FLY AWAY BOY by Jane De Suza

 

Approach Jane De Suza’s Fly Away Boy with caution. It is not written in the usual format of a novel.

Following an unfamiliar and unique storyline, this story involving discovery, suspense and police investigation is about a person with a super imagination who has to run away to be understood.

 

The book revolves around a Happy family – Father, mother, Kavni, the elder sister in the senior class, and of course, the hero younger brother Kabir.

After an incident in school, Kabir disappears for 4 days. This small, cool, sleepy mountain town is electrified with even the police getting involved. And when, in desperation, there is a meeting of citizens in the town hall, in one astounding moment the whole puzzle is solved.

 

This story is about us quickly putting people into boxes and expecting them to conform.

 

The most telling is Kabir Ma's box. And I quote "it was bursting at the seams, it had recipes and gardening tips and office mails to reply to and motherly things to do. All over the box were labels that said "Busy" in Black marker ink. And yet it hid what she really was......an artist.

 

Kavni's box was labelled "Perfect", "Topper", but by the time she is in the tenth standard, it needed to add "no fun anymore".

So in the midst of the investigations, Papa stands up and says "Kabir is a child who follows his imagination. I wish more of us were like him. Not for him the rules that keep us safe in our cocoons, unwilling to move out of what has been pre-decided for us."

     There are many of us who are also waiting to allow a Kabir in us to come out. 

     Thank you Jane for lighting the path.

#FlyawayBoy#Jane#De Suza

 

Dust Under Her Feet

by Sharbari Zohra Ahmed

Sharbari Zohra Ahmed, born in Bangladesh and raised in the United States, is a playwright, screenwriter and author of fiction. She barely graduated high school but now teaches creative writing. She lives in Darien, Connecticut.

In her debut novel she takes the reader through an exquisite journey through WWII Calcutta subtly exposing the racism and classism prevalent not only in India but also in England and America. She takes you through “Bombay Duck” – the night club patronised by the Allies soldiers – and introduces Yasmin, the successful no-nonsense businesswoman. She deftly weaves tales of friendship, struggle, betrayal and love amongst her characters.

In the turbulent 1940s, Calcutta, being the port of arrival of the Allied forces in India and its proximity to Burma, became the centre of operations against the onslaught of the Japanese forces that had already crossed into South East Asia and were moving swiftly through Burma with the intention to occupy India.

There was a large influx of American and British armed forces in Calcutta to build up a strong defence.

It was in this tense environment that a 26-year-old, strikingly attractive, confident Yasmin Khan found a business opportunity.

Unlike the more conservative British, the rather gregarious Americans, reached out to and befriended the local population. Yasmin realised that they were easy customers for her scheme – a night club with singers, dancers and a band including a band and a pianist, Pharaoh.

From its opening, the US officers thronged to the “Bombay Duck”in the hope of a temporary respite from their anxiety of being sent over to fight a seemingly losing battle in damp Burma.

This riveting, well researched narrative has captured romance, bonding, intrigue, jealousy, envy and the inevitable stigma of caste, in the times of conflict.

Yasmin created a home away from home for a group of talented singers and dancers – Asma, Radhika, Patience and Rahul.

Patience, the beautiful Anglo Indian girl with dark hair and alabaster skin could enter the “whites only” club with ease. And took her revenge on her friend, Yasmin.

The author skilfully builds intricate sub plots for each character but the relationship between Radhika, the village belle, and Rahul is the most touching, heart breaking and memorable.

The author clearly exposes thediscrimination prevalent in the US army and the very heart wrenching treatment meted out to the black American soldiers.

The story revolves around the cold, determined, confident Yasmin who had once declared that men didn’t matter to her, yet let her defences down when it came to the tall, handsome, mature, patient and understanding Edward. This novel portrays the adept manner in which she resolves her predicament and explains it to her son born out of this relationship, and how and why she never went back to his father.

This is a must read for those who have experienced the “Calcutta” of Park Street and may be “Golden Slipper” night club near Nizam’s, probably used as the model for “Bombay Duck”, to appreciate this intricate but believable story.

 

 -- review by

Ronald D’Costa

#DustUnderHerFeet#Sharbari#Zohra#Ahmed@BombayDuck#Yasmin#Calcutta