Book Review: Atlas of Unknowns

A tlas of Unknowns is the poignant debut novel of Tania James, a Harvard graduate raised in Kentucky USA and living in New York.

It tells the story of a Christian Indian family, particularly the two sisters, Anju and Linno, living with their father and grandmother in Kerala after the mysterious death of their mother. Their eccentric Indian family form the backdrop against which the different personalities of the sisters are portrayed. Each shares the common dream of a better life and the belief that such is achievable only in America.

With an act of treachery, Anju achieves a scholarship to a Manhattan school and leaves her sister to face no more than marriage in her future. Within the new host family of wealthy Hindus, Anju maintains the lie which brought her her dream and is pursued by the son, Rohit, a university dropout who desires to make a documentary about Anju’s changing fortunes.

Upon discovery of her betrayal, Anju runs away from this family,  is helped by a stranger with a hidden past including ties to Anju’s mother and attempts to gain legal status in her chosen country. Meanwhile, Linno has begun her own journey, towards reconciliation and towards understanding the past.

With rich characterization and a profound understanding of culture both within and beyond its origin, the author has achieved a perfect blend of humour and pathos. The bonds of family and of sisterhood are, finally, the only certainty in a “landscape of unknowns”.

Atlas of Unknowns is an easy and enjoyable read, rich in imagery and of particular interest, perhaps, to those who have chosen to seek their fortune and future in a new country.

Or, perhaps, to anyone with family.

Jann Taylor