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A review by rbharath
Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James
2.0
This is a story which had potential as it follows the lives of two sisters from a Christian family in Kerala, with their interactions & experiences with multiple cultures. As a debut work of the author, I suppose there will always be some learnings for the next one. For me, this one fell short, largely due to the lack of adequate character development.
Linno and Anju are sisters, part of the Vallara family in Kerala. Their mother Gracie has passed away and their dad Melvin works as a driver. As a result of a fire accident in childhood, Linno loses her hand. This tragedy limits her potential, but she finds her own in the arts. Anju gets an opportunity to go to the US on a scholarship, but she uses some misrepresentation to gain an advantage. Anju stays with an Indian American family (their son Rohit is an extremely silly character) to start with as she attends college. Linno, on the other hand in India, starts small with some paintings on windows & walls but soon starts getting more rewarding work. Anju is keen to get permanent residency in the US, but after getting into trouble, it becomes an uphill battle to even maintain her status in the US. However, a lady called Bird, treats her like a daughter, and her support gives Anju hope.
The settings have an authentic feel as there are sprinklings of words & mannerisms which are appropriate to the culture and location. However, this is largely sketchy, including some political & cultural references which have no follow-up or depth. The characters are flat & listless, and it is almost as if they are hiding themselves from the reader. There is a twist regarding Linno & Anju’s mother Gracie’s death at the end, which further weakens the story, rather than strengthening it.
I found it disappointing, but then for a first book, the writing is pretty decent.
Linno and Anju are sisters, part of the Vallara family in Kerala. Their mother Gracie has passed away and their dad Melvin works as a driver. As a result of a fire accident in childhood, Linno loses her hand. This tragedy limits her potential, but she finds her own in the arts. Anju gets an opportunity to go to the US on a scholarship, but she uses some misrepresentation to gain an advantage. Anju stays with an Indian American family (their son Rohit is an extremely silly character) to start with as she attends college. Linno, on the other hand in India, starts small with some paintings on windows & walls but soon starts getting more rewarding work. Anju is keen to get permanent residency in the US, but after getting into trouble, it becomes an uphill battle to even maintain her status in the US. However, a lady called Bird, treats her like a daughter, and her support gives Anju hope.
The settings have an authentic feel as there are sprinklings of words & mannerisms which are appropriate to the culture and location. However, this is largely sketchy, including some political & cultural references which have no follow-up or depth. The characters are flat & listless, and it is almost as if they are hiding themselves from the reader. There is a twist regarding Linno & Anju’s mother Gracie’s death at the end, which further weakens the story, rather than strengthening it.
I found it disappointing, but then for a first book, the writing is pretty decent.