She – Ekla Cholo Re

First a due apology: I’m extremely sorry to the author for taking too long to read the book. Due to some personal reasons, I was unable to read the book and review it; I seek your forgiveness for that.
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The Book
Set in 90’s Calcutta, Raj meets Kusum(the protagonist) on a highway and gives her lift. On the way, Kusum pours her heart out to reveal that she is a transgender. The story then turns out a conversation between Raj & Kusum, where Kusum reveals her struggle to find her identity in a society which considers there are only two genders: male and female.

Writing Style
Most of the book happens in conversation, so the writing style is conversational and lucid. It is also the shortest book I’ve read till date: it is total fifty-eight pages and if you exclude the introduction & author’s profiles, the book is merely forty pages long; but that doesn’t mean one would want to skip the introductions about the authors.

An unconventional but important storyline is the strongest point of the book, but on the last page I sincerely felt that the book could have been made longer and better by delving more into the protagonist’s life. The short length of the book makes it like a sneak peek through a hole into a forbidden room.

Whereas the book scores high in the story and the ease of read, I felt that the book requires more proofreading. Few things I found distracting were: improper tenses, its vs it’s error, dead words, and not maintaining parallel structure.

So, for me She – Ekla Cholo Re was an interesting, unconventional, and a heart-touching read. The topic the author has picked is worth applauding. I recommend the book to everyone; because it’ll make you ponder over the stereotypes of the society which somehow inflict our own brains, too. So go ahead and fetch yourself a copy to adorn your bookshelf. But be warned, this book will make you think!

My rating: ★★☆☆☆