A review by thecaffeinatedlibrary
The East Indian by Brinda Charry

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was an epic coming of age literary historical fiction that tells the story of the first East Indian settler in the ‘New World’, and it was nothing short of breathtaking.

I was  so easily transported into the vicious landscape of the 1600s, I felt like I was right there with Tony, Sammy and Lydia as they navigated their growing fears and dreams. The prose is just raw and stunning, it was some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever had the privledge of reading. 
This book covered some pretty dark subject matter, and it was hard to read at times because of the harsh reality of some of these themes, but I think it is such a viral piece of literature. I was fully immersed in Tony’s journey of discovery of love and friendship, and what home truly means.

 If you enjoyed Babel by R.F Kuang, I highly recommend picking up The East Indian. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence