City of Stolen Magic
This debut novel by British Bangladeshi writer Nazneen Ahmed Pathak is as powerful as it is original. We meet 12-year-old Chompa on a riverbank outside Dacca, where her beloved Ammi (mother) is combing her long wild hair. Soon it’s revealed that Ammi is a djinn or witch, and that Chompa too has magical powers. But in her impatience to use her magic, Chompa sets in train terrible events, beginning with the kidnap of Ammi. Chompa’s quest to find Ammi takes her via Dacca to 1850s London and a community of ‘Laskars’ (seafarers) in the East End.
The era that Pathak evokes is one where the British unjustly rule and exploit India. Many of the fictional events reflect actual happenings, e.g., the Company behind the kidnap is based on the East India Company – both forced farmers to grow cash crops such as indigo, causing widespread famine. Themes of oppression and exploitation of the poor by the powerful are skilfully threaded through the storyline in small cameos and broad strokes. When Chompa boldly draws together an army of trafficked magical children and adults to fight the Company at the East India Dock, the parallel with the Battle of Cable St is strong.
The narrative is pacy, the plot twists, and the chapter endings are the sort that draw the reader on. Magic is used sparingly and to great effect in a story where friendship, intelligence and bravery play an equal part in resolving matters. Scenes are also infused with the language, smells and images of the Bangladeshi and other communities living around Spittlefields [sic]. The ‘chai’ at the Pickled Egg Tavern smells tantalisingly of ginger, cinnamon, clove and cardamom.
An enthralling, dare I say spell-binding, read for children of 9+. Highly recommended. It would make a wonderful animation.
