Jane Borges is a Mumbai based journalist who writes for Midday and co-author of 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai'. In this book she explores the life of a Goan community in Bombay - and does it in true Goan style. What it is don't ask - you gotta feel it.
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The setting is Cavel, a Catholic neighbourhood somewhere near Bandra I am assuming, where a bunch of Goan families live. The Coutinho's - Annette and Michael - grab much of the screen space. Pretty Annette is someone who sways this way and that, listening to her heart a lot more than she should and perhaps gets away because of her looks. Her near-betrothal to handsome Joe Crasto from Mangalore (not seen by the Goans as belonging to the same pedigree) is marred when she lusts after the drunken dance moves of the less qualified and who we later find out abusive alcoholic Benjamin. Michael marries Merilyn and since his kids are away in Canada strikes a friendship with Ellena who never married. We have the heroic fireman who dies in the explosion of the ship in Bombay and his son who moves from his aspirations to become an artist into a crossword solver of repute. Not to forget his mother who does everything to keep the home fires burning including selling hooch during Prohibition by carrying a tube filled with the liquid. They live and they die, drink and make merry or cry, fight to retain their houses through the Rent Act and their identities that are gradually getting diluted and merged.
They are delightful characters, full of life and verve, opinion and personality, made even more quirky thanks to Jane's wonderfully lyrical writing style. Something about the way she writes makes you want to keep on reading - characters are so much more interesting, situations funny and tragic. When I read some books I feel like visiting the place where it is set. Cavel is one such place - off D'Lima street. And hopefully get to eat some sarpotel and balchao there as well.
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