Bookshelf

Nowhere to Be Home: Narratives from Survivors of Burma's Military Regime
edited by Maggie Lemere and Zoe West
Voice of Witness/McSweeney's Books, 2011

Although personal accounts make up the backbone of essentially all journalistic and academic work, if at times only indirectly, the spoken word is still notoriously difficult to work with in print. Better to leave it to the novelists, perhaps, or to radio and television journalists, to capture the nuances in such accounts. Human speech is simply difficult to package; even a radio or television journalist is forced to pick and choose well-sculpted sound bites and 'actualities'. Mere transcripts are more often than not boring, confusing, even incoherent.

The editors of Nowhere to Be Home have somehow managed to bring a novelist's (or fiction editor's) sensibility to the spoken word. The accounts compiled here, mostly from those who have fled Burma, are quite long, yet have been edited in such a way as to keep in mind flow, narrative arc and even voice, albeit not including the many verbal eccentricities that can grate in oral histories of this kind. For that, the editors should be congratulated, but the limitations of the genre remain clear: with only transcripts to go by (in addition to short introductions), much of the most gratifying nuance is lost. Some of the most touching stories here are of seemingly fond memories of the good times back home in Burma – but are such reminiscences being recalled with a twinkle in the eye? A broad grin? A slight grimace? A catch in the voice? A haunted look? Only the interviewers know. (Carey L Biron)

Mumbai's Dabbawala: The uncommon story of the common man
by Shobha Bondre
Omo Books, 2011

Before 1998, few thought of the dabbawalas of Mumbai as doing anything monumental. So, when Forbes Global awarded them an astounding Six Sigma rating, perspectives changed quickly; from then on, these tiffin deliverers have received considerable and adoring media coverage. Narrated in turn by Bondre and Raghunath Medge, president of the dabbawalas' association, this book offers both outsider and insider perspectives. The dabbawalas are a strict, tightly knit brotherhood: mistakes are punished with heavy fines, a beating or even being fired outright. But the results are clear for all to see: delivering two lakh lunchboxes a day, the 5000-odd dabbwalas have an error rate of just 1 in 6,000,000. (Eben Bhujel)

Welcome to Americanistan
By Jabeen Akhtar
Viking, 2011

In the past decade, numerous fictional works have featured Southasian-American and British-Asian characters. First- or second-generation struggles for self-definition based on ethnic identity have been a frequent theme. In many ways, then, Americastan is a refreshing contrast. This is not the story of a girl attempting to make sense of two national identities; nor that of a desi who, against her parents' wishes, seeks romantic fulfilment with someone from another community. It is not even about an American's newfound awareness of her cultural 'heritage'. Rather, this is the story of a young woman's attempt to make sense of a suddenly tumultuous life.

Akthar's characters are almost incidentally Pakistani-American, in that their backgrounds are clear but not a source of psychic turmoil.  Instead, Akhtar externalises that potential source of angst: protagonist Samira Tanweer's identity is only an issue when she mistakenly ends up on a terrorist watch list. Welcome to Americastan is light, unexpectedly funny and easy to follow without being clichéd. The characters are occasionally one-dimensional but still believable. Akhtar has no moral lessons to drive home; if there are messages in her story, they are simple ones: that even forced breaks can yield happy results, that you might find peace where you least expect it. (Kabita Parajuli)

First Proof: The Penguin book of new writing 7
Penguin, 2011

An alternative title for this collection of nine non-fiction and seven fiction pieces could be 'The Penguin Book of Safe Writing'. This is a book filled with easy breezy stories – likeable, digestible and eminently forgettable, except for a few: 'The Town of Nine Lives' by Tsering Wangmo Dhompa and 'The Fag End' by Devashish Makhija. The former is an autobiographical account of her visit to Kyegu, her grandmother Tashi's hometown in eastern Tibet, to which she travels from the bustling city of Xining in Tibet. Dhompa's description of the landscape between Xining to Kyegu is particularly poetic, recording the changes in colour from green grasslands to snowy mountains to the barren brown of the naked soil. The vividness allows the reader an insight into Dhompa's – and Tashi's – love for her land.

Makhija's short story is equally sensitive and delicate. It tells of an unforeseen encounter between a pregnant woman, Avni Dwivedi, and a non-descript young man named Saahil, on the romantic Indian Railways. Dwivedi has created two well-developed characters – secretive, sentimental and yet with a childlike abandon. But the collection as a whole seems confused, seeds of which perhaps can be found in Penguin's understanding of 'new' writing. The publisher's website says that First Proof 'showcases emerging talent and writings who have enjoyed acclaim but not as wide a readership as they clearly deserve,' but Penguin really seems to be saying, 'We are looking for emerging writers but only those who have emerged enough to make a name for themselves elsewhere.' Pity. (Meher Ali)

ABC of Naga Culture and Civilization: A resource book
by Nandita Haksar
Chicken Neck Publications, 2011

For far too long there has been a tendency to 'anthropologise' and 'exoticise' the numerous tribal and Adivasi groups in India. This attractive book, by a noted human-rights lawyer who has been working on Naga issues for many years, challenges preconceived notions and prejudiced perceptions. Written for children, it is a charming and engaging read, suitable for adults as well. Particularly striking is the way serious political concerns – how globalisation is threatening to annihilate Naga culture, for example – have been skilfully woven into the text, without being intrusive or turgid. This is one of a series of publications written by Haksar and published by Chicken Neck, which include 200 'knowledge cards' titled 'Glimpses of North East India', suitable for use in schools and for quizzes, and Who are the Nagas? An activity book for children. Too bad there are not more such efforts. (Vidyadhar Gadgil)