Our Lady of Alice Bhatti is the story of Alice Bhatti of French Colony daughter of Joseph Bhatti, the prince among chooras. He is the go-to guy when a clogged drain flummoxes all the other cleaners. Her sainted mother died when she fell down the stairs in the house where she was employed as a maid. The mourners at her funeral were intrigued by a fellow servant from that same household who kept saying 'murder murder' as he cried. Some people were of the opinion that he was actually crying 'martyr martyr'.
What chance does Alice have of getting on in life when...
1. She is an untouchable, a choora
2. She is a Christian in the land of Muslas
3. She has just served time in jail
4. She is a woman
Alice
tries to rise above her station in life by studying Nursing. With some
help from Dr. Jamus Pereira she finds work at the Sacred Heart hospital
of All Ailments. The grim looking Sister Hina Alvi comes to her rescue
when she is stuck. The young jailbird Noor, another of Dr. Pereira's
proteges, is working at the hospital so his mother, who is cancer
ridden, can get medical aid there.
Alice
has just started work at the hospital when Teddy Butt walks into her
life. Captivated by the pretty nurse, Teddy starts wooing her with
determination. Teddy Butt is body builder and also a peripheral police
helper. His boss, Inspector Malangi has caught Abu Zar, a terrorist.
Teddy is given the task of making him talk.
All
these characters impact the life and times of Our Lady of Alice
Bhatti. Alice is a victim of a society where it is a crime to be a
woman, let alone being an untouchable and a Christian.
Mohammed
Hanif draws a realistic portrait of life in Karachi and at a big busy
hospital, Sacred Heart. In fact the life at Sacred Heart is so self
sufficient, that the novelist steps outside it just a few times, when he
needs to show how the events happening outside will impact the lives of
those who live within the hospital.
7 comments:
The book may not be unputdownable, but it has something, which makes it very intriguing. The curiousity to know how these two persons so incompatible will go on ahead gives us a rush and then as the various aspects of the protagonists start unravelling, it was like... I don't know the word for it.
Hanif knows how to build his characters. They are anything but simple, anything but one-dimensional!
Looking forward to his next book. Wonder if he would write another novel similar to his first one, this time delaing with the assassination of Bhutto. Would love it.
I loved the whole cause-and-effect of the plot. And the way he presents the story.
It was good actually, that he does not 'gloss' the story to make it palatable. It may make it hard to read at times, but was much more rewarding.
Thanks for recommending the book to me dear.
Excellent review, Ava. As you know, I normally read only non-fiction but the way you write a review, you draw the reader into the book so skilfully that you create an urge in the reader to read the book.
Thank you Raja :)
That is the whole purpose of writing a review.
I liked A Case of Exploding Mangoes a lot, so I'd been tempted to buy this one too. But only when I've finished the pile of unread books lying at home... perhaps in a couple of years? ;-) Your review makes it sound as if I should probably go for it sooner than that.
A lot? I should get that ASAP in that case.
Yes Madhu, so many books so little time :(
A Case of Exploding Mangoes was funny and grim and grimy all at the same time - and very fast-paced. A great example of black humour.
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