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lnatal's review
3.0
From BBC Radio 4 - Book at Bedtime:
Ba believes in destiny. Mukesh believes in coincidence. Neha believes in patterns and consistency. And Raks believes in the manifest destiny of his own male ego.
The One Who Wrote Destiny is the hilarious and moving new novel by Nikesh Shukla, Editor of The Good Immigrant anthology of essays and author of the novels Meatspace and Coconut Unlimited.
For Book at Bedtime, five voices tell the story of three generations of the same family, riven by feuds and falling-outs, united by fates and fortunes. Mukesh moves from Kenya to the drizzly northern town of Keighley in 1966. Decades later, his daughter Neha is dying from lung cancer, a genetic gift from her mother and an invocation to forge a better relationship with her brother and her widowed father before it's too late. Neha's brother Rakesh is a comedian but his career is flat-lining and he's grieving his mother and sister. Ba has never looked after her two young grandchildren before. After the death of her daughter, they come to stay with her and she has to work out how to bond with two children who are used England, not to the rhythms of Kenya...
Readers: Bhasker Patel, Chetna Pandya, Maya Sondhi, Indira Varma and Taru Devani
Producer: Mair Bosworth.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09z4fz3
Ba believes in destiny. Mukesh believes in coincidence. Neha believes in patterns and consistency. And Raks believes in the manifest destiny of his own male ego.
The One Who Wrote Destiny is the hilarious and moving new novel by Nikesh Shukla, Editor of The Good Immigrant anthology of essays and author of the novels Meatspace and Coconut Unlimited.
For Book at Bedtime, five voices tell the story of three generations of the same family, riven by feuds and falling-outs, united by fates and fortunes. Mukesh moves from Kenya to the drizzly northern town of Keighley in 1966. Decades later, his daughter Neha is dying from lung cancer, a genetic gift from her mother and an invocation to forge a better relationship with her brother and her widowed father before it's too late. Neha's brother Rakesh is a comedian but his career is flat-lining and he's grieving his mother and sister. Ba has never looked after her two young grandchildren before. After the death of her daughter, they come to stay with her and she has to work out how to bond with two children who are used England, not to the rhythms of Kenya...
Readers: Bhasker Patel, Chetna Pandya, Maya Sondhi, Indira Varma and Taru Devani
Producer: Mair Bosworth.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09z4fz3
heatherreadsbooks's review
4.0
I took The One Who Wrote Destiny to America with me, and ended up powering through it while horribly jetlagged. Good books that step in when you can't sleep are wonderful. I very much liked this.
Review on The Skinny: http://www.theskinny.co.uk/books/book-reviews/the-one-who-wrote-destiny-by-nikesh-shukla
Review on The Skinny: http://www.theskinny.co.uk/books/book-reviews/the-one-who-wrote-destiny-by-nikesh-shukla
martha_is_reading's review
5.0
A beautiful, beautiful novel from the author of [b:Coconut Unlimited|9586134|Coconut Unlimited|Nikesh Shukla|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328645105s/9586134.jpg|14473086] and the man who brought us [b:The Good Immigrant|28668534|The Good Immigrant|Nikesh Shukla|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471514680s/28668534.jpg|48857467].
Mukesh has left his home in Kenya and found himself in Keighley, over 200 miles away from the London he thought he would be living in. He meets and instantly falls in love with Nisha, a young woman who knows she is dying. Fast forward to Neha and Rakesh, their twin children. Neha is dying from the disease inherited from a mother she has never met; while Rakesh is trying to fulfil his destiny as a comedian. The novel finishes with Ba, the twin's grandmother; who, after surviving her husband and children, has returned to Kenya, alienated by a Britain that only offered her racism and violence.
There is this bittersweet sadness that runs through the novel that I found utterly absorbing (and resulted in two separate incidents of crying on the tube). Mukesh is obsessed with his dead wife, who he was destined to meet but lost far too soon. Neha is fixated on understanding the pattern of the deaths in her family while processing the imminence of her own. Rakesh is driven by the hope of fulfilling his own destiny as a performer and comedian, while processing the loss of his twin. I fell hard for these characters, particularly Neha and Rakesh, and did not want the story to end.
I felt that Shukla struck a perfect balance between real life and mysticism by showing the reality of racism while still giving the characters hope for a better destiny. Without the latter, the book could have become unbearably melancholy (when in fact there were a number of funny, heartwarming moments) and the combination also perfectly illustrated the point that ingrained racism in society means that British BAME people are unable to fully write their own destinies. Assimilation into the predetermined mould of "The Good Immigrant" is demanded and deviation is punished.
One of the most interesting parts of the novel was when we focused on Rakesh. I found it interesting that Shukla chose first-person narratives for the other main characters, while Raks' story is told through the lens of the secondary characters he interacts with. It actually made me love Raks more because I could see how sad he was but he was always one step removed so I was never allowed to fully know him.
A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about family, loss and destiny that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to Atlantic Books for providing me with an advance copy via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
Mukesh has left his home in Kenya and found himself in Keighley, over 200 miles away from the London he thought he would be living in. He meets and instantly falls in love with Nisha, a young woman who knows she is dying. Fast forward to Neha and Rakesh, their twin children. Neha is dying from the disease inherited from a mother she has never met; while Rakesh is trying to fulfil his destiny as a comedian. The novel finishes with Ba, the twin's grandmother; who, after surviving her husband and children, has returned to Kenya, alienated by a Britain that only offered her racism and violence.
There is this bittersweet sadness that runs through the novel that I found utterly absorbing (and resulted in two separate incidents of crying on the tube). Mukesh is obsessed with his dead wife, who he was destined to meet but lost far too soon. Neha is fixated on understanding the pattern of the deaths in her family while processing the imminence of her own. Rakesh is driven by the hope of fulfilling his own destiny as a performer and comedian, while processing the loss of his twin. I fell hard for these characters, particularly Neha and Rakesh, and did not want the story to end.
I felt that Shukla struck a perfect balance between real life and mysticism by showing the reality of racism while still giving the characters hope for a better destiny. Without the latter, the book could have become unbearably melancholy (when in fact there were a number of funny, heartwarming moments) and the combination also perfectly illustrated the point that ingrained racism in society means that British BAME people are unable to fully write their own destinies. Assimilation into the predetermined mould of "The Good Immigrant" is demanded and deviation is punished.
One of the most interesting parts of the novel was when we focused on Rakesh. I found it interesting that Shukla chose first-person narratives for the other main characters, while Raks' story is told through the lens of the secondary characters he interacts with. It actually made me love Raks more because I could see how sad he was but he was always one step removed so I was never allowed to fully know him.
A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about family, loss and destiny that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to Atlantic Books for providing me with an advance copy via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
suebarsby's review
4.0
I enjoyed this. It is revealing and galling and funny and sad. Essentially The One Who Wrote Destiny shows us the messes we make for each other - in the broadest terms, as a result of colonialism, of ignorance, of assimilating, and in the smallest, among our families - and how we all seem to be tied into something hectic that’s greater than any of us. It’s about family and about the many different ways we find to oppress each other, especially through race.
The parts of the book about assimilation, about racial attacks or casual comments, are thought provoking and hard hitting - this is the reality. It doesn’t offer answers, it embraces confusion and is better for it. It opens up a whole dimension to look at this country, riven by division as we are, by exploring how others have to face down constant aggression and oppression and how set we all are in not challenging this.
Where I felt the novel could have been better was in this thread around destiny - which came across as confusing and in need of clarity. It was perhaps buried beneath all the wandering thoughts of the four main narrators. But this is a minor quibble.
It’s a shouting statement that is apt for our times, and deserves to be widely read and discussed.
The parts of the book about assimilation, about racial attacks or casual comments, are thought provoking and hard hitting - this is the reality. It doesn’t offer answers, it embraces confusion and is better for it. It opens up a whole dimension to look at this country, riven by division as we are, by exploring how others have to face down constant aggression and oppression and how set we all are in not challenging this.
Where I felt the novel could have been better was in this thread around destiny - which came across as confusing and in need of clarity. It was perhaps buried beneath all the wandering thoughts of the four main narrators. But this is a minor quibble.
It’s a shouting statement that is apt for our times, and deserves to be widely read and discussed.
jackielaw's review
5.0
The One Who Wrote Destiny tells the story of a family of immigrants across three generations. It explores the meaning of home, culture and inheritance. When the British Empire granted those it had subjugated independence, its architects did not acknowledge that what they had regarded as benevolence was in truth oppression. They instilled a vision of Britain as great and then baulked at the idea of being open and welcoming. Despite the serious issues being explored, the experience of immigration portrayed here overflows with humour. There are no heroes but rather moments of unanticipated heroism.
The story is told in four sections, each concentrating on a key character, all interlinked.
The first of these is set in 1966 when Mukesh, a teenager of south Asian descent, moves from Kenya to England and ends up in Keighley. Mukesh plans to continue his education in London, living with his good friend Sailesh who has been offered work as a juggler in the clubs around Soho. Mukesh is perplexed when he discovers that Keighley is 213 miles from the capital city. He is comforted when he discovers that other Gujuratis live nearby. Drawn to a beautiful girl, Nisha, who inspires him to write bad poetry, he stands near her house each day watching as she arrives and leaves, believing he is invisible. When he is hit by a bicycle trying to offer Nisha assistance they speak and Mukesh finds himself agreeing to perform in a show she is organising for Diwali. Here he has his first experience of violent racism. The pale skinned residents of Keighley are happy to enjoy the tea and anglicized curry from the sub continent but will not tolerate the open presence of its people.
Mukesh is telling the story of how he and Nisha got together to their daughter, Neha. He repeats this each time they meet, his way of remaining close to the great love of his life now that Nisha is dead. In the second section of the book, set in 2017, Neha is told that she has terminal cancer. This is the same illness that killed her mother but Neha had not realised she could be at risk. Her adult life has been wrapped around her work in tech. She decides to explore her wider family history, to see if there is a way that knowledge may be used to escape one’s destiny. She hopes that in doing so she may help her brother’s future children avoid the same fate.
Raks is a comedian. After his sister dies he puts together a show that achieves critical acclaim. The break he had hoped for appears to be within his grasp until an error of judgement sends him off course and he feels a need to disconnect. He has ignored the warnings to stand up for his people, allowing himself to be manipulated by white men resentful of the diverse quotas they are expected to embrace. Raks travels to New York, and to Lamu in Kenya. Much of his section of the tale is told from the points of view of those he meets along the way. He and Neha had been to Lamu as children with their maternal grandmother. Before she died, Neha told him it was here that she had been most happy in her life.
The final section of the book is set in Kenya in 1988. Nisha’s mother, Ba, has left Keighley and returned to Mombasa following the deaths of those she most cared for. She is lonely and grieving but accepting of her destiny. When Mukesh brings his two young children to spend a week with her she begrudges their invasion of her quiet routine as she waits for death. Gradually the three find a way to be together. This week will prove pivotal in all of their lives.
The stories within stories are presented lightly but with subtle depths. There are entrenched views on all sides, subjugation and resentments sitting alongside tolerance and acceptance. The immigrant’s desire for assimilation in the place they choose to make their home is, at times, at odds with retained aspects of their cultural history. The dehumanisation they encounter is painful to read yet skilfully presented.
The idea of destiny adds interest but this is a story of family in its many colours and shades. It is entertaining yet never trivialises the inherent difficulties of each situation.
An exuberant, full flavoured read.
The story is told in four sections, each concentrating on a key character, all interlinked.
The first of these is set in 1966 when Mukesh, a teenager of south Asian descent, moves from Kenya to England and ends up in Keighley. Mukesh plans to continue his education in London, living with his good friend Sailesh who has been offered work as a juggler in the clubs around Soho. Mukesh is perplexed when he discovers that Keighley is 213 miles from the capital city. He is comforted when he discovers that other Gujuratis live nearby. Drawn to a beautiful girl, Nisha, who inspires him to write bad poetry, he stands near her house each day watching as she arrives and leaves, believing he is invisible. When he is hit by a bicycle trying to offer Nisha assistance they speak and Mukesh finds himself agreeing to perform in a show she is organising for Diwali. Here he has his first experience of violent racism. The pale skinned residents of Keighley are happy to enjoy the tea and anglicized curry from the sub continent but will not tolerate the open presence of its people.
Mukesh is telling the story of how he and Nisha got together to their daughter, Neha. He repeats this each time they meet, his way of remaining close to the great love of his life now that Nisha is dead. In the second section of the book, set in 2017, Neha is told that she has terminal cancer. This is the same illness that killed her mother but Neha had not realised she could be at risk. Her adult life has been wrapped around her work in tech. She decides to explore her wider family history, to see if there is a way that knowledge may be used to escape one’s destiny. She hopes that in doing so she may help her brother’s future children avoid the same fate.
Raks is a comedian. After his sister dies he puts together a show that achieves critical acclaim. The break he had hoped for appears to be within his grasp until an error of judgement sends him off course and he feels a need to disconnect. He has ignored the warnings to stand up for his people, allowing himself to be manipulated by white men resentful of the diverse quotas they are expected to embrace. Raks travels to New York, and to Lamu in Kenya. Much of his section of the tale is told from the points of view of those he meets along the way. He and Neha had been to Lamu as children with their maternal grandmother. Before she died, Neha told him it was here that she had been most happy in her life.
The final section of the book is set in Kenya in 1988. Nisha’s mother, Ba, has left Keighley and returned to Mombasa following the deaths of those she most cared for. She is lonely and grieving but accepting of her destiny. When Mukesh brings his two young children to spend a week with her she begrudges their invasion of her quiet routine as she waits for death. Gradually the three find a way to be together. This week will prove pivotal in all of their lives.
The stories within stories are presented lightly but with subtle depths. There are entrenched views on all sides, subjugation and resentments sitting alongside tolerance and acceptance. The immigrant’s desire for assimilation in the place they choose to make their home is, at times, at odds with retained aspects of their cultural history. The dehumanisation they encounter is painful to read yet skilfully presented.
The idea of destiny adds interest but this is a story of family in its many colours and shades. It is entertaining yet never trivialises the inherent difficulties of each situation.
An exuberant, full flavoured read.
kjcharles's review
A really engrossing family saga. It's split into four stories of one family: the father, a Kenyan Asian come to the Midlands in the 80s and coping with hostility in the immigrant community as well as racism from outside; his daughter who becomes a computer programmer and wants to live her life as a Brit without considering race; his son, a stand-up comedian who uses race and immigration in his sets but prefers to joke rather than confront; and, jumping back in time, his mother-in-law, who looked after the children when their mother died.
This is one of those books that on any synopsis sounds really depressing. Nisha, the children's mother, dies young of a hereditary form of cancer; her daughter's story starts with a terminal diagnosis. The whole novel is about human weaknesses: feeling scared, bullied, letting aggression and cruelty slip by with a bowed head because confronting it so easily leads to losing your job, or violence. The author doesn't hold back on the racist violence meted out to South Asians, or the ongoing racism of the TV and comedy circuit, or on the human toll of making compromises with vile people. And the whole book is a meditation on destiny and the inevitability of failure and death. Woop.
Nevertheless, it *isn't* depressing because it's so real and human. The little connections, the moments of happiness, the real love among flawed people all come through strongly and make this a story of hope and endurance and survival, and making the most of the life you've got. Shukla is extremely strong at writing flawed, weak men who are afraid and do the wrong things: his male characters are emotionally vulnerable in a way we don't often see men depicted in fiction. (Notably, his women are less flawed and stronger.)
A hugely engaging read and very well written. Highly recommended.
This is one of those books that on any synopsis sounds really depressing. Nisha, the children's mother, dies young of a hereditary form of cancer; her daughter's story starts with a terminal diagnosis. The whole novel is about human weaknesses: feeling scared, bullied, letting aggression and cruelty slip by with a bowed head because confronting it so easily leads to losing your job, or violence. The author doesn't hold back on the racist violence meted out to South Asians, or the ongoing racism of the TV and comedy circuit, or on the human toll of making compromises with vile people. And the whole book is a meditation on destiny and the inevitability of failure and death. Woop.
Nevertheless, it *isn't* depressing because it's so real and human. The little connections, the moments of happiness, the real love among flawed people all come through strongly and make this a story of hope and endurance and survival, and making the most of the life you've got. Shukla is extremely strong at writing flawed, weak men who are afraid and do the wrong things: his male characters are emotionally vulnerable in a way we don't often see men depicted in fiction. (Notably, his women are less flawed and stronger.)
A hugely engaging read and very well written. Highly recommended.
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