A review by katymm
The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar

Devi S. Laskar is an American poet, and this is her first novel. Written in short fragments, The Atlas of Red and Blues reads like poetry in many places, evocative and arresting. The main character is an American woman of Bengali descent who is only referred to as “Mother.” Her attempts to raise her children in safety in the American South are met with resistance and hostility. Like any nonwhite person from the South can relate to, she is always hit with the same refrain of “where are you really from?”

Throughout the novel, Mother fights to keep her emotions in check in spite of the blatant racism she and her children encounter, and finally during a police raid on her home, she can no longer remain silent. I didn’t know this when I was reading the book, but The Atlas of Reds and Blues is partially based on the author’s own experiences of having her home raided by the police. Her writing is vivid and her observations as unfortunately relevant as ever.