Malkani, Gautum. Londonstani, New York: Penguin Press 2006.
The setting for this story is in London’s Hounslow section which boasts of a large Indi-Pakistan community. Jas, 18 hangs out with his Sikh and Hindu friends which has the hall marks of the typical gangster setting; headed by Hardjit, the Sikh bodybuilder, Ravi the sexual braggart and Amit the Hindu nationalist.
Jas has to keep his secret about the gorgeous Samara, from his friends as she is a Muslim. Soon tensions surface between Sikhs and Muslims – almost similar to the West Side story setting. There are also tensions between adults – quarrels about assimilation, about tradition, family and guilt. This book explores the ‘punk’ side of children born in the UK to immigrant Indian parents. The language used in the book captures the essence of gangster culture very cleverly. “Dat bitch b trouble, u get me?”
An excellent read to get an insight into this dichotomy of two cultures and the tensions that surface.
Jas has to keep his secret about the gorgeous Samara, from his friends as she is a Muslim. Soon tensions surface between Sikhs and Muslims – almost similar to the West Side story setting. There are also tensions between adults – quarrels about assimilation, about tradition, family and guilt. This book explores the ‘punk’ side of children born in the UK to immigrant Indian parents. The language used in the book captures the essence of gangster culture very cleverly. “Dat bitch b trouble, u get me?”
An excellent read to get an insight into this dichotomy of two cultures and the tensions that surface.
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