Matt McAvoy Book Review

Although at times deeply distressing, this wonderful book is actually a joy to read.  Set at the time of Indian independence and partition, it is a vivid yet subtle portrayal of the corrupting power of wealth and class, subtly understated yet ever-present beneath the surface.  When a very poor young man unexpectedly finds himself the recipient of a windfall, he and his family are destined to become something abhorrent, as they immerse themselves into the – at the time – unregulated, unlicensed legal drug trade, without care or concern for the sometimes brutal consequences of their disregard.  The book is, at its heart, an allegory of humanity, as many of the characters reveal themselves to be ambiguous; neither good nor evil, but capable of either to suit themselves, with sometimes shocking results.  Most troublesome is the indifference of people, and the callous low value on human life.  The ending is a stark lesson in how a poor person can go one way or another in life, depending on how the dice fall for him.

Irina is a wonderful, endearing author, truly gifted, and I am sure she has plenty more stories in her; if they are all as good as this one then we are all in for a treat - I myself have already become a fan.  I highly recommend A Dangerous Time, whether your taste is high melodrama, or particularly for those who have an interest in recent geo-political history.  Irina paints the northern region of India and Pakistan with an eye-catching palette; you can genuinely see the streets and the people in your mind, the way they lived, the smells, even feel the temperature, as if you are right there with the characters.  The story itself, although sprawling and spanning decades, is actually pretty slender and tidy; I suppose it could have been made a little more epic, but that would hinder its present credential as a fable, relatively short and concise.  I’m sure there will be other opportunities for Irina to delve more deeply into the time, political upheaval, violence and culture of partition-era India and Pakistan; it is clearly a subject she is well-versed in and seems to have a genuine interest and passion for.  As a reader who, admittedly, isn’t particularly knowledgeable about the situation at that time, I would be delighted for this author’s writing to be how I become informed; I’m in no doubt she would be a tremendous authority on the subject.

Take a look at A Dangerous Time; I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.  And then, like me, give Irina a little nudge to write more!