Black River (Nilanjana S. Roy)
Early Review
This review is the initial impression of our editorial team after reading approximately one-tenth of the book.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in the Early Review might not necessarily have a correlation with the Final Review of the book.
Roy's book opens with a description of a laidback rural space where time has stood still. Untouched by the rapid development in the nearby capital city, Teetarpur in 2017 is revelling in its anonymity and rejoicing the fact that all its inhabitants live an unimaginative life. Clearly this is a place where everyone knows everyone and nothing much happens or is expected to happen. Amidst all this the author introduces the character of Munia, a young girl celebrating her eighth birthday with icecream. In a place where time stands still Munia is an explorer who has created her own world of innocence as well as imagination. But then this is not the story of Munia; rather it is a story of how this spell of time standing still is broken in Teetarpur by a death which shakes the very core of this tiny community. Roy has cleverly created a space where a murder is the least likely thing to happen hence when it happens we are left with several questions and this death certainly wakes everyone out of their slumber. Suddenly the entire community must come to terms with this unnatural death that has occurred and a handful of policemen who are used to sleeping on duty are pushed into rounding up possible suspects and looking for clues. Roy has masterfully weaved a mystery which promises to be a page turner by creating chaos amidst peace. By adding the ingredient of doubt and uncertainty Roy dispels the myth of harmony that surrounds small towns and the readers can look forward to the unmasking of each character.
Original Title : Black River
ISBN : 9395767111 (ISBN13: 9789395767118)
Edition language : English
Published : November 2022
Summary
In the village of Teetarpur, a few hours from the capital city of Delhi, Chand's
peaceful life is shattered as he is forced into a dangerous quest for justice.
At the station house, the jurisdiction of which extends to Teetarpur and the neighbouring villages,
Sub-inspector Ombir Singh, who has known Chand's daughter Munia since she was born, wrestles with his
conscience and the vagaries of his personal life as the increasingly murky case unfolds under the
watchful eyes of the 'Delhi boy', SSP Pilania.
Meanwhile, in the rough bylanes of Bright Dairy Colony, Chand's old companions Rabia and Badshah Miyan
fight for their right to home and country as the politics of religion threaten to overwhelm their lives.
Framed as a police procedural, Black River is fast-paced and relentless, yet tender and reflective,
in its exploration of friendship, love and grief.
'A riveting murder mystery. A psychological thriller. A magnificent work of literary fiction. Roy
brings her formidable experience as a journalist to this story of crime in modern India. Black River
addresses a society unravelling in the midst of change, a brutal class divide, the terror of religious
strife, relentless violence against women—but it is also suffused with tenderness for the ordinary,
heroic decency of those who persist in abiding by different rules. Reading this novel is like holding a
prayer in one's hands.
— Kiran Desai