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nuts246's review
5.0
In this short book, Sona Faleiro shows exactly why she is considered one of the masters of her craft.
The incident described is simple. A young girl from an adivasi community returns to her village after working in the city for a few years. She is young, attractive and sassy, and takes on a married lover from another community. The couple is caught and she is allegedly gang raped by the men of her tribe. Unlike other victims, she goes to the police and her complaint is lodged.
This is the kind of incident that is not uncommon in India. It could be ignored completely. Or it may temporarily capture public imagination before dying out. Or, Sonia Faleiro could choose to cover it. When that happens, what you get is multiple perspectives, with the truth lying somewhere between all of them. What makes this telling amazing is that the author does not attempt to tell you what actually happened. She gives you all the versions, highlights the facts, and leaves you to sift through the rest to reach your own conclusions. There are gaps in all the narratives, some of which could be through a desire to obscure facts and push a particular narrative, but some of which could be because people have genuinely confused what actually happened with what actually happened.
Master storytelling. Definitely worth reading.
The incident described is simple. A young girl from an adivasi community returns to her village after working in the city for a few years. She is young, attractive and sassy, and takes on a married lover from another community. The couple is caught and she is allegedly gang raped by the men of her tribe. Unlike other victims, she goes to the police and her complaint is lodged.
This is the kind of incident that is not uncommon in India. It could be ignored completely. Or it may temporarily capture public imagination before dying out. Or, Sonia Faleiro could choose to cover it. When that happens, what you get is multiple perspectives, with the truth lying somewhere between all of them. What makes this telling amazing is that the author does not attempt to tell you what actually happened. She gives you all the versions, highlights the facts, and leaves you to sift through the rest to reach your own conclusions. There are gaps in all the narratives, some of which could be through a desire to obscure facts and push a particular narrative, but some of which could be because people have genuinely confused what actually happened with what actually happened.
Master storytelling. Definitely worth reading.
milandeep's review
3.0
In 13 Men, Sonia Faleiro provides her intriguing investigative reportage about a 20-year-old Santhal tribal girl's gang rape. The story has many sides. It tells about the affair between a married muslim man and a young tribal girl and how politicians and businessmen exploit the tribals for their own greed. The Santhal villagers argue that the young girl is lying and is in collusion with the politicians who have already given her free land and money. There is no forensic evidence of the rape, but the men are quickly sentenced due to the aftermath of the Delhi gang-rape case.
The author blends various facts together to give us a great piece of true story which should be read by a wider audience (it's only available on kindle as of now). The writing is not as great as in 'Beautiful Thing' but I always look forward to reading anything written by Sonia Faleiro.
The author blends various facts together to give us a great piece of true story which should be read by a wider audience (it's only available on kindle as of now). The writing is not as great as in 'Beautiful Thing' but I always look forward to reading anything written by Sonia Faleiro.
jordi's review
3.0
Aunque tiene un punto interesante mas o menos a mitad del reportaje, me parece que esta demasiado indefinido.
Me gustaria que se hubiera enfocado mas en solucionar que es lo que realmente ocurrio.
Me gustaria que se hubiera enfocado mas en solucionar que es lo que realmente ocurrio.
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