A review by deetalkz
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

4.0

China Room by Sunjeev Sahota is an introspection and an homage to the lives lived that have lead to the lives we live today. Interspersed between pre-independence Punjab and modern-day Punjab, China Room tells the story of two people who lived there. It tells us the story of two people who have their lives changed in this room. Mehar, a child-bride of 15 is wed to a man she doesn’t recognise by face. Through her story we are introduced to rural Punjab in 1929 power and agency were polarised to the privileged quarters of a few. Her story seems to be narrated to us through her great-grandson, who remains unnamed. The great-grandson, born in London, with his own issues of trouble in fitting in and what nots, has come to Punjab to rid himself of a heroin addiction. This story is of the stories in the family that China Room has borne witness.