Our August 2022 title is Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara. Pick up a copy at the Hobart branch to chat virtually or in person! Contact at hobart@lcplin.org for event details.
Through market lanes crammed with too many people, dogs, and rickshaws, past stalls that smell of cardamom and sizzling oil, below a smoggy sky that doesn't let through a single blade of sunlight, and all the way at the end of the Purple metro line lies a jumble of tin-roofed homes where nine-year-old Jai lives with his family. From his doorway, he can spot the glittering lights of the city's fancy high-rises, and though his mother works as a maid in one, to him they seem a thousand miles away. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line plunges readers deep into this neighborhood to trace the unfolding of a tragedy through the eyes of a child as he has his first perilous collisions with an unjust and complicated wider world.
Jai drools outside sweet shops, watches too many reality police shows, and considers himself to be smarter than his friends Pari (though she gets the best grades) and Faiz (though Faiz has an actual job). When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants, and together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit.
But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and rumors of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again.
Drawing on real incidents and a spate of disappearances in metropolitan India, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is extraordinarily moving, flawlessly imagined, and a triumph of suspense. It captures the fierce warmth, resilience, and bravery that can emerge in times of trouble and carries the reader headlong into a community that, once encountered, is impossible to forget.
AGE GROUP: | Adults (19-99) |
TAGS: | Discussion Groups |
The Hobart Branch is conveniently located at 100 N. Main Street in downtown Hobart. The current building was built in 1967 and an addition was added in 1979 and then remodeled in 2007. The Hobart Branch is known for its unique architecture and fabulous views of Lake George. The interior areas have slight floor elevation differences which help provide a cozy atmosphere.
The Hobart Branch has many amenities for the community. The library has a private small group room, and a public meeting room that can accommodate up to 100 people. Every month we hold many preschool, toddler, infant, and family and adult classes and events. From computer classes, to arts and crafts, to teen gaming, we've got something for everyone, no matter your age!
