Witness the Night
A Novel
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- 4,49 €
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- 4,49 €
Publisher Description
Winner of the Costa First Novel Award—a dazzling mystery that takes readers into the heart of India
In a small town in northern India, a house still smolders from a devastating fire. Inside a young girl is found severely beaten and barely alive, along with the lifeless bodies of thirteen people. Inexplicably, the local police accuse the girl of the murders. But Simran Singh, an independent-minded, unconventional social worker, is convinced of the girl's innocence. As Simran goes against the authorities to seek out the truth, she discovers a terrifying web of deceit that will change her forever. Seamlessly weaving themes of sexism, police corruption, and infanticide, this captivating mystery plunges readers into the thrilling heart of modern India.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Simran Singh is a middle-aged, unmarried social worker, who has returned to her Punjabi hometown in hopes of helping 14-year-old Durga, who stands accused of murdering 13 members of her family. Simran works hard to buck the stereotypes of Indian women, which is noble if not awfully tiresome for the reader, who is reminded every few pages of her smoking, drinking, and unlikely marital status. Then there's Durga, a possible lesbian who, growing up, had sexual encounters with her older sister, and who is similarly so busy refusing compartmentalization that she fails to become a real human character. While Desai's valiant attempts to renounce police corruption, female infanticide, and general misogyny should not be dismissed, Simran's running inner monologue relentlessly echoes this agenda: "When I think there has been a miscarriage of justice, I get into the system, meet everyone, represent no one, and try and get to the truth." Though suspense builds over the course of the novel, when the truth surfaces, it's so implausible that it's hard to care.
