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mja002's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
becarnold's review against another edition
I wasn't impressed by the character building and struggled to pay attention to the story line. There was no tug to keep reading and I felt like I was forcing myself to continue
enfelicia's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Nishant Batsha’s debut novel Mother Ocean Father Nation is set in 1985 on an unnamed island in the South Pacific. The government has been overthrown by natives seeking to take back the island which they believe was stolen from them by the Indian community brought there by colonizers. The story follows two siblings, Bhumi and Jaipal, who are separated during the coup. Bhumi is forced into exile, abandoning her university studies and starting anew in California. Jaipal is left on the island, forced to stay while everyday life gets increasingly difficult for the Indian community.
Batsha is a skilled writer who is able to write beautiful descriptions while creating an underlying feeling of constant danger. The tension between individual needs and family expectations is subtly portrayed through the questions the characters ask themselves. The character development is wonderful with Bhumi’s and Jaipal’s perspectives and motivations evolving as the coup unfolds. The characters are likable, despite, or because of, their flaws, and Batsha writes with understanding and compassion for their circumstances.
The book has a few loose ends that I would want to see connected and there is tremendous potential to delve into various layers of racism and colonialism. I look forward to reading more from Batsha, whether it's a sequel or a new standalone novel that continues this narrative.
“We don’t belong here,” Maqbool said with a bitter air. “We’re just some fucked orphan of the Empire, brought here and left behind. We made some money, but you know what really matters? Power. Land. Guns. Our fathers were stupid as shit. They signed that constitution and signed over all land to the natives, thinking we could just count our money in the corner. They got the land, they got the government. Who said we should rock the boat? Things were fine until that election. We fucked it up. We wanted more. It wasn’t ours to take. And now, they’re done with us.” p. 210.
“We don’t belong here,” Maqbool said with a bitter air. “We’re just some fucked orphan of the Empire, brought here and left behind. We made some money, but you know what really matters? Power. Land. Guns. Our fathers were stupid as shit. They signed that constitution and signed over all land to the natives, thinking we could just count our money in the corner. They got the land, they got the government. Who said we should rock the boat? Things were fine until that election. We fucked it up. We wanted more. It wasn’t ours to take. And now, they’re done with us.” p. 210.
lololand's review
3.0
there is some seriously beautiful writing in here. i enjoyed the characters and their perspectives, but i just didn't feel like the story went anywhere? o_O
asha_reads's review
3.0
Mother Ocean Father Nation is a literary, historical fiction, LBTQ+ debut novel from Nishant Batsha. Mother Ocean Father Nation explores themes of strained relationships, power, oppression, self discovery, and the meaning of home. The author alternates perspectives from sister and brother, Bhumi and Jaipal. I loved that their perspectives were different and their stories were separate yet interwoven. I also liked how the author touched suppression, immigration, and the feeling of belonging. The plot is intriguing, but the pacing of the story felt either way too show or everything happens at once. The author touches upon some heavy themes in here, but I felt there was too much to dive into and some things were unexplained. It was a good start to a debut that was heartbreaking yet filled with hope. I’d recommend reading this one if you love character/driven stories.
Thank you Ecco Books for the free advanced copy.
Thank you Ecco Books for the free advanced copy.
karnaconverse's review against another edition
3.0
The government of a small South Pacific island is overthrown and the minority Natives begin working toward change that is designed to demote the majority Indian population from power and the successful lives they've built
Batsha reveals the effects of the military coup through the stories of two siblings, one who has been studying at a university in the capital city and the other who has stayed in the village and is destined to take over the family's grocer business. Both are searching and Batsha uses interior narration to share details about their childhoods, their questions, and their secret desires. The reader learns much, but I found this technique confusing and somewhat clunky as it is interspersed with the third-person point of view that so authentically describes the effects of the coup: food prices go up, tariffs are imposed on imports from India, businesses are either closed or commanded to open at the new general's command, soldiers patrol the streets, a census is taken, the Indians are expelled.
I was invested in both siblings and their search for self but I was very interested in Batsha's interpretation of the military coup and its effects of those forced to leave. Here, I see some similarities with our present-day refugees and the decisions they've made, though Mother Ocean Father Nation makes the visa process seem a bit easier than I think it actually is.
Batsha reveals the effects of the military coup through the stories of two siblings, one who has been studying at a university in the capital city and the other who has stayed in the village and is destined to take over the family's grocer business. Both are searching and Batsha uses interior narration to share details about their childhoods, their questions, and their secret desires. The reader learns much, but I found this technique confusing and somewhat clunky as it is interspersed with the third-person point of view that so authentically describes the effects of the coup: food prices go up, tariffs are imposed on imports from India, businesses are either closed or commanded to open at the new general's command, soldiers patrol the streets, a census is taken, the Indians are expelled.
I was invested in both siblings and their search for self but I was very interested in Batsha's interpretation of the military coup and its effects of those forced to leave. Here, I see some similarities with our present-day refugees and the decisions they've made, though Mother Ocean Father Nation makes the visa process seem a bit easier than I think it actually is.
laurenexploresbooks's review
4.0
CW: Death of a Parent, Torture, and Murder.
Bhumi and Jaipal are two siblings that must make decisions in the heat of violence, occupation, and genocide. Watching the paths each take in figuring out their place in the world can be difficult and painful. Life is full of family, love, sacrifice and a willingness to survive. This work highlights how quickly nativism turns to tangible harm for anyone deemed as other.
Bhumi and Jaipal are two siblings that must make decisions in the heat of violence, occupation, and genocide. Watching the paths each take in figuring out their place in the world can be difficult and painful. Life is full of family, love, sacrifice and a willingness to survive. This work highlights how quickly nativism turns to tangible harm for anyone deemed as other.
kmsliwoski's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alexture's review against another edition
Jaipal and Bhumi are estranged siblings. The first is a young gay man working as a bartender, the second a brilliant biology student, both of them living on a small West Pacific island. When the dictator starts discriminating against « Indians » more and more, they're worried - when discrimination turns into plain government harassment, it's too late to leave. Jaipal tries to survive, while Bhumi, their mother's favourite, finds out she has a passport ready and is eligible for refugee status in the United States. Their two destinies keep getting further, as both of them try to build a world and a life wherever they are.
A compelling and horrifying read.
As a teenager, I was obsessed with dystopias, and was extremely sad when the genre finally came to pass. Now that I'm all grown up, I read contemporary novels and see the dystopia in them.
This one is an easy one, but the fact that it's based on real slices of history horrifies me - and even more so the fact that I had no idea.