Dr. Raj Bhat seemed like the last man who should be accused of being any type of racist, including the “reverse” type. After an ill-fated joke and spreading allegedly discriminatory ideas, Raj desperately attempted to make sense of his fragile world as it splintered from polarized racial discussions and the inner and outer forces of self-preservation.
By integrating flashbacks to Raj’s past and maintaining a clever humor throughout the book, Pandya displayed an engaging ability to put Raj in disdainful situations while maintaining my interest in the character. To me, Raj’s background and thought process reflected an understanding of the nuanced experiences I had growing up as a first generation Asian American in California. Although the sequence of flashbacks felt cumbersome to read towards the end, it was insightful discovering how invariably connected the past and present were in all Raj’s thoughts. All in all, confounding qualities made Raj a compelling character and sequentially established the book as an initiator of a refreshingly honest discussion.
By integrating flashbacks to Raj’s past and maintaining a clever humor throughout the book, Pandya displayed an engaging ability to put Raj in disdainful situations while maintaining my interest in the character. To me, Raj’s background and thought process reflected an understanding of the nuanced experiences I had growing up as a first generation Asian American in California. Although the sequence of flashbacks felt cumbersome to read towards the end, it was insightful discovering how invariably connected the past and present were in all Raj’s thoughts. All in all, confounding qualities made Raj a compelling character and sequentially established the book as an initiator of a refreshingly honest discussion.