In her debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, Deepa Anappara examines the epidemic of missing children in India through the eyes of a naïve, TV-obsessed young boy living in the slums. When a boy from Jai’s school goes missing, he decides to use his detective skills learned from watching too many episodes of Police Patrol to find him.
This was a book that confounded many of my expectations. Based on the premise of djinns in contemporary society, I was expecting a magical realist depiction of life in India, in the vein of Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. In fact, Anappara’s terse, utilitarian style owes a lot more to true crime writing. This is perhaps to be expected, given her background as a journalist reporting on cases of disappeared children. While we’re occasionally reminded of the story’s supernatural elements, they jar somewhat with the central narrative, never quite fitting together.
Anappara creates a rich cast of characters, each struggling to survive in the face of poverty, police corruption and religious conflict. Jai’s sister Runu, who has ambitions of becoming a star athlete, and his academically gifted friend Pari chafe against the limitations placed on women in their society. While the women are the emotional heart of the novel, they feel oddly de-centred.
The novel is structured around the events of each disappearance, written from the victim’s perspective, but focuses on the ‘everyman’ protagonist Jai, in many ways the least interesting character. His limited perspective and lack of understanding give the novel a frustratingly narrow view of the world it depicts. I would have loved to see a more in-depth exploration of the other characters’ inner lives and everyday experiences.
While the tagline reads, “This story is a talisman. Hold it close to your hearts,” the novel never quite delivers on this idea of the redemptive power of storytelling, instead falling into a sadly realistic but narratively unsatisfying conclusion. As many as 180 children go missing in India every day, and despite its imperfections, Djinn Patrol will hopefully bring much needed international attention to this issue.
Review copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is out in the UK from Chatto & Windus on 30th January 2020
Book, Bell & Candle 