Behind the beautiful forevers Life‚ Death‚ And Hope In A Mumbai Under city Book Review

Katherine Boo‚ winner of the Pulitzer Prize‚ takes one on a journey into a hand full of slum dweller’s lives in Mumbai trying to make a living and survive.

Annawandi is a slum made up of three thousand people overlooking the prestigious Airport and upscale hotels who live in their “huts‚ some held together by duct tape and rope‚ damp rags were discretely freshening bodies.” While India is prospering‚ the main character of this shanty town‚ Abdul‚ has hope that he and his family will succeed and be able to leave. The Muslim boy is the main earner in the household of eleven. He recycles wealthy people’s garbage. The family is earning more than the other people who the author also follows and brings to light in her documentation of their lives. Besides Abdul‚ there is Asha‚ who is a middle-aged woman climbing the ropes of political corruption to get out of the huts. Manju‚ her college attending daughter‚ believed‚ ” competence in English – a credential bespeaking worldliness and superior education- was a potential springboard out of the slums.” Sunil‚ a young scavenger also had a good attitude about being thrown out of the orphanage by the nuns at age twelve. Stating he had at least  learned something while he was living there. He was content with being a scavenger and did not complain about his work.

Then disaster strikes and Abdul and his family are blamed for a crime they did not commit. On top of that‚ terrorist attacks  caused a decline in the economy. One can see the corruption running rampant with police threatening Abdul’s family to take bribes or else they will fall on harsh consequences. Also‚ the education system is crooked because there are not enough people to teach the children at the school. The system does not check on the teachers to see if they are in the classroom. The children could go days without seeing a teacher. This book is eye-opening and heart-breaking at the same time. However‚ it is inspiring to see some of the people still not lose hope even when a wall is against their backs. Their true stories are humbling and bring gratitude for the little things in life. I am glad Katherine Boo took three years living in Annawandi‚ documenting these people to shed light on what is going on in India.  I read this book in a day because the author drew me into the hearts and humanness of the Annawandi people.  I stayed invested all the way to the last page and  wanted to know how they are doing now. I highly recommend this masterpiece  because it was life-changing for me.

Katherine Boo is an inquiring reporter and writer of the underprivileged. She has many accolades and awards showing a testament to her remarkable writing. She is married to an Indian man and splits her life between India and the United States.

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