opened up a world to me that I knew nothing about. The school system, the Hijira, the legal system: we get a taste of this world. I adored Lovely, I understood PT Sir, and my heart broke for Jivan.

Very engaging and fast paced read. Being a Bengali, and having lived through and currently living through the political and religious upheaval - this book was highly relatable. I loved the way the author has accurately described the cultural nuances of middle and lower class Calcutta. Character development is fantastic.

However, be fairly warned that this is not a feel good read - and I would not recommend this book to anyone going through a difficult time or someone who is frustrated with the current socio-political scenario.