Stealing Green Mangoes

June 24, 2019
A dark thread of crime and violence poisons a family in this anguished memoir. Dutta, an LAPD police sergeant, traces his traumatic family history back to the carnage surrounding the 1947 partition of India, when many of his Hindu relatives were killed as they were driven out of Muslim Pakistan. Growing up poor in Jaipur, India, Dutta and his brother, Raju, were regularly beaten by an uncle. Raju later embarked on a colorful and then tragic criminal career, committing fraud, identity theft—including a yearlong impersonation of a terrorist—and murder. Dutta’s own life followed an opposite but equally fascinating path: after moving to the U.S. in 1986, he gave up a career as a biologist to become a street cop in Los Angeles, where his experiences challenged his assumptions that crime is caused by poverty and social disadvantages and illuminated his agonized search for reasons behind Raju’s transgressions. Throughout, Dutta combines gritty firsthand accounts of mayhem with dashes of philosophy—“As some fleeting thoughts about the indignity of death and the transient nature of the physical body as the custodian of the spirit wafted through my head, I saw the left hand of the corpse suddenly quiver.” Dutta’s remarkable family saga makes for a fascinating meditation on crime and responsibility.

June 1, 2019

Dutta (Bloodlines: The Imperial Roots of Terrorism in South Asia) tells the story of his life and that of his brother, Raju, both of which began similarly but continued down very different paths owing to the choices they made. Dutta explains how members of his Muslim family were victims of violence in their home country. Their crime: practicing a faith unaccepted by the majority, which resulted in their fleeing the region once the Hindus gained control in 1947. This memoir begins with the author learning about a troubling incident involving Raju, then travels back in time, detailing the author's life chronologically, starting as a young boy who heard of daily violent acts committed against people because of their faith. Dutta recalls his upbringing and includes reflections that relate his experiences to the present day. Readers will connect with Dutta, relishing his success and sharing his frustration with Raju's regular clashes with authority. VERDICT An insightful read about the strength of individuals to overcome adversity, reminding us that while our past and family do contribute to our identity, they do not define who we become.--Susan E. Montgomery, Rollins Coll., Winter Park, FL

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2019
The poignant memoir of two brothers raised under the dark shadow of Indian Partition who forged wildly different paths in life. Dutta (Bloodlines: The Imperial Roots of Terrorism in South Asia, 2015, etc.) and his older brother, Kaushal ("Raju"), were born in the late 1960s to poor Hindu refugees in Jaipur. Their Indian father, a government clerk, had arrived in 1959, forced by the violence after the Partition to flee his homeland. From enjoying the status of Brahmin to living in a near-destitute condition, the family spiraled over the decades into "bitter shame" and familial squabbles, a toxic atmosphere in which Dutta and Raju were raised. While Raju was by nature precocious, charming, and daring, the author, in contrast, grew inward, becoming idealistic and shy. In moving, honest prose, Dutta follows the disparate trajectories of their lives. Raju became entangled in a relationship with a rich, older gay man, which propelled him into posh jet-setting and eventually a criminal life abroad. Meanwhile, the author fell in love with an American woman and followed her to America in 1986. Dutta went to school, became a research biologist and then, in an odd but determined turn, a police officer in Los Angeles and a professor of homeland security and issues-involved terrorism. Meanwhile, Raju descended into the life of a con man and, later, terrorist. Both were cancer survivors. The memoir opens with a shattering call from France, where Raju had married and was living, to notify the author that his brother had been incarcerated for murder. Throughout, Dutta captures the enormous sense of humiliation wrought by this crisis; in Indian society, he writes, "the responsibility for a crime lies not with the perpetrator, but with the entire family." A powerful memoir of deep loss driven by the author's desire to get at harrowing answers to difficult questions.

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Mirroring the author's intensity, intelligence, and central-Indian vocal tones and rhythms, Sunil Malhotra gives a first-rate narration of this wise and penetrating memoir. As a boy, Dutta followed his heart from the crowded refugee camps of Jaipur to the mean streets of Los Angeles. He led an accomplished life as a translator of traditional Indian poetry and a plant biologist, and, finally, at 34 years old, he joined the Los Angeles Police Department. Conversely, Dutta's older brother, Raju, followed a divergent path of petty theft, small-time terrorism, and finally murder. How could two brothers brought up in the same environment be so different? Malhotra's voice reflects the philosophical questioning, pain, and guilt Dutta felt, along with his sense of responsibility for being his brother's keeper. B.P. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

September 1, 2019
Dutta's story is both unimaginable and utterly American. His youth in India contained poverty and abuse; his escape was music and metaphysical poetry. A rich, kindly, mysterious neighbor befriends him and takes special interest in his brother Raju. This interest becomes unhealthy, though, and when it is revealed that the neighbor is homosexual?a crime?Raju disappears. When he resurfaces, he brings shame to the family with his criminal behavior. Meanwhile, Dutta falls in love with Wes, a visiting American girl. They vow to be together when her family returns to the U.S., but that path is riddled with stumbling blocks, not the least of which is Wes' inability to remain faithful. Still, Dutta emigrates and marries her, and embarks on an academic career in biochemistry, which is unfulfilling. He joins the South L.A. police department and observes creature comforts unknown in India, realizing that poverty need not beget violence. Dutta also illuminates India-Pakistan history, and his personal fight with metastatic cancer. While certain sections lag and Dutta's storytelling style is at times disjointed, this is an overall cracking-good read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)