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The East Indian
Meet Tony: the first Indian to set foot on American soil.
Among the settlers, slaves, and indentured servants that make the treacherous journey across the Atlantic to the New World in the early 1600s — for some, an exciting opportunity, for others, a brutal abduction — there is also Tony. As a child, his homeland on the Coromandel Coast of India becomes a trading outpost for the English; as an orphaned teenager, he finds himself kidnapped from the streets of London and sold into servitude on a Virginia plantation. But Tony is not giving up on his dreams just yet.
Under the rule of a sadistic plantation owner, he forms a tender bond with a young boy who will haunt his nightmares; on an exploration inland alongside a trader and Native Americans, he realises the world is vaster and more mysterious than he could have imagined; and in Jamestown, he finally earns himself a position as a physician’s apprentice, an ambition he has long harboured.
The East Indian is a Dickensian-style yarn about family, friendship, and finding oneself in the seeds of a new world.
Among the settlers, slaves, and indentured servants that make the treacherous journey across the Atlantic to the New World in the early 1600s — for some, an exciting opportunity, for others, a brutal abduction — there is also Tony. As a child, his homeland on the Coromandel Coast of India becomes a trading outpost for the English; as an orphaned teenager, he finds himself kidnapped from the streets of London and sold into servitude on a Virginia plantation. But Tony is not giving up on his dreams just yet.
Under the rule of a sadistic plantation owner, he forms a tender bond with a young boy who will haunt his nightmares; on an exploration inland alongside a trader and Native Americans, he realises the world is vaster and more mysterious than he could have imagined; and in Jamestown, he finally earns himself a position as a physician’s apprentice, an ambition he has long harboured.
The East Indian is a Dickensian-style yarn about family, friendship, and finding oneself in the seeds of a new world.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
About the author
Brinda Charry
11 books101 followersBorn in India, Brinda Charry has lived in the USA for over two decades. She has published fiction in India and the UK and won several awards and prizes for her work. THE EAST INDIAN, a historical novel set in colonial America, is her American debut to be published by Scribner USA, Scribe UK, and Harper Collins-India in May 2023. Brinda is also a specialist in Shakespeare and other writers of the English Renaissance and has published numerous books and articles in that field. She considers herself a novelist-turned-academic- re-turned novelist. She lives in Keene, New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
July 17, 2023
Great historical fiction depicting early days of American colony through the experience of a boy born in India whose fate takes him to America. Very well written with the feeling of times and places. If this is a debut, I will look out for the author's next book to check if the quality of writing continues to be so good. I wanted to give 4 stars but I decided to add one since the novel never bored me.
OverDrive, thank you!
OverDrive, thank you!
April 13, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction
The East Indian is a novel by Brinda Charry that tells the story of Tony, a native of the Indian subcontinent who came to colonial America. Tony is a young boy who resides in India with his mother and Francis Day, who acts as her patron. When Tony's mother passed away when he was a kid, Day arranged for him to travel to England as a servant. In London, Tony meets a representative of Britain's East India Company, who helps him find work. Tony, along with a number of other children, is kidnapped and taken to the English settlement in Virginia. It is in Virginia that Tony will experience both the beginning of his struggle and the beginning of his rise. The novel addresses topics such as social class, identity development, coming of age, and race.
This was a fascinating book to read on a number of different fronts. The very first thing is that the main character comes to live in the new world as the first of his kind. He is known as the "East Indian" to differentiate him from the Indians, who are Native Americans. This particular aspect of the story served as a springboard for a wide variety of events and opportunities for storytelling that centered on issues of racial distinction and individuality, particularly during that era of history.
The coming-of-age aspect of the story as well as Tony's friendships with a number of the other characters, particularly Sammy and Dick, brought a great deal of warmth to the historical narrative. In spite of the difficult conditions that people of color were forced to endure during that era, the story does convey a sense of hope and the determination to persevere by demonstrating how Tony was able to turn his life around and become a physician's assistant and, eventually, a medicine man himself.
I am eagerly anticipating reading more books written by Brinda Charry in the future. This is a very promising debut novel. Her writing is stunning, and it pulls you into the story and makes you care about the characters. These characters are extremely well-developed. During the process of writing this story, the author clearly put a lot of effort into researching various topics, as the story really showcases the characteristics of that era.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
Genre: Historical Fiction
The East Indian is a novel by Brinda Charry that tells the story of Tony, a native of the Indian subcontinent who came to colonial America. Tony is a young boy who resides in India with his mother and Francis Day, who acts as her patron. When Tony's mother passed away when he was a kid, Day arranged for him to travel to England as a servant. In London, Tony meets a representative of Britain's East India Company, who helps him find work. Tony, along with a number of other children, is kidnapped and taken to the English settlement in Virginia. It is in Virginia that Tony will experience both the beginning of his struggle and the beginning of his rise. The novel addresses topics such as social class, identity development, coming of age, and race.
This was a fascinating book to read on a number of different fronts. The very first thing is that the main character comes to live in the new world as the first of his kind. He is known as the "East Indian" to differentiate him from the Indians, who are Native Americans. This particular aspect of the story served as a springboard for a wide variety of events and opportunities for storytelling that centered on issues of racial distinction and individuality, particularly during that era of history.
The coming-of-age aspect of the story as well as Tony's friendships with a number of the other characters, particularly Sammy and Dick, brought a great deal of warmth to the historical narrative. In spite of the difficult conditions that people of color were forced to endure during that era, the story does convey a sense of hope and the determination to persevere by demonstrating how Tony was able to turn his life around and become a physician's assistant and, eventually, a medicine man himself.
I am eagerly anticipating reading more books written by Brinda Charry in the future. This is a very promising debut novel. Her writing is stunning, and it pulls you into the story and makes you care about the characters. These characters are extremely well-developed. During the process of writing this story, the author clearly put a lot of effort into researching various topics, as the story really showcases the characteristics of that era.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
September 29, 2023
A meticulously researched historical fiction novel is author Brinda Charry's first venture as a novelist and it is my hope that she keeps on providing us with books like The East Indian. It all germinated from a mention of an Indian boy in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nights Dream", as well as a ships log that denotes that a boy named Tony was onboard a boat from England to Jamestown in 1635 and was the first known Indian to arrive in America.
The book begins with the hanging of a "witch" on the passage to Jamestown and it haunts Tony. When he arrives he is in a nowhere land. Not white, not black, he is constantly referred to a mud color, and is really not accepted into either world. Tony is an indentured servant (different from a slave) with a 7-year term of servitude before he will be freed. But his indenture gets transferred to differing individual - the sadistic Ganter is one character we will ever forget - and along the way he is won as a gambling debt with his new master being an outdoorsman. Together they strike out West to try and find the Pacific Ocean and for Tony as way back home to India. We get Tony's backstory which is fascinating, as well as a look at his life in America where he toils for year and finally ends up an apprentice to a doctor. Tony finds love, and sometimes finds a lot of trouble as he ends up being on trial at a coroners inquest for the death of Ganter, a few years after he left Ganter's service. Charry also paints a vivid picture of how even the indentured servants are mistreated as well as their attempt at insurrection in order to get sufficient food. Two Angolan's also join Tony's group of friends and since none of these individuals are slaves they are allowed in public areas and that was one of the interesting parts of the book - the differences inj treatment between servants and slaves. We also are treated to a lot of information as to the plants and herbs that were used to make "physics" by the doctor and Tony - I mean the research was out of this world. And yet by the end Tony is able to wed and the couple makes it to Maryland where they are treated much better, but Tony warns us that in America there is a difference in how you live and are treated as determined by the color of your skin.
A well-written, easy to read novel that shows us the trials and tribulations of most everyone who lives in America in 1635, but how difficult it is for one person who belongs to neither white nor black community.
The book begins with the hanging of a "witch" on the passage to Jamestown and it haunts Tony. When he arrives he is in a nowhere land. Not white, not black, he is constantly referred to a mud color, and is really not accepted into either world. Tony is an indentured servant (different from a slave) with a 7-year term of servitude before he will be freed. But his indenture gets transferred to differing individual - the sadistic Ganter is one character we will ever forget - and along the way he is won as a gambling debt with his new master being an outdoorsman. Together they strike out West to try and find the Pacific Ocean and for Tony as way back home to India. We get Tony's backstory which is fascinating, as well as a look at his life in America where he toils for year and finally ends up an apprentice to a doctor. Tony finds love, and sometimes finds a lot of trouble as he ends up being on trial at a coroners inquest for the death of Ganter, a few years after he left Ganter's service. Charry also paints a vivid picture of how even the indentured servants are mistreated as well as their attempt at insurrection in order to get sufficient food. Two Angolan's also join Tony's group of friends and since none of these individuals are slaves they are allowed in public areas and that was one of the interesting parts of the book - the differences inj treatment between servants and slaves. We also are treated to a lot of information as to the plants and herbs that were used to make "physics" by the doctor and Tony - I mean the research was out of this world. And yet by the end Tony is able to wed and the couple makes it to Maryland where they are treated much better, but Tony warns us that in America there is a difference in how you live and are treated as determined by the color of your skin.
A well-written, easy to read novel that shows us the trials and tribulations of most everyone who lives in America in 1635, but how difficult it is for one person who belongs to neither white nor black community.
February 11, 2023
This engaging yet disturbing story about Tony, a young East Indian boy forced into servitude in Jamestown, is an unputdownable read. Narrated by his older self, we discover a young man with preternatural fortitude who is sensitive yet strong, hardworking, driven, and wise beyond his years.
This book is inspired by the earliest mention of an East Indian arriving on American shores in 1635. His name was also Tony, and he was a headright purchased by George Menefie, a man who made his fortune in tobacco. The headright system awarded fifty acres of land for every person, or head, brought to the colonies, and Mr. Menefie’s prosperous Virginia tobacco farm expanded on the heads of children servants and African slaves.
This story opens in India where Tony lives with his adoring mother. He meets a representative of Britain’s East India Company, who will help him find work in London when circumstances force Tony to make his own way. In London, however, children are being kidnapped and sent to Jamestown. Tony is abducted in that criminal sweep. In America, he will experience the cruelty and abuse for which this dark period of American history is known. What makes this story engaging is the character we find in Tony, the friendships he forges, and the manner in which he navigates his circumstances.
Brinda Charry examines issues such as the role superstition plays in justice, homophobia, wealth disparity, and country of origin/skin color prejudice. The indentured, as servants, think they are above those who are not subjects of the British Crown, which translates into white superiority. The place of origin also comes into play for an American-born Black slave who sees herself differently than she sees her parents. Tony will change his viewpoint in time, but even he arrives with prejudice, wary of two sophisticated African men because, he says, black skin sometimes signals the lowest of castes in his homeland.
We know that Tony will survive his tragic childhood, as he narrates his own tale, but there are too many other children like him who did not. This discussable book is perfect for book clubs.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
This novel will be released on May 9, 2023.
This book is inspired by the earliest mention of an East Indian arriving on American shores in 1635. His name was also Tony, and he was a headright purchased by George Menefie, a man who made his fortune in tobacco. The headright system awarded fifty acres of land for every person, or head, brought to the colonies, and Mr. Menefie’s prosperous Virginia tobacco farm expanded on the heads of children servants and African slaves.
This story opens in India where Tony lives with his adoring mother. He meets a representative of Britain’s East India Company, who will help him find work in London when circumstances force Tony to make his own way. In London, however, children are being kidnapped and sent to Jamestown. Tony is abducted in that criminal sweep. In America, he will experience the cruelty and abuse for which this dark period of American history is known. What makes this story engaging is the character we find in Tony, the friendships he forges, and the manner in which he navigates his circumstances.
Brinda Charry examines issues such as the role superstition plays in justice, homophobia, wealth disparity, and country of origin/skin color prejudice. The indentured, as servants, think they are above those who are not subjects of the British Crown, which translates into white superiority. The place of origin also comes into play for an American-born Black slave who sees herself differently than she sees her parents. Tony will change his viewpoint in time, but even he arrives with prejudice, wary of two sophisticated African men because, he says, black skin sometimes signals the lowest of castes in his homeland.
We know that Tony will survive his tragic childhood, as he narrates his own tale, but there are too many other children like him who did not. This discussable book is perfect for book clubs.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
This novel will be released on May 9, 2023.
August 25, 2023
The description of this book intrigued me from the start: an account of the first East Indian to step foot on North American soil during the early days of English colonization in Virginia in 1635.
This story of a kidnapped boy placed in indentured servitude is a theme we don’t often see in historical fiction, but it is yet another bleak reality upon which our nation was founded. And through Tony’s eyes we experience the isolation of being ‘other’ to a wholly new degree: one of only one kind in a foreign land where skin color matters, a place where Tony will fit in nowhere. Tony is surrounded by white indentured servants – Africans, as well – who might work off their indenture and own private land someday. And yet, even the white servants draw favor over those with pigmented skin. Even the Black servants form their own alliances.
I was drawn into the novel with Charry’s breathtakingly beautiful writing:
For home is singular and unique: everywhere else is but a stopping place, a bed in a stranger’s house, eating off plates not one’s own, an unfamiliar view from a casement.
All the world’s races coalesced in me. The hue of my skin, my race, both of them in-between and indeterminate, made me every person these men despised, feared, or knew nothing about. I was the monumental other, the stranger.
I have always been fascinated by medicine, so the herbal remedies and even the medical beliefs and practices of the time (which we now scoff at) were intriguing.
For many, it may be too “quiet” of a story, but I appreciated the intelligence of this novel: how the author (an academic in English Renaissance literature) wove Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream thematically into the heart of the story.
If I had one wish, it would have been for a deeper emotional connection to Tony. I think, once again, my personal and frequent lack of connection with first person narratives is at play here.
I hope people will give this one a try; I’m excited to see what Charry writes next! If you read and loved The Covenant of Water, you will find similar medical and familial themes – though in a much slimmer book (246 pages). You won’t want to miss the Author’s Notes, either, explaining the genesis of this book, based on historic fact.
This story of a kidnapped boy placed in indentured servitude is a theme we don’t often see in historical fiction, but it is yet another bleak reality upon which our nation was founded. And through Tony’s eyes we experience the isolation of being ‘other’ to a wholly new degree: one of only one kind in a foreign land where skin color matters, a place where Tony will fit in nowhere. Tony is surrounded by white indentured servants – Africans, as well – who might work off their indenture and own private land someday. And yet, even the white servants draw favor over those with pigmented skin. Even the Black servants form their own alliances.
I was drawn into the novel with Charry’s breathtakingly beautiful writing:
For home is singular and unique: everywhere else is but a stopping place, a bed in a stranger’s house, eating off plates not one’s own, an unfamiliar view from a casement.
All the world’s races coalesced in me. The hue of my skin, my race, both of them in-between and indeterminate, made me every person these men despised, feared, or knew nothing about. I was the monumental other, the stranger.
I have always been fascinated by medicine, so the herbal remedies and even the medical beliefs and practices of the time (which we now scoff at) were intriguing.
For many, it may be too “quiet” of a story, but I appreciated the intelligence of this novel: how the author (an academic in English Renaissance literature) wove Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream thematically into the heart of the story.
If I had one wish, it would have been for a deeper emotional connection to Tony. I think, once again, my personal and frequent lack of connection with first person narratives is at play here.
I hope people will give this one a try; I’m excited to see what Charry writes next! If you read and loved The Covenant of Water, you will find similar medical and familial themes – though in a much slimmer book (246 pages). You won’t want to miss the Author’s Notes, either, explaining the genesis of this book, based on historic fact.
May 29, 2023
An interesting novel for sure. Based on actual historical records The East Indian tells the story of Tony, an orphaned boy who is persuaded to go to England from where he finds himself shanghaied and on a longer voyage to a nascent America.
Tony's "adventures" reminded me a bit of Thomas Berger's "Little Big Man" in that he continually found himself in new surroundings with a new purpose due wholly to circumstances beyond his control.
Tony manages to carve a life for himself over the years and his story is horrifying at times but hopeful at others. Despite his determination to succeed there is always an underlying feeling of discrimination - Tony being the only East Indian he is looked upon with suspicion by both whites and Blacks.
This book is easy to read. It is interesting from a historical point of view. It didn't set my world alight but it was a good read that I would recommend for fans of historical fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Tony's "adventures" reminded me a bit of Thomas Berger's "Little Big Man" in that he continually found himself in new surroundings with a new purpose due wholly to circumstances beyond his control.
Tony manages to carve a life for himself over the years and his story is horrifying at times but hopeful at others. Despite his determination to succeed there is always an underlying feeling of discrimination - Tony being the only East Indian he is looked upon with suspicion by both whites and Blacks.
This book is easy to read. It is interesting from a historical point of view. It didn't set my world alight but it was a good read that I would recommend for fans of historical fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
June 4, 2023
The premise of an East Indian in the US in 1635 is intriguing; and the story imagined from and inspired by such a person is interesting.
But this read has a flat quality. The events and the tone both needed to be magnified to make the book compelling.
The writing itself is technically solid but the book did not move me or touch me as a reader.
But this read has a flat quality. The events and the tone both needed to be magnified to make the book compelling.
The writing itself is technically solid but the book did not move me or touch me as a reader.
September 18, 2023
Set in the 1600s, this book tells the story of a boy originally from the Coromandel Coast of India, nicknamed Tony by an Englishman. Tony becomes the first eastern Indian to arrive in North America. He journeys by ship to London and is then kidnapped and sent to Jamestown as an indentured servant. We follow his life as he comes of age and learns the skills of a healer. This is the type of immersive reading experience that I enjoy so much. It does a great job of conveying all the odd medical practices and superstitions of the era. I enjoyed the author’s imaginings of what the first East Indian in North America might have experienced. The characters are wonderfully drawn, and it is easy to root for Tony. His adventures and the decisions he must make are both entertaining and thought-provoking. It is an example of well-executed historical fiction.
4.5
4.5
April 6, 2023
brinda charry has put her blood, sweat, and tears into this novel and it shows. this is a heavily researched novel about an east indian boy that was mentioned in records from 1635 as someone who was kidnapped and brought to america for cheap labor. tony is not his birth name, it was given to him by white oppressors. as an indentured servant, he has more rights than slaves, but not by much. tony faces extreme racism, violence, and hatred. yet, he still connects to his past; india, his mother, his grandmother, and his religion.
this novel is an incredible work of art rooted in the shameful history of this period of pre-american history. i could not put this book down. i grew an emotional attachment to tony, which is rare for me when it comes to novels. tony is a good person, a good boy who did not deserve what was thrust upon him. his voice is strong, and charry has such rich diction and syntax that you can’t help but be enthralled in this story. this is a phenomenal novel, and i cannot wait to read more from charry.
thank you netgalley and the publisher for the honor and privilege of being able to read an arc copy of this book. i am blown away, truly.
this novel is an incredible work of art rooted in the shameful history of this period of pre-american history. i could not put this book down. i grew an emotional attachment to tony, which is rare for me when it comes to novels. tony is a good person, a good boy who did not deserve what was thrust upon him. his voice is strong, and charry has such rich diction and syntax that you can’t help but be enthralled in this story. this is a phenomenal novel, and i cannot wait to read more from charry.
thank you netgalley and the publisher for the honor and privilege of being able to read an arc copy of this book. i am blown away, truly.
April 28, 2023
When his courtesan mother (‘lower caste but deemed very touchable’ by an English East India company factor) dies, 11 year old Tony is shipped to the dank and putrid London of 1635 - away from the scent of jasmine and spices, sunshine, salt pans and screeching peacocks of India’s Coromandel Coast. His hope is to be reborn, as his religion provides, to be newfound.
Attending the Globe Theatre, Tony is entranced by a performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and it’s sole Indian character. But Tony’s time in London is short-lived, like other street urchins he is abducted, bound on the lice-infested ship ‘God’s Gift’ to the American colonies – to the vulnerability of a life of indentured servitude on a tobacco plantation. He is the first known East Indian to arrive in Virginia. He is alone, like Shakespeare’s character. Conditions are harsh, food scarce, masters cruel. Prejudice, malice and power plays are rife. But amongst the servants there is hope for the future. A game of dice transfers his servitude to an adventurous and kind master, a twist of fate sees him restarting his life as an apprentice to a physician.
Maybe that was the Gods’ gift to Tony – to be ‘born and reborn, bearing each time the weight of its past, yet transfigured, each time, exultant, hopeful, breathing anew’.
Brinda Charry elegantly and evocatively addresses these brutal issues of the 17th century, and gives us pause for thought about their persistence today.
Attending the Globe Theatre, Tony is entranced by a performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and it’s sole Indian character. But Tony’s time in London is short-lived, like other street urchins he is abducted, bound on the lice-infested ship ‘God’s Gift’ to the American colonies – to the vulnerability of a life of indentured servitude on a tobacco plantation. He is the first known East Indian to arrive in Virginia. He is alone, like Shakespeare’s character. Conditions are harsh, food scarce, masters cruel. Prejudice, malice and power plays are rife. But amongst the servants there is hope for the future. A game of dice transfers his servitude to an adventurous and kind master, a twist of fate sees him restarting his life as an apprentice to a physician.
Maybe that was the Gods’ gift to Tony – to be ‘born and reborn, bearing each time the weight of its past, yet transfigured, each time, exultant, hopeful, breathing anew’.
Brinda Charry elegantly and evocatively addresses these brutal issues of the 17th century, and gives us pause for thought about their persistence today.
May 11, 2023
Brinda Charry’s debut, The East Indian, features a gripping, historical fiction novel that chronicles the life of Tony (not his given name), a sensitive + curious Tamil boy from Armagon, East India. Tony learned to speak English, read + write from his courtesan mother’s only English patron. Orphaned after his mother passes, he travels by ship to London, where he’s stolen and put on the ship named Gods Gift, traveling to this new world of “Virginia” as an indentured servant. Tony lives through a life of tremendous loss and unexpected cruelty as a servant. As the very first East Indian in a new land (colonial America), this story explores racial identity and the attitudes toward it in the 17th century. The story also touches on early medicine from that time period. It was quite interesting learning about that time and place in history. The writing was wonderfully done with excellent descriptives of the characters, landscapes, foods + smells.. I was pulled in and transported back in time. But be prepared as there is loss of life, rape and violence. 4 stars — Pub. 5/2/23
April 28, 2023
The Author’s Notes cites an Indian boy, a minor but easily forgettable character in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as inspiration for this brilliantly conceived story of the arrival (and survival) of the first East Indian in 1630’s colonial Virginia. Buoyed by historical facts (which I absolutely loved), it is truly the author’s skill as an exceptional storyteller that conveys the emotional, physical, and psychological impacts that a series of globe-trotting experiences has on a motherless boy in search of home. This novel is a Historical Fiction fan's dream!
It opens in India with a very young, beloved boy who thrives in a village in the care of his courtesan mother, grandmother, and “uncle.” His mother’s beauty (along with her sexual prowess and charms) earns the the attention and benevolence of a prominent English merchant who also delights in the boy’s intelligence and inquisitiveness. Befriended by a priest who baptizes and renames him Tony - it becomes his frequently used adopted name and over time he forgets his birth name - one of many losses to come in his extraordinary life. As in these times, illness strikes frequently, this time in the form of cholera, leaving him orphaned, destitute, and depressed. In an act of good faith (and maybe good riddance), the merchant finds him a benefactor and Tony embarks on a trip to London (under the guise of adventure) only to arrive alone when his benefactor succumbs to illness en route. In London, fortune continues to alternately smile and frown our darlingTony and through a set of heartbreaking circumstances, he eventually arrives in the American colonies impoverished and emaciated in servitude against his will. Avoiding spoilers, the story continues with Tony’s maturation into manhood that mirrors Virginia’s struggles and warped development as an emerging colony. While Tony fends off sickness, starvation, brutal beatings and molestation from overseers, exhaustion from overwork, protection from the New World environs (weather, nature (and all that’s in it - snakebites, pestilence, etc) and hostile Native Americans), Virginia grapples with the increasing demand for bodies to clear the wilderness to farm and cultivate the highly desired tobacco (Tony witnesses indentured servitude morph into chattel slavery), wrestle with local politics, royal governance, allegiance to the Crown, disputes with Maryland, a quest for independence, and the unrelenting “Indian” problem.
The characters are relatable and full-bodied – I was fond of the majority of Tony’s friends – their hopes, wishes, dreams are conveyed in such a way that the reader empathizes and sympathizes with our unsung heroes and despises the loathsome villains. The landscape descriptions offer vivid imagery; the language and vocabulary choices are period-perfect (yet easy to deduce given the context for the modern reader , although I still researched a few). Highly recommended for those interested in the founding of America and the plight of marginalized/minority groups in early America.
Thanks to the publisher, Scribner, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.
It opens in India with a very young, beloved boy who thrives in a village in the care of his courtesan mother, grandmother, and “uncle.” His mother’s beauty (along with her sexual prowess and charms) earns the the attention and benevolence of a prominent English merchant who also delights in the boy’s intelligence and inquisitiveness. Befriended by a priest who baptizes and renames him Tony - it becomes his frequently used adopted name and over time he forgets his birth name - one of many losses to come in his extraordinary life. As in these times, illness strikes frequently, this time in the form of cholera, leaving him orphaned, destitute, and depressed. In an act of good faith (and maybe good riddance), the merchant finds him a benefactor and Tony embarks on a trip to London (under the guise of adventure) only to arrive alone when his benefactor succumbs to illness en route. In London, fortune continues to alternately smile and frown our darlingTony and through a set of heartbreaking circumstances, he eventually arrives in the American colonies impoverished and emaciated in servitude against his will. Avoiding spoilers, the story continues with Tony’s maturation into manhood that mirrors Virginia’s struggles and warped development as an emerging colony. While Tony fends off sickness, starvation, brutal beatings and molestation from overseers, exhaustion from overwork, protection from the New World environs (weather, nature (and all that’s in it - snakebites, pestilence, etc) and hostile Native Americans), Virginia grapples with the increasing demand for bodies to clear the wilderness to farm and cultivate the highly desired tobacco (Tony witnesses indentured servitude morph into chattel slavery), wrestle with local politics, royal governance, allegiance to the Crown, disputes with Maryland, a quest for independence, and the unrelenting “Indian” problem.
The characters are relatable and full-bodied – I was fond of the majority of Tony’s friends – their hopes, wishes, dreams are conveyed in such a way that the reader empathizes and sympathizes with our unsung heroes and despises the loathsome villains. The landscape descriptions offer vivid imagery; the language and vocabulary choices are period-perfect (yet easy to deduce given the context for the modern reader , although I still researched a few). Highly recommended for those interested in the founding of America and the plight of marginalized/minority groups in early America.
Thanks to the publisher, Scribner, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.
April 28, 2023
Rating: between 3 and 4 stars
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
Thank you Scribner for ARC, and Simon Audio for ALC. The opinions in my reviews are always my own.
I think you will enjoy The East Indian if:
1. You like historical fiction novels that give voice to "obscure" historical figures. Think Maggie O'Farrell's books. Although be warned: writing is NOT the same. In The East Indian you will find much less flowery language, and much more focus on the gruesome details of life in early American settlements in the 1600's.
2. If you want to find out more about the history of the early American settlers of Indian descent. This book is perfect for AAPI awareness month.
3. If you enjoy historical fiction books with a strong focus on the effects of colonialism, and oppression of the local population. Especially as it pertains to early American history.
4. If you liked Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang (another great read for AAPI month).
5. If you like epic adventures, coming of age stories, and literary historical fiction with a lot of references to classics (in this case Shakespeare) and some religious texts, AND if metaphor and symbolism ridden stream of consciousness paragraphs don't bother you much.
Tony's story begins at his birthplace: the British East India Company’s outpost on the Coromandel Coast, from which we follow him on his ill-advised journey across the ocean to the rainy and foggy London, and further to Jamestown, Virginia. When Tony was kidnapped from the streets of London along with several other young boys and was sent on a grueling journey to America against his will he was just a teenager. In Jameston Tony and his unlikely group of friends are forced into "indentured servitude" and have to work on the tobacco plantations for the promise of someday getting their freedom and their own land - an American dream at the time.
Tony is an epitome of survival. "The only one of his kind" in America, we watch a scared boy obsessed with somehow returning home to India transform against all odds into a resourceful, intelligent and a well adjusted young man that despite his dire circumstances is able to form new friendships with the most unlikely cast of characters, gain acceptance into a highly sought after apprenticeship with the local physician, and even find a true love.
By all measures, Tony's life in America is a success, but at what cost? And what will his staying in America ultimately mean for his descendants?
The East Indian is set during the early days of English colonization in Jamestown, before servitude calcified into racialized slavery. Like many parts of American history not taught in schools, that period was extremely disturbing - especially as it pertains to the treatment of the indigenous population, as well as the whole culture of the "indentured servitude". Admittedly, I did not know much about the American history of bringing people (and even stolen children) here to essentially do slave labor before slavery was institutionalized, and reading about this shameful piece of American history left me with even more distrustful of the true meaning of the "American freedom" and "British Exploration" culture.
It is an important work for sure, but not an easy read. In fact due to the subject matter at the center of the book: colonization, exploitation, and discrimination - it is quite depressing. So keep that in mind. It also features a fair amount of child brutality, as well as some gore that, I can only assume, used to go hand in hand with the common (but nevertheless VERY barbarian) "medical practices" of that period. Oh and there is a lot of poop. WHY THERE IS SO MUCH POOP in this book?!
The language is devastatingly beautiful at times. Especially in the beginning when describing Tony's birthplace on the Coromandel Coast (as seen through his eyes). However, I found the use of archaic language (using "bautiouse" instead of beautiful, and "it afeared me" instead of "scared me" - that sort of thing) a little annoying. It is obvious that the author is an English Renaissance literature scholar, and that she tried to stay inline with the language of the times. But the book is already very atmospheric and I feel like so much archaic English was not necessary. But that's just my opinion.
There is also a fair amount of either magical realism/or the "stream of consciousness" prose - whichever way you choose to interpret it. These parts are very symbolic and full of metaphors - but they are not for everyone. I thought all the parts involving Hindu deities were masterfully done. However, the "man who cannot die" metaphor was over the top, and did not work for me at the slightest. You can also choose to view those parts as Tony's way of self soothing /self preservation techniques when his circumstances were becoming especially rough. In a way he used his childhood beliefs of the soul reincarnation, as well as the stories of bravery and perseverance from Ramayana to get him through rough patches. There are also many references to Shakespeare's Midsummer Dream, which, if you have not read the play, may be over your head. Whichever way you choose to look at those parts, just know that they are there, and if you like your stories more straightforward and struggle with the "stream of consciousness" type of writing - you may have a hard time with this book.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. However, I was a little bit disappointed that my ALC did not include the author's note. And I surely hope that the finished audio will. In the author's note Charry explains the origin of her inspiration for the novel which puts everything into a perspective and makes it so much more powerful. A lot of research was done for this book, and the main character is based on the two separate (albeit) brief mentions of the young men of "East Indian" descent in the historical documents. I highly suggest not to skip the author's note.
All in all, I found The East Indian to be an impressive albeit imperfect debut. While at no point was I considering DNF-ing, sadly, it didn't end up being a 5 star read for me. The ending, which was actually less depressing than what I was gearing up for still left me unsettled and unsatisfied - largely due to what was alluded to in the beginning of the book...and then never happened. I cannot really say much out of fear of accidentally dropping some major spoilers here, but it was as if we were promised a "full circle" of sorts, then left with only half a circle, and an uncertain future. Which of course is exactly what usually happens in life, but.... let's just say I expected a more satisfying ending for such an epic adventure novel.
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
Thank you Scribner for ARC, and Simon Audio for ALC. The opinions in my reviews are always my own.
I think you will enjoy The East Indian if:
1. You like historical fiction novels that give voice to "obscure" historical figures. Think Maggie O'Farrell's books. Although be warned: writing is NOT the same. In The East Indian you will find much less flowery language, and much more focus on the gruesome details of life in early American settlements in the 1600's.
2. If you want to find out more about the history of the early American settlers of Indian descent. This book is perfect for AAPI awareness month.
3. If you enjoy historical fiction books with a strong focus on the effects of colonialism, and oppression of the local population. Especially as it pertains to early American history.
4. If you liked Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang (another great read for AAPI month).
5. If you like epic adventures, coming of age stories, and literary historical fiction with a lot of references to classics (in this case Shakespeare) and some religious texts, AND if metaphor and symbolism ridden stream of consciousness paragraphs don't bother you much.
Tony's story begins at his birthplace: the British East India Company’s outpost on the Coromandel Coast, from which we follow him on his ill-advised journey across the ocean to the rainy and foggy London, and further to Jamestown, Virginia. When Tony was kidnapped from the streets of London along with several other young boys and was sent on a grueling journey to America against his will he was just a teenager. In Jameston Tony and his unlikely group of friends are forced into "indentured servitude" and have to work on the tobacco plantations for the promise of someday getting their freedom and their own land - an American dream at the time.
Tony is an epitome of survival. "The only one of his kind" in America, we watch a scared boy obsessed with somehow returning home to India transform against all odds into a resourceful, intelligent and a well adjusted young man that despite his dire circumstances is able to form new friendships with the most unlikely cast of characters, gain acceptance into a highly sought after apprenticeship with the local physician, and even find a true love.
By all measures, Tony's life in America is a success, but at what cost? And what will his staying in America ultimately mean for his descendants?
The East Indian is set during the early days of English colonization in Jamestown, before servitude calcified into racialized slavery. Like many parts of American history not taught in schools, that period was extremely disturbing - especially as it pertains to the treatment of the indigenous population, as well as the whole culture of the "indentured servitude". Admittedly, I did not know much about the American history of bringing people (and even stolen children) here to essentially do slave labor before slavery was institutionalized, and reading about this shameful piece of American history left me with even more distrustful of the true meaning of the "American freedom" and "British Exploration" culture.
It is an important work for sure, but not an easy read. In fact due to the subject matter at the center of the book: colonization, exploitation, and discrimination - it is quite depressing. So keep that in mind. It also features a fair amount of child brutality, as well as some gore that, I can only assume, used to go hand in hand with the common (but nevertheless VERY barbarian) "medical practices" of that period. Oh and there is a lot of poop. WHY THERE IS SO MUCH POOP in this book?!
The language is devastatingly beautiful at times. Especially in the beginning when describing Tony's birthplace on the Coromandel Coast (as seen through his eyes). However, I found the use of archaic language (using "bautiouse" instead of beautiful, and "it afeared me" instead of "scared me" - that sort of thing) a little annoying. It is obvious that the author is an English Renaissance literature scholar, and that she tried to stay inline with the language of the times. But the book is already very atmospheric and I feel like so much archaic English was not necessary. But that's just my opinion.
There is also a fair amount of either magical realism/or the "stream of consciousness" prose - whichever way you choose to interpret it. These parts are very symbolic and full of metaphors - but they are not for everyone. I thought all the parts involving Hindu deities were masterfully done. However, the "man who cannot die" metaphor was over the top, and did not work for me at the slightest. You can also choose to view those parts as Tony's way of self soothing /self preservation techniques when his circumstances were becoming especially rough. In a way he used his childhood beliefs of the soul reincarnation, as well as the stories of bravery and perseverance from Ramayana to get him through rough patches. There are also many references to Shakespeare's Midsummer Dream, which, if you have not read the play, may be over your head. Whichever way you choose to look at those parts, just know that they are there, and if you like your stories more straightforward and struggle with the "stream of consciousness" type of writing - you may have a hard time with this book.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. However, I was a little bit disappointed that my ALC did not include the author's note. And I surely hope that the finished audio will. In the author's note Charry explains the origin of her inspiration for the novel which puts everything into a perspective and makes it so much more powerful. A lot of research was done for this book, and the main character is based on the two separate (albeit) brief mentions of the young men of "East Indian" descent in the historical documents. I highly suggest not to skip the author's note.
All in all, I found The East Indian to be an impressive albeit imperfect debut. While at no point was I considering DNF-ing, sadly, it didn't end up being a 5 star read for me. The ending, which was actually less depressing than what I was gearing up for still left me unsettled and unsatisfied - largely due to what was alluded to in the beginning of the book...and then never happened. I cannot really say much out of fear of accidentally dropping some major spoilers here, but it was as if we were promised a "full circle" of sorts, then left with only half a circle, and an uncertain future. Which of course is exactly what usually happens in life, but.... let's just say I expected a more satisfying ending for such an epic adventure novel.
June 19, 2023
Fascinating historical fiction written by an actual historian, Brinda Charry’s novel tells the story of a bright boy from southeast India who ends up as an orphan in London and eventually an indentured servant and physician’s apprentice in Jamestown. Tony’s intelligence and his unique-for-the-time-and-place status as a non-African PoC and the first East Indian in Virginia make him an interesting vessel for Charry to share insights and perspectives on America’s early history in ways that still resonate today.
April 25, 2023
Lyrical writing. Telling stories of an honorable young man from India who is stolen from London who ends up in the colony of Virginia. Well researched. The horrors people of color suffered still bother me 400 years later. Will we ever learn?
Really looking forward to meeting the author at Booktopia.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Scribner for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
Really looking forward to meeting the author at Booktopia.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Scribner for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 31, 2023
Brilliant.
May 21, 2023
I had the privilege of meeting Brinda Charry recently. She attended our annual book retreat in Vermont. After listening to her, I was more excited than ever to read The East Indian and I can say now that it was everything I was hoping for and more! After just 20 pages, I was attached to Tony, East Indian, I was so invested in his travels and his life in Jamestown. Virginia. I cheered for him and was sad for him when he thought back to his mother in India and he life as a boy growing up there. The prose was just beautiful. This book was 247 pages but filled with so much. I'm in awe of how the author did it! I look forward to her next book. I highly recommend picking this book up and getting immersed in Tony's story.
September 3, 2023
Historical tales from a youngster POV can be quite compelling, but this novel ultimately fell short of being an engrossing read.
One can tell that the author did her research, and basing this on the first East Indian to arrive Virginia (circa 1600s) was an interesting premise. However, the plot is choppy, the characters not fully fleshed out, and there's a lot of telling, and not enough showing.
Given the subject matter I expected the story to grab me by the throat, and drag me along as I followed young Tony, a Tamil immigrant, as he figured out his place in the new world. There was no new ground covered here for me, and I skimmed the last third or so.
One can tell that the author did her research, and basing this on the first East Indian to arrive Virginia (circa 1600s) was an interesting premise. However, the plot is choppy, the characters not fully fleshed out, and there's a lot of telling, and not enough showing.
Given the subject matter I expected the story to grab me by the throat, and drag me along as I followed young Tony, a Tamil immigrant, as he figured out his place in the new world. There was no new ground covered here for me, and I skimmed the last third or so.
June 9, 2023
This was an interesting historical fiction novel of a very young East Indian boy who lands on the shores of Virginia in 1635.
August 25, 2023
Authors of Indian sub-continent origin have been writing novels that are centered on the life of Indian immigrants in Western countries. Names like V. S. Naipaul, Jhumpa Lahiri, Hanif Kureishi, Bharati Mukherjee, and Salman Rushdie come to mind. Often, these novels focus on issues of race, identity, culture shocks, and a sense of belonging. Author Brinda Charry is Indian-American, and this novel is about a Tamil immigrant from South India to the Americas. The novel's strength lies in its coverage of an immigration period seldom written about. The core story is set between the years 1635 - 1642 in Jamestown, Virginia, in today’s United States. Virginia didn't have institutionalized slavery then. But indentured labor came from England, Ireland and Africa to become part of the servant community with varying rights and privileges. The first east Indian documented to reach the Americas was 'Tony', who arrived in Virginia in 1635, as per records. Author Brinda Charry weaves her historical fiction, imagining the kind of life Tony might have led in Virginia and elsewhere.
The novel introduces Tony, aged eleven and the son of a lovely-looking courtesan, in the town of Armagon on the eastern Coromandel coast of India. Francis Day of the East India company kept Tony’s mother as his lover. This enables Tony to learn English and other skills. Unfortunately, Tony’s mother dies, leaving him with no one to care for him. However, Day was not a heartless company official. He organizes for Tony to sail to London in the service of one Sir Miles Davies, an east India company official, who was returning to England. But Davies dies on the high seas and Tony arrives in London months later all alone. Some kind Indian immigrants in London let him live with them and work on the docks. In London, he explores apothecary shops and develops an interest in the art of healing. It was a time big opportunities for labor existed in the New World. Human traffickers were seeking vulnerable children, men and women to transport to America, with or without their consent. Some traffickers kidnap Tony one evening and ship him off to Virginia, selling him as an indentured servant. The year was 1635.
Tony works hard on the tobacco plantations in Jamestown, Virginia, under different masters. His life is marked by being sold from one master to another. A master named Ralph Ganter was brutal and sexually abuses him. But Tony has no recourse to justice as he toils for five years. One drunken night, Ganter gambles against Master Archer Walsh, a fur-trading adventurer, betting Tony in the game. He loses and Walsh becomes Tony’s master and takes him westward on his adventures. On the way, they contact the Indians (native Americans) of Virginia. Tony’s life takes yet another turn as Walsh is killed one night, forcing him to return to the Indian settlement. He stays with them and learns some of the native art of healing from them.
Tony’s peaceful existence among the Indians ends one day when he is exchanged in a swap of prisoners between the white settlers and the native tribes. He returns to Jamestown and convinces Dr. Joseph Herman to take him as an apprentice in his clinic. His work there helps him learn about the herbs, animal extracts, plants and roots that are used in the art of healing. Even though Tony's life is more peaceful, he recognizes he is distinct from white or black indentured laborers. He treats many people in Dr. Herman’s clinic, but nobody accepts him as a capable healer. Life moves on, and Tony finds love in Lydia, a pretty African woman. At some point, the servants in Virginia revolt against the masters, but are defeated. Tony and Lydia were part of it, but escape punishment and run away to Maryland to start their new life together as husband and wife. Tony feels he can now settle down in America without feeling the pangs of returning to the Coromandel coast in India.
As we can see, the plot line of the novel is rather weak. There is not much tension in the story to keep the reader’s attention. The author is a scholar who has a deep interest in the seventeenth century migration and eventual settlement in America. I think this interest trumps the plot, giving precedence to the portrait of living conditions the author paints about the 1630s in Virginia. Hence, the novel reads more like a historical narrative of the times, its acceptance of violence, its morals, laws, prejudices and the resulting exploitation. The book has references to anti-Semitism, homosexuality and witch-hunting during the boat journey from London to Virginia and later in Virginia’s social life. It paints a picture of the cruelties and discrimination in the early days of colonization in America. Tony finds he was in the twilight zone as far as his race was concerned in Virginia. He is neither white nor black nor ‘tawny’ as the native Americans. The masters call him a moor and a gypsy. The ‘caste’ system in seventeenth century Virginia places him as an outcaste, not belonging to any recognized race. He remains an in-between, indeterminate person.
Author Charry paints a lucid picture of the sort of people who were forced into indentured labor in the seventeenth century as they set sail from England to Virginia. There were young boys like Tony, all of whom struggled and protested on board the ship as they were separated from their families and towns where they grew up. Other fellow passengers were dozens of men and women, which included carpenters, cordwainers, candlemakers, bookbinders, beggars, leatherworkers, minstrels, plowmen, grooms, spinsters, wives, widows, rogues, vagabonds, and other sundry folk. Promises of a better life, food, drink, and tobacco attracted some to board. Others were already bound to masters settled in Virginia. We get a glimpse into what the settlers wore, what kind of food they consumed and the sort of plants and animals they encountered.
While living in London, Tony watches the Shakespearean play “Midsummer Night’s dream”. He is fascinated by the east Indian boy in the play over whom the king and the queen quarrel. He finds it intriguing that the Indian boy is an object of desire by both the king and the queen. It is unclear what the author intends by drawing a parallel between Tony and the boy. Perhaps that both are outsiders in the environment they find themselves. However, Tony does not need a Shakespearean play to realize this. His everyday life brings enough proof that he doesn’t belong where he is, whether in London or Virginia.
In other places in the book, Charry invokes Indian scriptures and epics (in Italics) to illustrate a situation. When Ganter loses Tony by betting him in a game, the narrative draws a parallel with the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, king Yudhishthira bets his kingdom, brothers and wife in a game of dice and gets defeated. Elsewhere, there are parallels drawn with Vayu, the Hindu God of wind, the elephant God Ganesha, and Varuna, the God of Rain. It is not clear what the purpose of the digression is, except to imply that it brings wistful memories of his homeland to Tony. However, these digressions do not bring any greater insight or clarity to the story, and seem superfluous.
A novel with a historical emphasis, rather than plot-driven.
The novel introduces Tony, aged eleven and the son of a lovely-looking courtesan, in the town of Armagon on the eastern Coromandel coast of India. Francis Day of the East India company kept Tony’s mother as his lover. This enables Tony to learn English and other skills. Unfortunately, Tony’s mother dies, leaving him with no one to care for him. However, Day was not a heartless company official. He organizes for Tony to sail to London in the service of one Sir Miles Davies, an east India company official, who was returning to England. But Davies dies on the high seas and Tony arrives in London months later all alone. Some kind Indian immigrants in London let him live with them and work on the docks. In London, he explores apothecary shops and develops an interest in the art of healing. It was a time big opportunities for labor existed in the New World. Human traffickers were seeking vulnerable children, men and women to transport to America, with or without their consent. Some traffickers kidnap Tony one evening and ship him off to Virginia, selling him as an indentured servant. The year was 1635.
Tony works hard on the tobacco plantations in Jamestown, Virginia, under different masters. His life is marked by being sold from one master to another. A master named Ralph Ganter was brutal and sexually abuses him. But Tony has no recourse to justice as he toils for five years. One drunken night, Ganter gambles against Master Archer Walsh, a fur-trading adventurer, betting Tony in the game. He loses and Walsh becomes Tony’s master and takes him westward on his adventures. On the way, they contact the Indians (native Americans) of Virginia. Tony’s life takes yet another turn as Walsh is killed one night, forcing him to return to the Indian settlement. He stays with them and learns some of the native art of healing from them.
Tony’s peaceful existence among the Indians ends one day when he is exchanged in a swap of prisoners between the white settlers and the native tribes. He returns to Jamestown and convinces Dr. Joseph Herman to take him as an apprentice in his clinic. His work there helps him learn about the herbs, animal extracts, plants and roots that are used in the art of healing. Even though Tony's life is more peaceful, he recognizes he is distinct from white or black indentured laborers. He treats many people in Dr. Herman’s clinic, but nobody accepts him as a capable healer. Life moves on, and Tony finds love in Lydia, a pretty African woman. At some point, the servants in Virginia revolt against the masters, but are defeated. Tony and Lydia were part of it, but escape punishment and run away to Maryland to start their new life together as husband and wife. Tony feels he can now settle down in America without feeling the pangs of returning to the Coromandel coast in India.
As we can see, the plot line of the novel is rather weak. There is not much tension in the story to keep the reader’s attention. The author is a scholar who has a deep interest in the seventeenth century migration and eventual settlement in America. I think this interest trumps the plot, giving precedence to the portrait of living conditions the author paints about the 1630s in Virginia. Hence, the novel reads more like a historical narrative of the times, its acceptance of violence, its morals, laws, prejudices and the resulting exploitation. The book has references to anti-Semitism, homosexuality and witch-hunting during the boat journey from London to Virginia and later in Virginia’s social life. It paints a picture of the cruelties and discrimination in the early days of colonization in America. Tony finds he was in the twilight zone as far as his race was concerned in Virginia. He is neither white nor black nor ‘tawny’ as the native Americans. The masters call him a moor and a gypsy. The ‘caste’ system in seventeenth century Virginia places him as an outcaste, not belonging to any recognized race. He remains an in-between, indeterminate person.
Author Charry paints a lucid picture of the sort of people who were forced into indentured labor in the seventeenth century as they set sail from England to Virginia. There were young boys like Tony, all of whom struggled and protested on board the ship as they were separated from their families and towns where they grew up. Other fellow passengers were dozens of men and women, which included carpenters, cordwainers, candlemakers, bookbinders, beggars, leatherworkers, minstrels, plowmen, grooms, spinsters, wives, widows, rogues, vagabonds, and other sundry folk. Promises of a better life, food, drink, and tobacco attracted some to board. Others were already bound to masters settled in Virginia. We get a glimpse into what the settlers wore, what kind of food they consumed and the sort of plants and animals they encountered.
While living in London, Tony watches the Shakespearean play “Midsummer Night’s dream”. He is fascinated by the east Indian boy in the play over whom the king and the queen quarrel. He finds it intriguing that the Indian boy is an object of desire by both the king and the queen. It is unclear what the author intends by drawing a parallel between Tony and the boy. Perhaps that both are outsiders in the environment they find themselves. However, Tony does not need a Shakespearean play to realize this. His everyday life brings enough proof that he doesn’t belong where he is, whether in London or Virginia.
In other places in the book, Charry invokes Indian scriptures and epics (in Italics) to illustrate a situation. When Ganter loses Tony by betting him in a game, the narrative draws a parallel with the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, king Yudhishthira bets his kingdom, brothers and wife in a game of dice and gets defeated. Elsewhere, there are parallels drawn with Vayu, the Hindu God of wind, the elephant God Ganesha, and Varuna, the God of Rain. It is not clear what the purpose of the digression is, except to imply that it brings wistful memories of his homeland to Tony. However, these digressions do not bring any greater insight or clarity to the story, and seem superfluous.
A novel with a historical emphasis, rather than plot-driven.
February 27, 2023
Brinda Charry's thoroughly researched, and beautifully imagined, debut novel is the story of Tony, the first Indian to arrive in Colonial America, and it is also a thoughtful examination of the roots of American racism. Forget the sanitized images you learned in grade school, early settlement in Virginia was brutal, in bringing Tony to life, Charry never forgets that hope, rebirth, and are necessary elements for surviving in a new place and building a home after being uprooted. A magnificent tale and one I want to share widely.
May 23, 2023
Brinda Charry was inspired to write this story by the Indians who arrived in the US in the 1600s as either servants of East India Company officials, sailors, or as indentured servants. These people arrived in America from London to be used as cheap labour for Virginia landowners. There actually was a "Tony" mentioned in records, who was purchased by George Menefie under the headright system, where for each "head", the owner was granted fifty acres of land.
The Tony in this story began his life in India, the beloved son of a lower caste courtesan, who, after her and his grandparents’ sudden deaths, found himself on his way to England, thanks to his mother’s regular customer, a British factor with the East India company.
Tony had wanted to become an herbalist/medicine man like his father. Instead of being able to secure an apprenticeship, he ended up working the docks, dreaming of a way to return to his beloved homeland. Unfortunately, Tony was kidnapped and sent to Virginia as an indentured servant for a tobacco farmer. He was labelled as an "East Indian" to distinguish him from the Indigenous, and worked alongside various former Africans, also indentured, and befriended a few of them. The work was hard, and Tony also suffered at the hands of a cruel overseer, who plagued his life for years, even after Tony eventually gained an apprenticeship with a physician.
Brinda Charry examines the early beginnings of the transportation of unwilling people to toil on American soil. She also shows the classism at work amongst the labourers: how those hailing from lands colonized by the British saw themselves as superior to others. She shows a certain similar attitude amongst Blacks born in America through one of her characters, an American Black woman who feels herself superior to those from Africa. Charry also shows, unsurprisingly, how wealth, skin colour and culture played vital roles in the lives of the Virginians around Tony, allowing those in power to comfortably discriminate and harm those around them.
The story is also about repeated reinvention, as exemplified by how many times Tony had to change masters and the type of work he did, and adjust his dreams and hopes with each new obstacle thrown in his way. He proves to be a compelling character to follow as he grows up, suffers, but does also find some kindness, and even love, along the way.
And though Tony seems to find some peace and happiness by the end, Charry leaves one to ponder how little has changed since the 1600s.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Shuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
The Tony in this story began his life in India, the beloved son of a lower caste courtesan, who, after her and his grandparents’ sudden deaths, found himself on his way to England, thanks to his mother’s regular customer, a British factor with the East India company.
Tony had wanted to become an herbalist/medicine man like his father. Instead of being able to secure an apprenticeship, he ended up working the docks, dreaming of a way to return to his beloved homeland. Unfortunately, Tony was kidnapped and sent to Virginia as an indentured servant for a tobacco farmer. He was labelled as an "East Indian" to distinguish him from the Indigenous, and worked alongside various former Africans, also indentured, and befriended a few of them. The work was hard, and Tony also suffered at the hands of a cruel overseer, who plagued his life for years, even after Tony eventually gained an apprenticeship with a physician.
Brinda Charry examines the early beginnings of the transportation of unwilling people to toil on American soil. She also shows the classism at work amongst the labourers: how those hailing from lands colonized by the British saw themselves as superior to others. She shows a certain similar attitude amongst Blacks born in America through one of her characters, an American Black woman who feels herself superior to those from Africa. Charry also shows, unsurprisingly, how wealth, skin colour and culture played vital roles in the lives of the Virginians around Tony, allowing those in power to comfortably discriminate and harm those around them.
The story is also about repeated reinvention, as exemplified by how many times Tony had to change masters and the type of work he did, and adjust his dreams and hopes with each new obstacle thrown in his way. He proves to be a compelling character to follow as he grows up, suffers, but does also find some kindness, and even love, along the way.
And though Tony seems to find some peace and happiness by the end, Charry leaves one to ponder how little has changed since the 1600s.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Shuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
April 14, 2023
This is a beautiful and often brutal story of a young East Indian boy “Tony” who is forced into servitude in the 1600s. Tony becomes known as the first East Indian to come to America and because of his color he is seen as an outcast; he’s not black, not native, but yet not white. We follow Tony through misadventures, friendships and love. This is both a coming of age and a work of historical fiction and the young voice of Tony was one I had to follow. I definitely have a thing for young voices; the wonder, the ways authors let us see the world through young eyes is always special to me when done rights and so I really enjoyed the younger Tony voice and as he grew and saw more harsh realities of life, I became bonded to this character. There’s also a bit of early medicine that’s fascinating and after reading Lady Tan (themes of early Chinese medicine) it was interesting to compare the two books. Those that enjoy historical fiction especially surrounding immigration, medicine and racial issues will definitely love this book. It reminded me in some ways of Washington Black, Attic Child as well as Homecoming.
One of the books memorable quotes :
“The wall is to keep the Indians out of their own land?” I asked, when Ganter went into the bushes to piss. Sammy and Dick stared at my goggle-eyed as if I was raving. “Well, it is our land now—God-given to us,”
One of the books memorable quotes :
“The wall is to keep the Indians out of their own land?” I asked, when Ganter went into the bushes to piss. Sammy and Dick stared at my goggle-eyed as if I was raving. “Well, it is our land now—God-given to us,”
May 10, 2023
☼ 89/ 100
This was not the book for me and I knew that so even though I could not care less about this book, I'm going to give it a two-star rating instead of a one-star rating solely because I knew going into it I probably wouldn't love this and it is not fair to the book nor the author to rate it a 1/5.
One of my goals this year as both an avid reader and a Barnes & Noble bookseller is to read their "Discover" picks monthly. The "Discover" picks focus on debut authors and have specifically highlighted POC authors this year! I've read all of the 2023 picks and they've all been stunning but this was the first synopsis and book that I didn't love at all. The synopsis alone did not intrigue me, although the cover and typography are stunning, and unfortunately, the story didn't either.
I think the writing is decent, but I could not connect to the story and there was no substance for me at all. I do love historical fiction when I specifically curate it to my taste and this is far from what I would pick up, so I'm really not surprised I didn't love this and that's okay!
This was not the book for me and I knew that so even though I could not care less about this book, I'm going to give it a two-star rating instead of a one-star rating solely because I knew going into it I probably wouldn't love this and it is not fair to the book nor the author to rate it a 1/5.
One of my goals this year as both an avid reader and a Barnes & Noble bookseller is to read their "Discover" picks monthly. The "Discover" picks focus on debut authors and have specifically highlighted POC authors this year! I've read all of the 2023 picks and they've all been stunning but this was the first synopsis and book that I didn't love at all. The synopsis alone did not intrigue me, although the cover and typography are stunning, and unfortunately, the story didn't either.
I think the writing is decent, but I could not connect to the story and there was no substance for me at all. I do love historical fiction when I specifically curate it to my taste and this is far from what I would pick up, so I'm really not surprised I didn't love this and that's okay!
August 13, 2023
Charry's academic knowledge of the place and time, combined with her nice way with language makes for a solid historical fiction experience. Seeing this world through 'Tony's' unique perspective brought something new to my picture of 17th century Virginia. But what keeps me from giving more stars is a lack of psychological depth I look for in historical characters, such as I found with Mantel's Wolf Hall Trilogy or Arthur Phillips' The King at the Edge of the World. So, a great story well told (except for some mercifully short but embarrassing sex scenes), which is nothing to sneeze at.
February 13, 2024
My entire professional career has centered on researching, writing, and teaching about those agonizing, unsettled, relentless 17th and 18th centuries in Virginia and the Carolinas. I am stunned, properly stunned, by this beautiful book. Brinda Charry has provided us with a full sensory experience: the humidity and humanity of early and mid-century 17th-century coastal Virginia. Of India and England and the interior worlds of people whose lives feel so far away and often so inscrutable because of incomplete archives. I’m grateful for this book.
April 11, 2024
Brinda Charry has written a wholly original work of fiction that is nevertheless based on historical record. Tony, the East Indian of the book’s title, starts life in Eastern India, but upon the death of his grandmother and mother, is taken to England to go into service. He is barely there long enough to adjust his sea legs, when he is shanghaied onto a ship bound for Jamestown, Virginia in America.
It is 1635, and Tony is about 12 years of age. The first challenge Tony presents to all who encounter him is pinning down exactly “what” he is. His complexion is too brown to be considered white, and not dark enough to be considered black. Nor is his shade of brown akin to the tawny coloring of Native Americans. Tony resolutely claims his East Indian identity, but he is mostly ignored and whimsically classified as a Moor.
And so begins Tony’s wide-ranging adventures, throughout which he is generally positive and optimistic. Since he is without contacts or resources, his indentured service quickly becomes a hazardous trial, courtesy of a sexually abusive overseer on the farm where Tony works. The assaults are unavoidable, but Tony escapes the overseer’s clutches when he is wagered in a drunken card game and is lost to Archer Walsh.
Tony’s new master is an adventurer and explorer, who takes Tony with him on a search for a “western passage” from America. Tony is excited about this, since it might afford him a way to return to India, which he missing more and more. The expedition fails and Tony once again finds himself back in the Jamestown vicinity. He is taken in first by a parson, who then secures an apprenticeship for him with Doctor Joseph Herman. Tony’s ability to read and write makes him an eligible doctor’s assistant.
He thrives in this role for a while and grows into a young man. His enterprising spirit still exposes him to life’s vicissitudes: he finds first love, becomes dangerously involved in a labor uprising, and meets a host of unique characters in the process, such as Mad Marge and The Man Who Would Not Die. But Tony is a survivor, and soon, he has lived long enough in America that his yearnings to return to India fade.
The East Indian is a well-written novel. Tony is a spirited, quick-witted character, undaunted when circumstances challenge him in new ways. His philosophy for survival comes from accepting that he is in a cycle of “being born and reborn,” adapting to change when the only alternative might be to perish. But Charry’s novel also incorporates many memorable points in America’s history. In fact, in one prescient insight at the end of the novel, she describes (via her character Tony) the potential beginnings of racism.
The source of indentured servants was originally twofold, white from England and black from Africa, but every year, fewer came from England and “servants” soon found themselves “slaves.” Tony observes that: “Many black people maintain that all servants were not just servants in the same way even earlier: the color of the skin always mattered; black servants were black and white servants were white.” Soon, the latter would refuse “harder, dirtier jobs” because that was “slave work.” Tony continues: “There is a growing solidarity among the whites, rich and poor ones, a solidarity based on one truth and one truth only—they are not dark of complexion.” When it is pointed out that once white servants complete their indentures, they too “would be cast out…landless and dirt poor,” their response is At least we are not black, and that is enough.
It is 1635, and Tony is about 12 years of age. The first challenge Tony presents to all who encounter him is pinning down exactly “what” he is. His complexion is too brown to be considered white, and not dark enough to be considered black. Nor is his shade of brown akin to the tawny coloring of Native Americans. Tony resolutely claims his East Indian identity, but he is mostly ignored and whimsically classified as a Moor.
And so begins Tony’s wide-ranging adventures, throughout which he is generally positive and optimistic. Since he is without contacts or resources, his indentured service quickly becomes a hazardous trial, courtesy of a sexually abusive overseer on the farm where Tony works. The assaults are unavoidable, but Tony escapes the overseer’s clutches when he is wagered in a drunken card game and is lost to Archer Walsh.
Tony’s new master is an adventurer and explorer, who takes Tony with him on a search for a “western passage” from America. Tony is excited about this, since it might afford him a way to return to India, which he missing more and more. The expedition fails and Tony once again finds himself back in the Jamestown vicinity. He is taken in first by a parson, who then secures an apprenticeship for him with Doctor Joseph Herman. Tony’s ability to read and write makes him an eligible doctor’s assistant.
He thrives in this role for a while and grows into a young man. His enterprising spirit still exposes him to life’s vicissitudes: he finds first love, becomes dangerously involved in a labor uprising, and meets a host of unique characters in the process, such as Mad Marge and The Man Who Would Not Die. But Tony is a survivor, and soon, he has lived long enough in America that his yearnings to return to India fade.
The East Indian is a well-written novel. Tony is a spirited, quick-witted character, undaunted when circumstances challenge him in new ways. His philosophy for survival comes from accepting that he is in a cycle of “being born and reborn,” adapting to change when the only alternative might be to perish. But Charry’s novel also incorporates many memorable points in America’s history. In fact, in one prescient insight at the end of the novel, she describes (via her character Tony) the potential beginnings of racism.
The source of indentured servants was originally twofold, white from England and black from Africa, but every year, fewer came from England and “servants” soon found themselves “slaves.” Tony observes that: “Many black people maintain that all servants were not just servants in the same way even earlier: the color of the skin always mattered; black servants were black and white servants were white.” Soon, the latter would refuse “harder, dirtier jobs” because that was “slave work.” Tony continues: “There is a growing solidarity among the whites, rich and poor ones, a solidarity based on one truth and one truth only—they are not dark of complexion.” When it is pointed out that once white servants complete their indentures, they too “would be cast out…landless and dirt poor,” their response is At least we are not black, and that is enough.
May 6, 2023
4.5 stars
Pro:
* Very sympathetic main character
* The depth of mythological and literary references in the different cultures represented
* Extended play on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
* Reminds me of The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami and Washington Black by Esi Eduyan
* Depiction of the early days of the colonies that is rarely presented
Con:
* Moves just a smidge slowly sometimes
Thank you to Brinda Charry, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pro:
* Very sympathetic main character
* The depth of mythological and literary references in the different cultures represented
* Extended play on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
* Reminds me of The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami and Washington Black by Esi Eduyan
* Depiction of the early days of the colonies that is rarely presented
Con:
* Moves just a smidge slowly sometimes
Thank you to Brinda Charry, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2024
More like 2.5, but 2 seemed harsh
February 17, 2024
I didn't know this was a historical novel when I selected it (or I had forgotten by the time I came to read it), and was pleasantly surprised. It's a well told and interesting story of early settler America from the perspective of a young man taken against his will from England, after leaving East India. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.
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