a b c d "The 2020 JCB Prize for Literature Shortlist Announced". Outlook. 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020 . Retrieved 1 October 2020.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara For readers of Jhumpa Lahiri and Rohinton Mistry, as well as Lorrie Moore and George Saunders, here are stories on the pathos and comedy of small-town migrants struggling to build a life in the big city, with the dream world of Bollywood never far away.Since he had been born, she had considered Jai with a blend of loathing and admiration. It seemed to her that he had a way of softening the imperfections of life with his his daydreams and the self confidence that the world granted boys. Which, in girls, was considered a character flaw or evidence of a dismal upbringing.” First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Deepa Anappara and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Deepa Anappara takes us inside urban India with astonishing specificity, into a funny and heartbreaking child’s world of wonder and cruelty. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is addictive and unforgettable. Once you’re in Jai’s neighbourhood you don't want to leave Todd Babiak, author of The Empress of Idaho There's an almost Harry Potter-ish vibe to the relationship among the three intrepid kids, and Jai's voice is irresistible: funny, vivid, smart, and yet always believably a child's point of view...Engaging characters, bright wit, and compelling storytelling make a tale that's bleak at its core and profoundly moving. The mystery and detection part of this book was just ok for me. What I really liked about the book were the incredible details about life in a basti (poor area) of India. The author doesn’t bother to translate for non Indians so it’s like a disorienting immersion in the country - including the homes, jobs, food, schools, pay toilets and smog. For example: “Quarter runs a gang that beats up teachers and rents out fake parents to students when they get into trouble and the headmaster insists on meeting their ma-papas.”, “...he stops at a theka in Bhoot Bazaar to drink a quarter-peg of daru, which is how he got the name Quarter.” and “His nose learned to catch the weakest of smells from hours before – marigold garlands, sliced papayas served with a pinch of chaat powder on top, puris fried in oil — to guide his steps to the right or left in dark corners.”

s Vanishing Children: Deepa Anappara’s ‘Djinn Patrol on India’s Vanishing Children: Deepa Anappara’s ‘Djinn Patrol on

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a b c d Adams, Lorraine (31 January 2020). "Who Cares About One Missing Child in an Indian Slum? Another Child". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 1 October 2020. Author Deepa Anappara has taken inspiration for her impressive debut from over a decade of working as a journalist reporting on the impact of poverty and religious violence on children in India. At a moment when there is much heated debate about the legitimacy of which authors get to tell which stories, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line makes a compelling case that nothing can beat a genuine voice drawing from profound first-hand experience. Djinn Patrol begins with the disappearance of Bahadur, a boy from Jai’s class. Jai, along with his friends Pari and Faiz, begins investigating Bahadur’s disappearance. In the meanwhile, his classmates are more focussed in playing an ‘India versus Pakistan’ match as they root for the winners of a popular singing show. Gaurav, the tilak-wearing nine-year-old boy fearlessly proclaims that the Muslim contestant’s people kill both cows and Hindus. Hearing him, Jai believes that Faiz would never kill him, showing the innocence and purity of a boy who hasn’t been sullied by religious divisions. Even when the count of missing children goes up, he doesn’t link it to their religion. It is only after a baba and a local politician raise the issue of religion that it sparks hate speech, communal violence, and religious discrimination.