Thomas Nevins

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I have been writing reviews for everydayeBook.com. It is a brief daily review of books new and old. The reviews are written by people who are passionate about books and, I think, the site has a cool design. I hope you might consider subscribing? It's free. Or, you can like us on facebook. I have a few reviews posted, of both fiction and non-fiction titles. So, if you're interested in what I'm up to, or if you're looking for a good read, please click on the link above:
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Or, if you think you don't have time, here is a review for National Book Award winner Katherine Boo's BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS that I was lucky enough to have had for an early read. This review hasn't appeared on everydayeBook.com, but may give you an idea of what you'll see. However, if you like reading, please check out the site.

The remarkable comes out of nowhere. And such is the case with Katherine Boo's first book, a work of non-fiction entitled, BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS. The subject is a huge settlement of squatters who inhabit the land surrounding the airport in Mumbai, India. The title refers to a wall that was erected between the airport and the city built to hide the squatters and the slum from the highway and visitors view. The space on the wall has been sold to adverise a company called "Beautiful Forever". They have covered the wall with their name. Boo's story is of what goes on behind that wall. It is a broad canvas and a tricky topic and it is handled with a deft, human touch. Boo narrows the perspective to Annawadi, a neighborhood within the slum, and a cast of characters that live there. Here are a few:
Fatima: a one-legged woman whose self-immolation and its aftermath set the course of the story. She is vindictive and fierce in makeup more brash than any Bollywood star and who felt, "only in the hours when the men came - husband at work, daughters at school - did the part of her body she had to offer more important than the part of it she lacked".
Abdul; even as a teenager he is a master at sorting and selling garbage that he collects, buys and brings to market. He is the bread-winner of his family. His personal goal is to have enough money to buy an iPod, not for his love of music, but to drown out the sounds of Annawadi. As a Muslim he is even more of an outcast in a culture of cast offs. He is accused of setting Fatima on fire.
Asha; is a woman of strong ambitions and wants to be the first female slumlord of Annawadi. She is in tight with the local politicians and police. She is the one to see to get things done. But, it's going to cost you.

It has become almost cliche to say that good non-fiction reads like a novel, but this is the effect of Boo's writing. What is remarkable is how she is able to connect the reader directly to the characters as if the author isn't there, just the subject and the reader. If I were to compare her to another writer, I'd say Charles Dickens for the character study and story that reveals a great social injustice. Except, this book is a heck of a lot shorter, employing a strict economy of language. Katherine Boo leaves me with only one word to describe BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS, "Wow!"