Shenaz Patel is a writer whose work delves into profound aspects of the human condition. Her prose is characterized by a keen insight into the complexities of relationships and cultural identities. Drawing from a rich journalistic background, she brings a sharp perspective and narrative skill to her literary endeavors. Patel explores themes that resonate universally, crafting stories with a distinctive voice and artistic finesse.
"Sara has a thing for birds. They remind her of her grandfather, who loved birds, and the wonderful show the creatures would put on in his yard each day...as Sara walks to school in her island town, she longs for the freedom of those birds. Then she spots a new birdhouse full of parakeets in someone's yard. Sara feels drawn to them and unable to forget them. So what happens the next time, when she finds the door to the birdhouse unlocked?" --Front jacket flap
"Every afternoon a woman in a red headscarf walks to the end of the quay and looks out over the water, fixing her gaze 'back there'--to Diego Garcia, one of the small islands forming the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. With no explanation, no warning, and only an hour to pack their belongings, the Chagossians were forced on a boat headed to Mauritius. Government officials tell Charlesia that the island is 'closed'-- there is no going back for any of them. Charlesia longs for life on Diego Garcia, where the days were spent working on a coconut plantation, the nights dancing to sega music. As she struggles to come to terms with her new reality, Charlesia crosses paths with Désiré, a young man born on the one-way journey to Mauritius. Désiré has never set foot on Diego Garcia, but as Charlesia unfolds the dramatic story of their people, he learns of the home he never knew and of the life he might have had. With the fate of Chagos' sovereignty currently being decided on an international level, Silence of the Chagos is an important and humanizing exploration of the rights of individuals and a reckoning with displacement on a global scale."--Provided by publisher
