- Source: Review Copy
- Pages: 117
- Publication Date: 15th August 2020
- My Rating: 4/5
Superbu: Homecoming by Debarshi Kanjilal is the story of a dysfunctional family that adopts a dog and the changes she brings to the characters’ lives.
After reading the first few pages, I knew this book wasn’t just going to be an emotional story about a dog. It was also going to be about that dog’s family.
The Bera family had a very common and I would say, relatable family dynamic. Like many kids, Ajay had wanted a dog for years but his mother was against it. After many years of pleading and convincing, he was finally able to bring home a dachshund puppy. The puppy was only two months old and fell sick soon after coming to the Bera’s.
Ajay’s mother, father, and grandmother constantly fought with each other. It was not shown in the usual way that I have seen portrayed in books, rather it was shown in a very realistic way sadly. The brothers, Ajay and Arun lived in a very toxic and abusive environment. It was clear that no one in the family was happy and took their frustrations out on each other. It was a strange situation, in fact. Bu was the reason for many fights in the family but at the same time, she became the only thing bringing joy and peace in the house if only for some moments.
Even though the book was short, I could feel its depth. I could feel what that little dog meant to the family, both in good and bad ways. This is one of those books that I wish were longer, just because I wanted to know what would happen to the characters.
This is not a happy book but I feel many readers would be able to connect to it. While the story of the innocent little puppy is emotional, it was the raw way in which the author portrayed a dysfunctional Indian family that touched me.
