One Small Voice

I have turned the last page, tears settled on my eyelashes and I take a deep breath trying to ground myself while in my minds eye flames flicker and grow. I feel I know Shabby as well as I know my own son and while Santanu Bhattacharya brought the novel to a stop like a conductor lowers the baton on a perfect symphony, there is a huge longing to follow his life for the next year, or two, or forever.
This book deals with so many modern ills and social issues at once that it should be a mess; difficult to understand or superficial as if no one strand of the story is important enough to take centre stage but perhaps the novel is its own metaphor for modern India. Bright, brash, tender, scented with promise. So much technological growth and yet so much unchanged from Colonial rule. Every strand is important because every strand is connected to every other. At its heart a coming of age story about a boy’s journey to manhood finding his own place in a world that has changed so much since his parents generation’s own youth but it is also a story of nationalism and the interference of the state in acts of worship, race, ritual observance, oppression and the possibility of change. Turn the page and it is a story of family and the weight of parental expectations, then a treatise on unrecognised buried mental health issues. It is a story of class and caste and an exploration of how best to help those you seek to help, by being with them in the trenches or getting as wealthy as possible in order to have a voice that is listened to so that you can advocate on their behalf.
I could wax lyrical all night about how huge, how wonderful and how beautifully written and woven this novel is but you’re going to have to take my word for it until you can read it for yourself!

𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚂𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚞 𝙱𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚢𝚊 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝟸𝟹 𝙵𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹

This is such a compelling and hard hitting coming of age story set in modern India. At 10 years old Shabby is caught up in an incident of mob violence, witnessing a violent murder. We watch on as he has to navigate life, dealing with the trauma of an incident his family don't acknowledge.

Initially, i was a little confused about the timeline as the story plays out. Shabby's story weaves in and out of his past to the present, in a country of extremes, a hierarchical society greatly influenced by so much diversity in religion, language, politics, wealth affected by a north south divide, a religious divide, and strong family expectations. Bhattacharya develops an intense story, depicting the rich and complex tapestry of India so well through Shabby and his relationships - with friends, family, memory and identity. By mid-story i was so invested in Shabby's future i couldn't stop reading, anxious for his wellbeing and future. And each time i thought the story was going to be a predictable drama, Bhattacharya takes a sharp turn and opens my eyes, my mind and heart!! I absolutely loved the ending. This is a 4.5⭐️ read and one to look out for next year! It's a book i initially thought was not for me but it took me on a journey that left me feeling hopeful. And yes, i shed a tear!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It is a beautifully written and compelling story about trauma and how it takes over a life. It’s about the tragedy of a life lost due to a single childhood event and it’s repercussions. But this book is written with a light touch, with warmth and with care. It is not a depressing story. I am sure we will be hearing a lot more about this book and author once the book is published.

Set over a twenty five year time frame, this is the coming of age story of Shabby. It is also a brilliant telling of the rise of nationalism in India from the 90’s to more recent times. The book references the wider historical context of India and its Colonial past.

Early in the book Shabby experiences significant trauma when he witnesses a mob murder; the trauma is compounded when he understands that adults know about it but ignore/deny it. What he witnessed informs the whole book but we are aware from early on that there is more trauma in store for Shabby.

I waited to read this book on holiday as I knew much of it was set in Mumbai so I wanted to read it in the heat. I’m so pleased I did as I somehow felt even more immersed in Shabby’s story.

The themes of this book are BIG covering ritual, societal norms, how young people experience the world, discrimination, trauma, sexuality but the humanness of the characters is what shone through the most. Santanu Bhattacharya writes female characters so well, I loved Shabby’s Nani and her openness to her grandson later in the story, thank you for bringing some powerful women to life! I have been thinking of them long after finishing the book.

Finally the book renewed my belief in the power and absolute necessity of the arts, both in the writing of the book and within the story of Shabby and his art.

A five star recommendation that will stay with you.

Thanks to @Netgalley for the advance read

Santanu Bhattacharya's debut novel may be called 'One Small Voice' but this new author's voice is anything but small, and hopefully is one we'll hear more from. The story is set in India, spanning the 1990s through to the late 2010s, and the viewpoint character is Shubhankar (Shabby), a quiet, decent, ordinary boy/man from a middle class family in Lucknow. He is growing up in an India that is becoming wealthier and more technologically driven, but also more divided by different varieties of sectarian violence. Shabby is more aware of this than some after witnessing a horrific murder as a child, and then later in life becomes victim of a similar mob attack which leaves him permanently injured.

The reader will be struck by the sheer senselessness of the fighting and brutality. And no matter where in the world you live. don't allow yourself to think it could never happen in your own neighbourhood. History teaches us otherwise. This is a book that is relevant to everyone, wherever they live, and maybe more so than ever in our current times when groups of people seem increasingly polarised and angry with each other.

Shubhankar is a likeable character from very early on, but over the course of the book I felt like I really came to know and love him. He's a quiet man, happy to play second fiddle to his cheeky brother and later his charismatic friend Ganjeri. But his good qualities gradually shine through and I badly wanted him to succeed in life and be able to be happy. There are a host of likeable and interesting supporting characters also, including his irritating but loving family, and his two best friends in Mumbai who have a strong influence on his adult life.

The novel reminded me of those of Rohinton Mistry - which is a very high compliment. There's the same mixture of social commentary tied up in a genuinely compelling and meaningful story, with characters you can really care about. The novel has the same unflinching realism about human nature and how easily terrible things can happen - but overall it has a more positive and hopeful spin than Mistry's do (certainly I didn't feel depressed after reading it).

This story will clearly appeal particularly to readers with an interest in India, but it deserves a wider readership than that - it's a high quality story about people and life, that is well written, compelling and moving. I would recommend to all of those who enjoy general literary fiction.