Reviews

Mother Ocean Father Nation by Nishant Batsha

low_keybookish's review against another edition

Overall story is compelling but problematic way of referring to “natives” in an ambiguous South Pacific island. A lot of overgeneralizations and stereotypes without enough depth to the history of colonization that brought over Indian labor. It also plays into the middle man minority stereotype too much :-/ a bit disappointing. 

deanis23's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

irasobrietate's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

In 1985, an unnamed Pacific island undergoes a military coup on behalf of the Nativists who want to wrest power from the mercantile Indians who supposedly control the whole country. Our main characters are a brother and sister pair - Bhumi and Jaipal. Bhumi is in the capital studying botany at university. Jaipal as at home in Sugar City, working as a bartender at a hotel that caters to white tourists. When the coup hits, Bhumi is forced to flee the country while Jaipal is let go as tourism dries up and has to take over their father's shop instead. We follow both siblings as they grapple with their drastically changed circumstances and the ever-changing parameters of the coup.

This was a deeply affecting book about immigration, identity, and resilience. We follow the coup from both inside the country and abroad as Jaipal and Bhumi have very different experiences navigating the tailspin that the coup put them in. Jaipal is trying to figure out a way to keep their family afloat, especially after their father has a seizure and is incapable of handling the family store himself. In addition, Jaipal is coming to more fully embrace his identity as a queer man. Bhumi, on the other hand, is castaway in California, unable to pursue her degree and forced into a nannying job that she despises in order to pay for the legal fees that will help gain refugee status in the States. Both are grappling with enormous shifts in self-perception and new financial worries as well as trying to understand the drastic changes their home is undergoing.

The pacing is sometimes inconsistent and the language is often overly metaphorical (neither of which is particularly surprising from a debut author), but in general I greatly enjoyed this work. Both Jaipal and Bhumi are fully fleshed characters reacting to their circumstances in believable and heart-wrenching ways. I found Jaipal's story the most compelling, not least because his exploration of queer identity identity was nearer to my own heart, but both characters are engaging. I will definitely be interested in reading more from Batsha in the future.

charlotteeee's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75