Book Review – A State Of Freedom

A State Of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee (Chatto and Windus) ISBN: 9781784740436

A State of Freedom intertwines five seemingly unrelated stories to deliver a scathing commentary on modern India.

We meet various characters across five different stories. A father who returns as a tourist to the land of his birth, bringing along his young son. A man who sees his dancing bear as a means to a better life. Two servant girls who have escaped a village life but cannot escape classism. A young man who thinks he can better the life of his family cook, but ultimately becomes a burden to her family.

Each story delves into the very uniqueness of living in India, and paints a picture of what freedom means to each of the protagonists.

A State of Freedom is not an easy read, but it will leave you thinking about life a long time after you have read the book.

Merissa Himraj
3/5