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snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
The One Who Wrote Destiny is an engrossing family saga. Told from the viewpoint of four members of the same family, it covers some big themes: immigration, racism, loss, grief and destiny.
The first section is about Mukesh. He comes to North Yorkshire in the late seventies where he meets Nisha, and against a backdrop of racial tension and violence they fall in love. They have two children, Neha & Rakesh, and the next two sections are about them. Neha has inherited her mother's genetic disease, but before she dies she has a plan to cheat destiny. Raks is a professional comedian who doesn't want to make his act about race, but following his sister's death finds himself thinking about family, culture and heritage.
The final section is about Nisha's mother who returned to Kenya following her husband's death, and the time she spent looking after the twins when their mother first died.
It's an entertaining and interesting read with some strong characters - especially the women. And by humanising some meaty topics it gives the reader plenty of food for thought.
The first section is about Mukesh. He comes to North Yorkshire in the late seventies where he meets Nisha, and against a backdrop of racial tension and violence they fall in love. They have two children, Neha & Rakesh, and the next two sections are about them. Neha has inherited her mother's genetic disease, but before she dies she has a plan to cheat destiny. Raks is a professional comedian who doesn't want to make his act about race, but following his sister's death finds himself thinking about family, culture and heritage.
The final section is about Nisha's mother who returned to Kenya following her husband's death, and the time she spent looking after the twins when their mother first died.
It's an entertaining and interesting read with some strong characters - especially the women. And by humanising some meaty topics it gives the reader plenty of food for thought.
brianreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounding up. I really enjoyed the structure of the book telling 4 characters’ stories, each with their own style of writing. The most compelling part for me was Raks’ story, narrated through a series of people he encounters. I did think there were a few spots that could have been edited slightly shorter, and the last section came across a bit heavy handed. But overall I would definitely recommend if you enjoy inter generational or intertwined stories.
jessjacko's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
devikapha's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emmalewins's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Loved this book so much! I looked forward to reading it every day and loved how it revealed the plot and character information throughout the novel.
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
The One Who Wrote Destiny is a compelling novel about three generations of one family and their destinies, successes, and failures. It opens with Mukesh, who moves from Kenya to Keighley in the 1960s expecting to find a rock ’n’ roll lifestyle and instead finds a foreign and strange place, racism, and the love of his life. Neha, Mukesh’s daughter, is a logical computer programmer and she’s also dying whilst trying to avoid telling her father or her twin brother, Rak. Rak’s a stand up comedian who is facing the fact it might not be his jokes, but who he is that is causing his career problems. And finally, Ba meets her young grandchildren for the first time and has to care for them, but Neha and Rak are used to England, not Kenya, and Ba is haunted by the deaths in her family.
The characters are endearing and interesting, reflecting on their personal situations and also on more systematic issues around race, immigration, and difference. The novel is held together by the stories and certainties that families hold close, for example their tendency to die of certain things or their belief in something or another being their destiny. Neha’s portion of the narrative is perhaps the most engrossing, with her specific view of the world causing her to try and organise her family’s deaths in categories whilst dealing with her family, her cancer diagnosis, and her almost-romance with a girl in her local bar. Both Neha and Rak’s sections of the story are set in the modern day and this allows Shukla to highlight different forms of oppression and cultural identity today, from comedy panel shows to tautology.
This is a novel that is both crucial and heartwarming, with great characters and a carefully woven narrative. It foregrounds the importance of language and place in a variety of ways, from the languages characters do and don’t speak to the ways people frame their lives and their homes using words. and raises important points that arise in the lives of its characters. It is undoubtably a big novel for 2018 that is current and clever.
The characters are endearing and interesting, reflecting on their personal situations and also on more systematic issues around race, immigration, and difference. The novel is held together by the stories and certainties that families hold close, for example their tendency to die of certain things or their belief in something or another being their destiny. Neha’s portion of the narrative is perhaps the most engrossing, with her specific view of the world causing her to try and organise her family’s deaths in categories whilst dealing with her family, her cancer diagnosis, and her almost-romance with a girl in her local bar. Both Neha and Rak’s sections of the story are set in the modern day and this allows Shukla to highlight different forms of oppression and cultural identity today, from comedy panel shows to tautology.
This is a novel that is both crucial and heartwarming, with great characters and a carefully woven narrative. It foregrounds the importance of language and place in a variety of ways, from the languages characters do and don’t speak to the ways people frame their lives and their homes using words. and raises important points that arise in the lives of its characters. It is undoubtably a big novel for 2018 that is current and clever.
squibabaloo's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Unusual style skipping between characters and time, found it a little confusing in places but some interesting thoughts on destiny
shaskha's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
vsranjani's review against another edition
3.0
2.5. Had a funny and promising start, but it got tedious and perhaps went astray towards the end. I do enjoy the author's other work, though.