Book set in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Reviewed on 2020/02: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8eA3QygWrQ/
Put simply #soddendownstream is a day in the life of #sita . Sita is a #tamil #refugeein the #huttvalley in #newzealand and she has one goal throughout the book and throughout that one day: she has to make it to work. Despite her resolute, resilient and diligent nature, she has it all against her: a major storm, #immigration authorities, racist supervisors, disconnected #kiwis , asphyxiating Tamil #diaspora , depressed husband and self-hating child. Somehow amidst all of this bleak picture, #brannavangnanalingam gives both the reader and Sita hope, enough dose of hope here and there to keep us all walking, reading, forging forward. The best part of this book is the random acts of kindness from total strangers. I believe these “twists” would have been even more powerful had #gnanalingam concentrated solely on that one day. I think Gnanalingam is going for the #socialcritique on a #newzealandersociety which claims to be open and welcoming until the refugees actually start coming in or they demand their individual rights or an equal standard of living. How dare they demand anything when they have it so “good” in New Zealand! (insert sarcastic rolling-eyes emoji!). Whether you go for the social critique angle or the more #existentialist angle, either way you are up for an excellent and deep ride with this deceptively tiny book. #highlyrecommended #wellington#lowerhutt #srilanka#lawrenceandgibson #nzlit#kiwiliterature
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