It's the 1950s in Kenya, and young Vikram Lall is a third-generation Indian boy coming of age during a time of great political unrest, as a group of fighters known as the Mau-Mau try to break free of British rule.
The In-Between World of Vikram Lall is his story, told by the adult Vikram, who's living in exile, decades after his African childhood. He's reflecting on his life — a life in which friends were murdered and few could be trusted.
Author Elizabeth Nunez chose this book, by M.G. Vassanji, as today's Weekend Read. Nunez tells NPR's Rachel Martin the book captures the essence of what it's like to live a post-colonial society. "Sometimes writers either castigate the British colonial masters or leaders or whatever you would like to call them, and praise the local people completely," she says. "Vassanji hits that grey spot, that middle area, and he talks about that ambivalence that the local people have."
Interview Highlights
On Vikram's African-Indian identity
As Vikram Lall says in this novel, "We are three generations of Indians, we didn't just arrive." And the tension that this novel plays with always is a question of identity — are we Indian or are we African? But Vikram Lall tells us in the novel how seductive it is to be African, how much he loved Africa. Because he's writing this novel now, he has come to Ontario, he's living in Canada, and he's there not because he wants to be there, but because he got involved in that corruption, that political corruption that happens, unfortunately, too often right after independence.
On the love story amidst the strife
Vassanji's very clever; he lets us see this story, this romance, between the African and the Indian, and what happens. And what happens as a result of this romance is going to tell us everything we need to know about what is going on in post-colonial Africa.
He showed how love can lead to madness, how you can fall in love so absolutely with someone, that if someone puts an obstacle, or prevents that from happening, you can spiral down to madness. And he also says that it never leaves you. That you fall in love and it never leaves you — you may have happiness and contentment and all these other things, but there is that longing, there is that passion that never goes away. So yes, it's a lot of geopolitics in there, but ... Vassanji is smart enough to put this in a romantic story which gravitates the reader.
On how The In-Between World inspired her own novel, Anna In-Between
I saw what he was doing, and I was sort of in the same situation, that is, straddling these two identities, growing up in Trinidad — I was raised there until I was 19. But all my adult life I've spent in America, so which am I?
And so I wrote a novel about a character, Anna, who is straddling those two identities, and I just stole Vassanji's line, "in-between."
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Transcript
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
It's the 1950s in Kenya. Vikram Lall is a third- generation Indian boy coming of age in that country during a time of great political unrest. A group of fighters known as the Mau-Mau are trying to break free from British rule, and tension between the two is escalating. The story is narrated by Vikram Lall as an adult who is living in exile in Canada. Lall is reflecting on his life, a life in which friends were murdered and where few could be trusted. Author Elizabeth Nunez chose this book, "The In-Between World of Vikram Lall" by M.G. Vassanji, as her weekend read. Nunez says the book captures the essence of what it's like to live a postcolonial society.
ELIZABETH NUNEZ: I think because it picks up that ambivalence in the postcolonial world. Sometimes writers either castigate the British colonial masters or leaders, whatever you would like to call them, and then praise the local people completely. Vassanji hits that grey spot, that middle area. And he talks about that ambivalence that the local people have. And actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to read the beginning of his book, just the first two paragraphs.
MARTIN: Please.
NUNEZ: (Reading) Njoroge, who was once called William, loved my sister, Deepa. I was infatuated with another whose name I cannot utter yet, whose brother was another William. We called him Bill. We had all become playmates recently. It was 1953, the coronation year of our new monarch, who looked upon us from afar, a cold England of pastel, watery shades. And I was eight years old. I call forth for you here my beginning, the world of my childhood in that fateful year of our friendships. It was a world of innocence and play under a guileless, constant sun, as well of barbarous cruelty and terror lurking in the darkest night - a colonial world of repressive, undignified subjecthood. As also of seductive order and security, so that long afterwards we would be tempted to wonder if we did not hurry forth too fast, straight into the morass that is now a malformed freedom.
MARTIN: So let's back up a bit and describe just the context of what's happening in this moment. It's 1953.
NUNEZ: Yes.
MARTIN: The main character we're talking about, Vikram Lall, he was born in Kenya, but his family had come from India.
NUNEZ: Yes. As Vikram Lall says in this novel, we are three generations of Indians. We didn't just arrive. And the tension that this novel plays with, always, is a question of identity. Are we Indian? Are we African? But Vikram Lall tells us in the novel how seductive it is to be African, how much he loved Africa. How much - because he's writing this novel, now he has come to Ontario. He's living in Canada. And he is there not because he wants to be there. He's there because he got involved in that corruption. That political corruption, that happens, unfortunately, too often right after independence.
MARTIN: And at the center of this story - I mean, there's all the geopolitics of the moment in this civil strife - there is a love story.
NUNEZ: There is a love story. And I think this is why Vassanji's very clever. He lets us see this story, this romance between the African and the Indian and what happens. And what happens as a result of this romance is going to tell us everything we need to know about what is going on in postcolonial Africa. One of the things Vassanji does that really struck me is he showed how love can lead to madness. How you can fall in love so absolutely with someone that if someone puts an obstacle or prevents that from happening, you can spiral down to madness. And he also says that it never leaves you...
MARTIN: Oh, that's so sad.
NUNEZ: ...That you fall in love, and it never leaves you. You may have happiness and contentment and all these other things, but there is that longing. There is that passion that never goes away. So yes, it's a lot of geopolitics in there, but he's smart enough - that is Vassanji is smart enough - to put this in romantic story, which gravitates the reader, you know. I just loved it.
MARTIN: You have said that you were inspired to write your own book called "Anna In-Between" after reading this book by M.G. Vassanji. Is that right?
NUNEZ: I saw what he was doing, and I was sort of in the same situation - that is straddling these two identities, growing up in Trinidad. I was raised there until I was 19. But all my adult life, I've spent in America. So which am I? Am I American? Am I Caribbean? I've spent many, many, many more years in America than I have in Trinidad. And so I wrote a novel about a character, Anna, who is straddling those two identities. And I just stole Vassanji's line In-Between.
MARTIN: I'm sure he's flattered (laughter).
NUNEZ: Well, he's never told me that.
MARTIN: (Laughter).
NUNEZ: And I've met him three times. But he says he likes my writing.
MARTIN: The book is called "The In-Between World Of Vikram Lall" by M.G. Vassanji. We've been talking about it with Elizabeth Nunez. She joined us from our studios in New York. Her latest work is a memoir called "Not For Everyday Use." Elizabeth, thank you so much.
NUNEZ: You're most welcome, Rachel. This was lovely. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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