Identity | Arundhati Sahoo | Book Review

Identity by Arundhati Sahoo is a contemporary fiction that brings out two ignored sections of society to the fore. It essentially comprises their life, their thoughts, the interplay of their ambition, and the treatment meted out to them, along with their journey to find themselves.

It is a story of Sane, a eunuch, and Sunny, a prostitute. The book follows how the two cross their paths, become integral to each other’s journey of fighting against the conventional world, and find themselves. I am both amused and amazed by their thoughts that occur in spurts throughout the book. They speak so much about a society that continues to oppress the trans community as well as the prostitutes.

Society looks down upon these two sections. They’re considered unholy and a disgrace to the civilizations. They have got no right to lead a respectable life, a life of dignity. The book attempts to put forth this point and discuss it thoroughly through Sane and Sunny. Amid the deliberation spanning the identities of these two human beings, we come across their beautiful relationship with each other. Their pure love is surely above the norms that drive them to discover their individual purpose and work for it.

I would take this opportunity to commend the author for weaving a lovely tale with an amazing wordplay. However, I found the transitions a bit too fast for me to hold on to them. The storyline got hasty at some points and turned out to be a little vague to me. Nevertheless, it is a good and mature read. Read it with patience.