This was my first time reading a book by a local author, and I have my friend Deigre to thank for that. I’ve heard people mention Janice Pariat a few times but never got to reading her work, all thanks to my never-ending TBR list. Boats On Land by Janice Pariat is a recommended book that I have fallen in love with.

Boats On Land by Janice Pariat is a collection of short stories focused on the northeastern region of India. Specifically, Meghalaya, the birthplace of the author. The book consists of stories infused with folklore and an unshakable belief in the supernatural. It also has a unique way of looking at India’s northeast region when British Imperialism ruled over the country.

I will admit that I had my doubts. It was my first time reading a book by a local author, and I didn’t want to keep my hopes up. But the moment I read the first paragraph of the first story, I was won over.

Boats On Land by Janice Pariat consists of fifteen short stories. Each one of them is unique and non-repetitive. The one thing that I immediately fell in love with was the writing style. It was gorgeous. Its attention to detail is impeccable. Being a resident of Shillong, I knew which places Janice Pariat mentioned in her stories because I could conjure clear images of them in my head. Her writing did justice in describing Shillong and its people. Janice Pariat did a superb job in capturing the essence of Meghalaya. Her description of life on the hills was very accurate. The late back lifestyle, the unplanned architecture of Shillong, folktales people often tell as cautionary tales to the young ones and a myriad of stories about the supernatural. The supernatural is something many people here believe in. That’s what life here on the hills is like. Reading Boats On Land was quite nostalgic as well. The one famous school she mentions in her stories is Loreto Convent. The school I attended as a child up until my teenage years. She has one short story dedicated to it. And reading the story brought back a lot of memories. The short story talks about a secret tunnel/corridor present within the school premises. And a group of friends try to find it. (PS: it does actually exist. At least we believe that it does exist. All LC girls know where the entrance is located. But I don’t think anyone has gone down there to explore it.)

I’ve read a lot about how the British rule impacted India. I have my ICSE boards to thank for that. But it was my first time reading about the British in the northeast, particularly in Meghalaya. And I loved it. It piqued my interest to the extent that I want to re-visit Indian History once again. I liked that Janice Pariat not only sings praises of the hills. But also talks about its flaws. The most apparent is the racism that the tribal people have against the non-tribals. People had to literally pack their bags and flee Shillong overnight because many got hurt. That’s how bad things got. And even though things aren’t as bad as they were in the old days, racism still exists. And that’s a problem that needs to be tackled.

Boats On Land by Janice Pariat is a book that surprised me. I adore it with all my heart. And I’m so proud to see a Khasi woman make it in the literary world. It gives me hope and inspires me that even though we’re from some remote area in the world, the power of words can do wonders. I highly recommend giving Boats On Land by Janice Pariat a read. It’s a beautiful little book with a lot of heart. My rating for it is a solid 5.