Micro review: 'Chinatown Days' is an evocative tale of brutality faced by Chinese labourers in India
In the charming ancient novel Chinatown Days, the Sahitya Akademi-winning Assamese author Rita Chowdhury brings to fore the tale of a neighborhood based by means of Chinese staff all the way through the early nineteenth century. Chinatown Days is the English translation of Chowdhury's fantastically acclaimed Assamese novel, Makam.
The e-book is an evocative story of the brutality confronted by means of Chinese labourers who have been brought to paintings in the tea gardens of Assam and Bengal by means of the English East India Company. The story follows Mei Lin, a descendant of a type of Chinese staff brought over as slaves. Min lives an idyllic existence with her husband Pulok until the India-China war of 1962 breaks out stirring anti-Chinese prejudices around the country. Chowdhury strains the tragic penalties of the war at the life of Mei Lin and others, as they get deported to Maoist China. A shifting story of humans torn except their land by means of hatred and egocentric motives, Chinatown Days reflects on a horrific existence that was forced on a neighborhood.
Rita Chowdhury's empathetic prose, filled with energy and vigour, delineates the author's urge to let the tale be heard. She completely captures the plight of a group of innocent people, and paints a brilliant picture of their sojourn into misfortune.
How critics view the e-book:
Amitav Ghosh writes in his blog, " Chinatown Days deserves to find a broad target market, not only because of its many merits as a singular, but in addition because it tells a story that should be higher identified."
Scroll writes, "It is difficult to read the book dry-eyed because of the awareness that these are real people in real situations in an Assam from not so long ago... This is untold history and Rita Chowdhury proves more than equal to the task of telling it."
The Hindu writes in a assessment, "Rita Chowdhury reminds us that those who populate her novel are our people too. It’s a powerful suggestion."
The e-book is an evocative story of the brutality confronted by means of Chinese labourers who have been brought to paintings in the tea gardens of Assam and Bengal by means of the English East India Company. The story follows Mei Lin, a descendant of a type of Chinese staff brought over as slaves. Min lives an idyllic existence with her husband Pulok until the India-China war of 1962 breaks out stirring anti-Chinese prejudices around the country. Chowdhury strains the tragic penalties of the war at the life of Mei Lin and others, as they get deported to Maoist China. A shifting story of humans torn except their land by means of hatred and egocentric motives, Chinatown Days reflects on a horrific existence that was forced on a neighborhood.
Rita Chowdhury's empathetic prose, filled with energy and vigour, delineates the author's urge to let the tale be heard. She completely captures the plight of a group of innocent people, and paints a brilliant picture of their sojourn into misfortune.
How critics view the e-book:
Amitav Ghosh writes in his blog, " Chinatown Days deserves to find a broad target market, not only because of its many merits as a singular, but in addition because it tells a story that should be higher identified."
Scroll writes, "It is difficult to read the book dry-eyed because of the awareness that these are real people in real situations in an Assam from not so long ago... This is untold history and Rita Chowdhury proves more than equal to the task of telling it."
The Hindu writes in a assessment, "Rita Chowdhury reminds us that those who populate her novel are our people too. It’s a powerful suggestion."
Micro review: 'Chinatown Days' is an evocative tale of brutality faced by Chinese labourers in India
![Micro review: 'Chinatown Days' is an evocative tale of brutality faced by Chinese labourers in India]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
May 02, 2018
Rating:
