My Father’s Garden

If you have read before any other Shekhar short stories, this book is no different, the first chapter of it deals with homosexuality later chapters deals with writers father's struggle as a politician as per language is concerned typical Showvender language no filters it's a good read book nothing new but typical Shekhar kind of story

My Father's Garden is my second disappointing read for this month. I bought this book with a lot of hope to read in #pride month but I was disappointed after reading this book.This book is divided into three sections- Lover, Friend and Father. The 'Lover' section has the LGBTQ representation, where it shows the homosexual relationships of the unnamed narrator of this story. I have a question here. I have wondered about why most of the Indian authors represents Gay literature as two men are having sex with each other!? The first chapter 'Lover' is all about making out and sex.The narrator is a medical student and doctor who got physically involved with three different men at three different times. It began with one of his classmates Sunil Besra, when the narrator is in first year. After Sunil left him for a girl, he fell in love with Lucky, another of his classmates. And after breaking up with Lucky, he got involved with Samir, a junior in the medical college. Both Lucky and Samir were using him; one for alcohol and another for money. Like Sunil, Samir also blocked him out of his life forever for a girl whom he loved.After a string of affairs and escaping heartbreak, the young doctor found a 'Friend' at his work place in Pakur. His friend was a hospital clerk named Bada Babu who had developed a special liking for the narrator. But Bada Babu was a fraud who took huge amount of money from poor people and sold a plot of land which was going to be demolished soon. Then one night in Pakur, the narrator ran a knife over his wrist, in memories of Samir. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep and next morning he took a train to his parents' home in Ghatsila.In 'Father' the author depicted the family background of the narrator and the relationship with his grandfather and his father. His father was a hard working and an well-known polititian. He was a nature lover and he loved gardening. In his youth days, he filed a case against his uncle for cutting down the trees in Kessorepur. When the narrator realised his father's hard work and emotional journey in Adivasi politics and the downfall of Kessorepur his pain and agony seemed nothing to him.

I just loved this book. This book is divided into three parts and the first part is about gay love. The first section highlights the physical relationship between two boys and it describes very well each step before anal sex starts. The second section is about a friend of the protagonist of this book. And the third section is about his father who is involved in politics.

The book is brilliant. Detailed, engrossing yet easy to read. Written in a way that one can relate to the events described, yet feel like a complete stranger to life in Jharkhand. Another brilliant piece of work by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar.

A decent book divided into three phases of protoganists life: Love, Friendship, & Father.Love had nothing beyond college romance (replace usual with LGBTQ romance).Friendship had a story about the protagonist life working in a small town. The characters and the scenes are brilliant in this section.Father, well there was nothing new.Definitely worth a read, but didn't excite me enough to read the author again.Excellent cover though 👌

This is my third read by Hansda Sowvendra..simple and clear like the other two. Very well written, it is a delight go read.

Poor plot . Not worth giving even a minute

I read the book because i am from jharkhand and had liked his earlier book, Rupi Baksy. I am comfortable with LGBTQ literature and description of explicit sex. But tne first third of the book is gay porn! And the second and third parts hardly have any bearing on each other or on part 1. The writing, though still good, gives the impression of laziness or complacency having set in.

I really enjoyed this book, which was highly enjoyable and really detailed at least one Adivasi and queer experience in Jharkhand, India for me. As the narrator progresses from college through his working life, the book transforms from showcasing queer relationships in an Indian university to a study of class and tribal and ethnic dynamics and issues in small town Jharkhand. Anyone can read this, but it definitely helps if you have at least a basic knowledge of India and northern Indian languages. I am a firm believer that books should be written as the author wants and not to satisfy a foreign audience, so I would not have it any other way, but it is something people not from Jharkhand perhaps should be ready for. Overall, I think this is an underrated book which I absolutely flew through and thoroughly enjoyed.