Nonfiction
Verdict: Read it!
India continually breaks into small sub-populations for many varied reasons. Nothing gives me more joy than to dig into a small subculture that i'd never considered before. Rajat Ubhaykar brings truck drivers to the forefront with the tales from his time hitch hiking in trucks across India.
India is a huge country, and without a doubt, trucks and the trucking industry plays a major role in transporting goods. Yet the people who chose to drive trucks are often looked down upon (as are many blue collar jobs) and vilified. Rajat's project is heartwarming, informative, and incredibly brave. It's definitely something I would otherwise never have access to.
Perhaps the author simply doesn't mention either unscrupulous drivers or simply ignores negative behaviors, but most of the people he interacts with seem stunningly average and Rajat does a fantatsic job of making the audience connect with the characters. He even formed relationships with people that lasted long past his project.
Rajat also does a fantastic job of weaving in history and context about the trucking industry to give the readers further insight. He covers different difficulties that truck drivers face (robbery, police looting, government taxes, middlemen problems, and addiction). It certainly isn't an easy job and more respect and protection should go to the men willing to do such difficult jobs. But labor is cheap and unrespected in India.
The book is an easy one to read and it will definitely open your eyes to this subculture.
Read It!
~Becky~
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