The Heart of India

I have read many books on India and spent time in Bombay and Delhi. No book, no sojourn has Brought me so close to and deeply into the Heart of India. The simplicity of style, the at times almost brutal honesty of Gregory David Roberts, the expressions of love for the people he met, the lessons he learned, remind me of Barack Obama's "Dreams from My Father". Shantaram is an amazing book Which lets you feel you are there. You feel the humid heat of Bombay, you smell all the smells, good or bad, you see the purple sunset, you are amongst his friends and Could almost touch them. You could find your way into the slum and feel sure of a welcome, even as a stranger. I felt Encompassed by Prabaker's smile, felt the loyalty of Lin's friends as if theywere mine. I felt the struggles Lin went through to find his way in life, as if theywere my own. Could I never condemn him for his "evil" deeds, as He Was giving all the love he had to give at the sametime. As someone already said, I was very sorry When I came to the last page, Because it meant coming back to my own world, like after a holiday. And my world Seems drab and poor, though I do not live in a slum. And no news report has shown me the futility, the atrocity, the heart-wrenching sadness of Afghans Killing Their Afghan brothers, supported by profit-seeking Americans and Russians for Their Own Goals. Shantaram. (Abacus)