Review: Rescuing a River Breeze by Mrinalini Harchandrai
A historical novel set in the days leading up to the liberation of Goa in 1961, Rescuing A River Breeze provides a snapshot of a vanished time while also examining the ideas of freedom and honesty
It is 1961 and while India has been liberated, Goa still remains under the colonial grip of the Portuguese. In a Goan basement, as Indian troops circle the borders and as Portugal refuses to negotiate a surrender, a tiny group of locals holds a clandestine meeting. Their goal is to claim Goa as a sovereign nation and maintain its diverse heritage. One of the group’s members is Deepak Quarachim, originally from Sindh, now settled in Goa. This is the story of his daughter, her tryst with destiny and how she, her best friend, and the boy she loves must prevent the destruction of the paradise they live in.
Rescuing A River Breeze begins with a fascinating historical premise. As Portuguese rule in India came under threat, the Governor General receives orders to adopt a scorched earth policy from his prime minister. For reasons unknown, he disobeyed. This is the fictional story of what happened.
Deepak Quarachim and his family live an idyllic life in the colonial hamlet of Panaji. His daughter, Shirly, watches the daily hoisting and lowering of the Portuguese flag from her bedroom window. She has just bagged the lead role in a school play and is enjoying the joys of a coastal town replete with baked goods, picturesque gardens, small streams, dance competitions, vintage cars and a new crush. Harchandrai provides a visual stroll through the streets of Goa using a smattering of architectural references, dishes, aromas and language. A school trip to the Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina and the statue of Luis de Camoes, the great Portuguese poet, provide wonderful context to the Portuguese influence in Goan culture. The household of the Quarachims is multilingual and diverse. Shirly’s parents are from Sindh, and Goku, their house help, is a sassy local with a prodigious love for feni. The immigrant longing for home is expertly captured through Shirly’s mother, Mamtu, who cooks the dishes she has grown up with and dreams of returning to Karachi. Throughout the novel, Harchandrai uses Sindhi, Konkani, English and Portuguese to hilarious effect with words like puttha, shee, pishem, louco, chari and more. The family’s routine is rudely interrupted when Deepak is suspected of anti-government activities and locked up. Not only must Shirly now find out what has happened to her father, she must also make her own choices and allegiances, and “get wise” rather quickly.
The novel does a fine job of conveying the complex spectrum of political sentiments at a key point in Goan history: a Portuguese soldier born and raised in Goa is loath to leave; loyalists believe annexation by India will entail the loss of Goan culture and progressive values, and bring with it a return of the caste system; those who are ready to fight for “a Goa for Goans”, an independent nation.
Harchandrai’s novel turns the spotlight on a much-underrepresented chapter of modern Indian history while being a moving portrayal of a young girl’s coming of age. It is also an examination of the nature of teenage female friendships, the meaning of freedom, and an exploration of the moral complexity of varied motives. An integral part of the novel has the young protagonist, Shirly, coming to terms with her father’s lies.
Rescuing a River Breeze has memorable characters set against an important moment in Indian history. Each of the novel’s complex cast of characters is well rounded and the setting does justice to Goa’s diverse heritage. This is a fine study of intergenerationality in immigrant families and a poignant examination of the themes of freedom and honesty.
Perhaps the only fault in this novel are its sudden leaps and the unwitting revelation of crucial plot points. In certain parts, the portrayal of young love seems cliched and the timing of it, a bit off.
Still, the story of the Quarachim family caught in a dangerous time is a moving read.
Percy Bharucha is a freelance writer and illustrator with two biweekly comics, The Adult Manual and Cats Over Coffee. Instagram: @percybharucha.
