Behind the Beautiful Forevers

So straight off I was pretty confused with this whole narrative non-fiction business. I get that it is a way to enliven what would still be a fantastic traditionally presented non-fiction book, but it concerned me the whole way through that I was unable to tell exactly what was true, and what liberties the author had taken, or where it might have been embellished. There is a lot of the character's (subject's??) thoughts explained during the story - I was puzzled / troubled by how she obtained such personal information.

Yes, there is a fairly thorough explanation in the author's note at the end of the book - and it seems legit - seemingly she pestered the characters with continuous and repetitive interviews and triple checked everything with any corroborative stories etc. But - really, why put this at the end of the book and not the beginning. Explain this to us before we get sceptical and annoyed and put off. I purposely avoid reviews of a book I am reading or about to read... I look at them when I consider purchase, but not just prior to reading or during reading, or I might have picked up the fact I should have skipped to the authors note first!

I have decided not to delve into plot description, there is too much, but what I will say, is if this was fiction - it would have been very good fiction. As non fiction, it is many things - it is both uplifting and depressing, the ability of the slum-dwellers of Annawadi to pick themselves up and keep going is amazing, the level of corruption is appalling, and would be incredibly hard to cope with for most of us. The systematic bribery, misappropriation of money and supplies, the corruption runs so deep it is endemic - the police, the courts, the lawyers, the doctors and hospitals, social workers, politicians, the airport security guards, everyone in a position where they can put pressure on others. Inequality and injustice and very hard to accept on a scale as large as India.

Depressingly the poor are often their own worst enemies - those further up the ‘foodchain' take advantage of the poor, the poor, who have limited capacity to wield any power over anyone, still take any opportunity to try and take advantage of their equally poor neighbours. Everyone looks for an opportunity to benefit from every event or situation. Rather than band together and challenge those above them, they bitterly battle each other, ensuring it is incredibly difficult for anyone to rise.

Four stars - would have been five, but the narrative non-fiction approach still has me doubting.