list.co.uk/books Reviews | BOOKS
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S H A M P H A T P H O T O G R A P H Y
COMING OF AGE FICTION NIKESH SHUKLA The One Who Wrote Destiny (Atlantic Books) ●●●●●
With destiny as the connecting thread that weaves its way through each narrative, Nikesh Shukla’s The One Who Wrote Destiny is a heartwarming and at times hard-hitting journey through three generations of the Jani family. Mukesh moves from Kenya to Keighley, finding racism, loneliness and the love of his life instead of fame and fortune as originally planned. But this story is recounted a
number of times, with each changing setting adding a new depth and meaning to the original.
As the story switches from Kenya to Keighley and then to
London, Edinburgh and New York, Shukla draws attention to the prevalence of racism and micro aggressions in each environment, demonstrating that such a reality is a norm that still exists for many. The points at which this bigotry is coupled with violence and brutality are particularly affecting, but so too are the casual comments made by bystanders and acquaintances, which pack an alternative kind of emotional punch. With death, grief and a strange sense of certainty at the story’s
heart, The One Who Wrote Destiny places an emphasis on belonging and how one’s fate can be predetermined or foretold. Through Mukesh, his son and daughter Raks and Neha, and their grandmother Ba, Shukla explores both the personal battles that each character must endure and the wider systemic issues of racism, oppression and difference that affect their lives in occasionally subtle and usually significant ways.
Ultimately, this is a beautifully written and thought-provoking piece of work, which balances humour, anger and melancholy in a way that is charming and utterly engrossing. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Thu 5 Apr.
RURAL FICTION MALACHY TALLACK Valley at the Centre of the World (Canongate) ●●●●●
The Valley at the Centre of the World portrays Shetland’s rugged landscape and harsh backdrop with a serenity that works in tandem with Malachy Tallack’s clear passion for the overall setting. As the island’s inhabitants grow, move away or die, we witness the cyclical nature of time in the company of David, a crofter who has lived in this same place his entire life: he is the one constant, remaining tied to the valley and its isolated atmosphere. The way in which language and dialect are presented throughout adds an authenticity to the overall narrative voice, providing a real connection to the characters and their rural lives. This is further accentuated by crime-writer Alice, who is working on writing a history of the valley, having retired to the island following the death of her husband. Through her research, Tallack reveals details and specifics about the setting in a way that is organic and unforced.
The story looks at change itself and the quiet
removal of tradition between generations Through the development of this series of characters and their relationship with ideas of home and place, Tallack’s debut novel explores identity, community and the innate desire that exists within us all to feel some sense of belonging. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Thu 3 May.
SHORT STORIES HELEN MCLORY Mayhem & Death (404 Ink) ●●●●● FAMILY DRAMA CATHERINE CHANTER The Half Sister (Canongate) ●●●●●
Mayhem & Death is the latest from Helen McClory and publishers 404 ink. McClory is the publishing house’s self-confessed dream author and her new collection provides a follow-up to On the Edges of Vision, which won the 2015 Saltire First Book of the Year.
McClory’s second publication is a set of dark and
forlorn short stories and a novella, dedicated to ‘the lonely’ and ‘the lost’ respectively. ‘Southerrain’ tells the story of a grieving mother who escapes her grief on a day trip to Mallaig, which contrasts entirely to the poem about actor Jeff Goldblum having various existential crises. However, the influence of the gothic on McClory’s writing is palpable in each story as something ominous always seems to loom. One particular standout is ‘A Voice Spoke to Me at Night’ which features a millennial who lives above a Tesco and is visited through the mirror by a lonely man from the past. This bizarre visitor speaks a mixture of Scots and Latin to tell the story of a plague from yesteryear. The seemingly separate universes of the stories are sewn together with a vivid sense of nature and animal imagery that connects the emotions in each tale. It leaves an impression that the dark feelings experienced by the fragmented voices are eerily similar and perhaps universal. (Katharine Gemmell) ■ Out now.
The death of their mother brings two very different, estranged half-sisters together after an absence of many years. However, tragedy strikes before reconciliation can occur. When wealthy Diana maliciously locks her visiting sibling overnight in a tower bedroom, it crashes to the ground in the midst of an earthquake.
Mikey, Diana’s eight-year-old nephew and her sudden responsibility, witnesses the disaster and is intent on bringing the truth of his aunt’s guilt to light, but he refuses to speak, silently bonding with uncle Edmund over fishing trips to the river and amassing an army of toy circus animals tucked away in an attic bedroom.
The Half Sister by Catherine Chanter darkly
unfolds with family secrets, moral complexities and slow-burning revenge within the haunting setting of Wynhope House as each character reckons with their past.
At times, the backstory is hammered out bluntly, and Diana’s capacity for evil strays into caricature, but the emergence of Edmund’s paternal feelings for vulnerable Mikey strikes the right note. This young boy’s journey of personal growth beyond the difficulties in his past is the emotional backbone of an eerie, page-turning family thriller. (Laura Waddell) ■ Out Thu 5 Apr.
1 Apr–31 May 2018 THE LIST 59