A magnificent achievement: the endeavours of the Djinn Patrol offer us a captivating world of wit, warmth and heartbreak, beautifully crafted through a child's unique perspective.”— Mahesh Rao, author of Polite Society Since December, people in India have been participating in peaceful marches (apart from those who have resorted to stone pelting) because they want to have their problems heard and solved. Instead of concentrating on The Personal Data Protection Bill, which is said to have the potential to ‘turn India into an Orwellian state’, or the Trans Bill, which violates the fundamental rights of citizens, we are choosing to focus only on religious issues today. This misplaced focus has led to a number of problematic bills getting passed, thereby pushing the common man’s problems down to the bottom of the barrel to get lost and forgotten. This is also the case in the book, where the authorities choose to play a blame-game based on religion rather than focussing on the actual investigation into the case of the vanishing children. This dazzling debut follows three children investigating a series of disappearances in the slums of India. A stunningly original tale . . . I stayed up late every night until I finished, reluctant to part from Deepa Anappara’sheart-stealing characters.” —Etaf Rum, New York Timesbestselling author of A Woman Is No Man In channelling complex social and political realities through Jai’s voice, Anappara creates an endearing and highly engaging narrator to navigate us through the dark underbelly of modern India.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Penguin Books UK

I first tried writing this novel in 2009, but set it aside, unsure whether I had the authority to write about a marginalised, neglected community. I returned to it in 2016. I had written several short stories by then with child narrators; I had also read a number of books and watched films with child narrators. Added to this were my own personal experiences of loss and uncertainty, and the greater understanding of mortality that perhaps comes with age – all these factors in some way gave me the permission to write Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, and shaped its narrative. Anappara is currently working towards a doctorate in historical fiction at the University of East Anglia. [2] [10] Awards and recognition [ edit ] I think the themes embedded in this story are significantly valuable. However, the progression of the story was uniform. Overall, I liked the story because of the important leitmotifs. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this copy. Opinions are my own. In thisthrilling reading experience,Deepa Anappara creates a drama of childhood that is as wild as it is intimate. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Lineis an entertaining, wonderful debut that will earn all the acclaim it is sure to get.” —Chigozie Obioma, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of An Orchestra of Minorities Anappara’s excellent debut novel is written from the POVs of children about children. As an Indian journalist, Anappara covered the deeply disturbing tragedy of children disappearing at the rate of nearly 180 per day. She felt that the personal stories of these children were getting lost amidst the appalling statistics. Thus, she wrote this novel primarily from the POV of Jai.Most enjoyable for the richness of its sensory details. Cravings for samosas and tikka masala inevitably follow. It's easy to forget Deepa Anappara's protagonist is only nine years old, despite the occasional references to poop. The narrative structure is formulaic and the final chapters feel rushed, yet Anappara succeeds at piercing the smog-choked alleys of marginalized communities to reveal disturbing realities in present day India.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara review – a

Djinn Patrol faced a “hard-fought UK auction” at Frankfurt Book Fair (2018) — eventually securing 21 international territories alongside simultaneous publications in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom, where it is Vintage’s lead fiction debut for 2020. For nascent parts of the novel, its author, all within months of each other, won a triad of prizes: the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, the Bridport/Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award, and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award. A profoundly emphatic work of creative geniusthat will stay with you forever.” —Sonia Faleiro, author of Beautiful Thing It is very hard not to see the book as a piece of well written children’s fiction – in fact it becomes very reminiscent of books that are read at lower school book groups, like say “The London Eye Mystery” (only with added colour and Hindi). In these later stages of the novel it darkens more and more as it closes on the ending. I thought that this also was needed and felt it was a natural progression for the narrative.

The world-building also adds to the tension of the story—the smog hides the children, making it easier for them to disappear, be kidnapped, or taken by djinns, which is Jai’s prevailing theory. In the second of the three living-saving stories, we’re told: “This story is a talisman. Hold it close to your hearts.” Toward the close of the novel, Jai, defeated and distraught, says, “I’ll never watch Police Patrol again […] A murder Djinn Patrol ... transcends its burdens by being exceptionally well-written, thoughtfully structured and, above all, sensitive to the precise individuality and mental acuity of its characters. Its world is also beautifully described, from the alleys of Bhoot Bazaar to the big city's main railway station … Anappara doesn't pull punches when it comes to illustrating our constant complicity in perpetuating dehumanising poverty.” —Sonal Shah, India Today

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara - Waterstones Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara - Waterstones

We would love to see how you use the reading guide on social media using #DjinnPatrol and @VintageBooks. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Penguin Random House Canada for an ecopy of this novel. I am providing my honest review. This was released February 2020. Where the book is strong is in its authenticity (at least as far as I can tell) and in the way that we get a child’s view of a troubled society and a difficult life. The author was an award-winning journalist in India, specialising in the impact of poverty and sectarian violence on children (and their education). Since moving to England and taking a creative writing course, she has I think found in fiction a way to both articulate themes that her journalist bosses were not so interested in her covering; and to draw on the many slum children she interviewed as part of her research to capture something of their voice and spirit, something pure word count and style restrictions prevented her ever conveying in her journalism.

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The story is narrated in a simple first-person present tense (although one strewn with Hindi slang terms) by a nine-year old: Jai. Jai who lives with his parents and elder sister Runu (Runu-didi) in a basti (temporary turned permanent, slum district) in India. Runu is (to the extent Jai is a fan of real-life crime reenactment shows like “Police Patrol”, his two best friends are Pari (a bright girl) and Faiz (a Muslim, and believer in djinns). Runu is (to the limited extent her parent’s permit it) a keen and proficient athlete (relay runner).