I’ve always loved stories that remind us of the way that art can change lives, especially things like the tales of prisoners banding together to create music, art, etc.  I was pleased to receive a copy of A Play for The End of The World by Jai Chakrabarti from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

One thing that appealed to me about this was the setting in rural India in the 1970s. I was deeply affected by Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland and astonished by my realization of the depth of my ignorance about Indian history and political movements, and this story seemed like it might also be a good opportunity for  learning.

Jaryk Smith, a guilt-ridden survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, learns that his oldest friend has died in rural India in 1972. Jaryk travels to India to gather his friend’s ashes, and becomes enmeshed in local politics, planning to protest against the local government by recreating the play he participated in as a protest against the Nazis in Warsaw. The story delves deeply into Jaryk’s turmoil as he wrestles with his survivor’s guilt and explores his new feelings of love for Lucy Garnder back in New York (who is carrying his child — surprise!)

It is beautifully written, full of lessons about love, acceptance, guilt, forgiveness, etc. It would probably be five stars if this were a normal time. And it’s unfair for me to judge a book when I KNOW my views are seriously diminished by the mounting despair I feel watching attempts to destroy democracy…so I am sure I will reread this and perhaps change my view. I don’t feel it is fair to give it 5 stars when I am all over the place about everything…so it’s a four from me.