Review: Silence of the Chagos: A Novel

Silence of the Chagos: A Novel by Shenaz Patel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of the upsides to quarantine is the opportunity to read books from my shelves. This slim read from Restless Books has the same translator as Eve out of Her Ruins, which takes place in Mauritius, a country which ends up playing a role in this novel as well.

Did you know that the people living in the Chagos were forcibly removed in the 60s and 70s? This novel moves before and after that time in fragments of different characters, then ends with more information about the current status of ongoing attempts for descendents of the original people to return home. Surrounding the people is the usual tale of governmental intrigue, countries valuing places for proximity to conflict zones and economic merit over the people residing there.

I happened to be approved for an eARC of a cookbook that had recipes from this region too, so look forward to In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries That Touch the Indian Ocean! I made ambrevades au curry the same day I read this book.

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