11 January 2017

Review #580: The Parcel by Anosh Irani



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"Nature chooses who will be transgender; individuals don't choose this."

----Mercedes Ruehl


Anosh Irani, an Indo-Canadian novelist, has penned a heart touching and extremely enlightening story about an Indian transgender and a very young "virgin" prostitute, where the transgender is given a job to groom the virgin girl for first time consensual sex with a customer, but through the girl's grooming journey, the transgender shares the story of her life from the struggling days of transformation to the rejection by her parents to the insults she hears on a daily basis to the red-light district in Mumbai where her soul belongs to.




Synopsis:

Finalist for the Writers'Trust Fiction Prize and for the Governor General's Literary Award, this powerful new work, about a transgender sex worker in the red-light district of Bombay who is given an unexpected task, is a gripping literary page-turner--difficult and moving, surprising and tender. Anosh Irani's best novel yet, and his first with Knopf Canada.
The Parcel's astonishing heart, soul and unforgettable voice is Madhu--born a boy, but a eunuch by choice--who has spent most of her life in a close-knit clan of transgender sex workers in Kamathipura, the notorious red-light district of Bombay. Madhu identifies herself as a "hijra"--a person belonging to the third sex, neither here nor there, man nor woman. Now, at 40, she has moved away from prostitution, her trade since her teens, and is forced to beg to support the charismatic head of the hijra clan, Gurumai. One day Madhu receives a call from Padma Madam, the most feared brothel owner in the district: a "parcel" has arrived--a young girl from the provinces, betrayed and trafficked by her aunt--and Madhu must prepare it for its fate. Despite Madhu's reluctance, she is forced to take the job by Gurumai. As Madhu's emotions spiral out of control, her past comes back to haunt her, threatening to unravel a lifetime's work and identity. This is a dark, devastating but ultimately redemptive novel that promises to be one of the most talked-about publications of the year."



Madhu, born as a boy but transformed as an eunuch in her early teens by castrating away her manhood with the help of her new guardian transgender lady, Gurumai, is now appointed to be a guide and a protector of the new "parcel" arrived in one of the most powerful ladies' brothels in the red-light district of Mumbai. And Madhu, who cannot turn down the wishes and the words of her dearest Gurumai, an aging eunuch and the boss of all eunuchs of the red light district, agrees to do the risky and sentimental task of preparing the virgin 10 year old Nepali girl, who was sold to the brothel owners by her family, for her first time sex with a customer. And alongside the ten year old's grooming, Madhu explores her long forgotten yet meaningful past days when she had a set of parents who never loved her when she was a little boy, and had forever been looked down by his strict father, through her days of transformation. Meanwhile Madhu constantly fantasized about going back to her old house and meeting her family. And Madhu has nothing to be sad about her new life, she has a set of eunuch sisters, a guardian who she obeys with her life, lots of friends and well wishers and a lover, but all she needs is herself and her soul to be free from everything. Because with age, her body is fighting to become a man rather than stay womanly and she herself wants that silent war to come to an end. And her wish comes true when that ten year old virgin prostitute girl sets her free from that red light district.

Well to be honest, I've haven't read anything so much intimidating and intense, both at the same time and that which left an actual imprint on my mind. But the surprising thing that happened to me after reading this book, that one day I hugged an eunuch (Hijra) who was begging at a traffic inter-junction in my city while I was on the way to my work. I mean the book is extremely gripping, terrifying and something that not only moistened my eyes but also my soul. And after reading this book, I'll never be able to look at the transgender human beings with irritation or sympathy, instead I'll look at them proudly for their bravery and the daily battle that they fight on a daily basis. This book will open the eyes of the readers towards the third gender whom we pay no attention at all or sometimes we pay a penny or two to ease off their shrill and cranky voices begging for some money during the red signals on road.

The author's writing is really eloquent yet somewhere it lacked luster and the way the author has penned the story with so much depth will sometimes prove to be a slow-burner for the readers. But if the readers stick to the story line, no matter how much tedious it gets, they will be able to feel the inner chord of pain and struggle of the protagonist and the world around her that voices their pain through Madhu, the protagonist. The narrative is touchy and filled with deep, dark emotions that sometimes human beings never dare to prod them as they carry so much weight and holds the ability to drown the souls into their depth. And this book reflects exactly those kind of emotions, deep and intensifying all through out.

The projection of the city of Mumbai, especially its red-light district is extremely strikingly done and reflects the authentic feel of the city. The author's vivid portrayal of the city of Mumbai will make the readers visually imagine each and every details right before their own eyes. And the red-light district is so well depicted with the muffled screams and the real screams of the souls those have made that part of the city as their humble abode, also with the bright glittering neon lights, the stinking stench during the day light and the sweet scent of the perfume during the dark, everything makes it come alive from the pages of this book.

The characters are extremely well developed with patience and realism flowing through their down-to-earth demeanor. Madhu, the protagonist, speaks of her story and through her story, the readers will learn about the life of a transgender as well as those who do not belong there with an identity. Madhu's fight to become a woman in a world where she knew will never be accepted is extremely profound and will enlighten the readers about a transgender human's plight in an Indian society. Moreover, the author sheds light on the fact that how young girls are treated as goods when they are sold by their family to a brothel and how their feelings never matter once sold.

In a nutshell, this is a really rich and overpowering book about a transgender's constantly struggling life and emotions, while slightly it also touches the life of a young prostitute.

Verdict: A must read book that is highly absorbing and soul touching!

Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Random House Canada for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Author Info:
Anosh Irani is an Indo-Canadian novelist and playwright.
His novels and plays have garnered much critical and popular acclaim and he is considered to be a rising star in Canadian literature.
He was born and grew up in Mumbai, India in a Parsi family of relatively recent Persian origin (hence the surname Irani), but now makes his home in Vancouver, Canada.
He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia.
Visit him here



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