Behind the Beautiful Forevers : : Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Nonfiction / Social Science / General / Boo, Katherine
On Shelf At: Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Social Science / General / Boo, Katherine	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Subtitle from cover.
Prologue: between roses -- Undercitizens. Annawadi -- Asha -- Sunil -- Manju -- The business of burning. Ghost house -- A hole she called a window -- A come-apart -- The master -- A little wildness. Marquee effect -- Parrots, caught and sold -- Proper sleep -- Up and out. Nine nights of dance -- Something shining á -- The trial -- Ice -- Black and white -- A school, a hospital, a cricket field.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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Excerpt
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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

WOW submitted by BelalGazali on July 30, 2012, 3:55pm AMAZING GREAT WOW

well written submitted by DownesS on July 3, 2013, 9:40am It was definitely well written, but, for me, it was difficult to get through. It is a work of nonfiction that reads like a novel and it is so easy to think of the book as a work of fiction. Whenever those thoughts entered my mind, I thought, why would she create these characters just to weave a life of pure awfulness (no better way to put this) that surrounds them. However, this book is a piece of investigative journalism and it is all TRUTH. That fact left me feeling sick whilst reading the book. Sometimes, I think I prefer to subscribe to the belief that 'ignorance is bliss'. I was never aware of any of this occurring in India and now that I am somewhat alerted of this world, I wish I still had no knowledge of this underworld. It was too depressing for me overall....i like to think more optimistically about the world and humanity itself...

great submitted by nicenora2371 on July 15, 2013, 4:05pm great

well-written but depressing submitted by camelsamba on June 20, 2016, 7:50pm The book, I suppose, is well-written. It certainly tells an important story by shining a light on the reality of "life ... in a Mumbai undercity." But it was so depressing. As the author points out, rather than rally against the true enemy (endemic corruption, those a few rungs up the ladder of power, etc) the slum dwellers take out their anger and frustration on each other: "Instead, powerless individuals blamed other powerless individuals for what they lacked. Sometimes they tried to destroy one another. Sometimes they destroyed themselves in the process. When they were fortunate they improved their lots by beggaring the life chances of other poor people." (p 237) In the end, I didn't really enjoy this very much, and that is what is reflected in my 2 stars.

I listened to audiobook, and the narrator helped draw me into the story. But there are a lot of people in this story, and I had a hard time keeping them straight as I listened, especially the ones outside the Husain family or Asha's family. There might be visual clues in the print edition that would have helped me know when it was jumping around, plus I personally would benefit from seeing the names. I also had a hard time keeping track of the passage of time.

Depressing submitted by maywang on June 26, 2021, 5:21pm Reveals the true horrors of what life can be for some. Made me a bit queasy, but for those who can handle some distressing tales, this is a recommended book for sure.

Hard truths to think about submitted by JennJenn on July 18, 2022, 1:00pm This book drew me in to a situation that I had not been aware of. It was horrifying to realize the harm that folks could inflict on each other and to see the corruption and deceit surrounding the lives of those living in the slums. It is amazing that as an outsider the author was able to learn all that she shared. It does leave me wondering if the folks she interviewed and observed are benefitting from her involvement in their community or not.