A Burning

Six narrators of Indian descent bring authenticity to this tragic debut fiction about a young Indian woman unjustly charged with terrorism over a Facebook comment. When Muslim Jivan criticizes the Indian government for mishandling a bombing incident, she doesn't think much about the possible consequences. However, her seemingly innocent comment lands her behind bars. With their accurate Indian accents and adept pacing, the narrators bring listeners into the slums of India. Their multifaceted voices harmoniously blend to bring out a consistent storytelling experience. As Jivan fights to get out of jail, listeners will find themselves sympathizing with her predicament. This must-listen, if overstuffed, audiobook explores the oppression of minorities in the South Asian nation. A.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

April 6, 2020
In Majumdar’s audacious debut, a politically conscious English tutor who works with an aspiring film actor is wrongfully accused of terrorism. After an ill-advised Facebook post criticizing the police’s response to a train bombing in Bengal, Jivan, a Muslim, is charged with the attack. Jivan has an alibi; she was on her way to tutor Lovely, whose testimony might be able to save Jivan from execution. A right-wing party luminary, hoping to gain political mileage from the case, bribes one of Jivan’s former teachers from grammar school in exchange for his false testimony about Jivan, and his lies in court lead to Jivan being jailed. A large portion of the chapters devoted to Jivan, told in the first person, come in the form of expository monologues to Purnendu, a reporter. Lovely’s dialect-heavy passages speak to her difficult life as a hijra (a third gender in India), and her desire to become a star despite being marginalized. Majumdar expertly weaves the book’s various points of view and plotlines in ways that are both unexpected and inevitable. This is a memorable, impactful work.