Customer Reviews

The Konkans

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Francisco D'Sai, the young American narrator of this novel, lives in Chicago, sharing two cultures, the American culture of his mother, Denise, and the Konkan culture of his father, Lawrence. His parents had married in the 1960s when his mother's Peace Corps duties in India were drawing to a close. Denise, in love with India and its culture, was less than enthusiastic about returning to the US, longing for the warmth and lively spirit of India, something she had not known at home. Lawrence, the conscientious and hard-working oldest son of an oldest son of an oldest son, going back hundreds of years, was anxious to come to the US to seek new opportunities and his fortune.

When Francisco is still a child, two of Lawrence's brothers arrive unexpectedly on their doorstep--helped into the country by Denise. Lawrence resents their presence in the basement quarters he has been forced to set up for them in his house, as Sam and Les, make themselves quite loudly at home singing, dancing, and enjoying their freedom. Rowdy and debonair, they adapt quickly to their mixed Hispanic neighborhood, where they are popular additions to the local nightlife.

Soon Sam is telling his nephew Francisco about his Konkan culture, regaling him with stories and family history, along with the story of how the Konkans came to be a Catholic culture among the Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims of larger India. According to Sam, St. Francis Xavier, for whom Francisco has been named, came to the west coast of India with Vasco da Gama in the sixteenth century, converting Indians and building churches to celebrate both Catholic and Portuguese culture. The converts were the Konkans.

Filled with wonderful mini-dramas about several generations of characters, the novel resembles a collection of short stories from the sixties through the present. Sometimes humorous, it also deals with serious questions of cultural adjustment and conflict, which become more pressing as the novel evolves. Genuine feeling is evoked for the characters as they share their stories, draw conclusions about their lives, and "adjust" their memories to reflect what they sometimes wish for, instead of reality. The novel lacks the sort of sharp focus and unity of spirit which would allow the reader to draw important conclusions about a variety of themes, but it is entertaining, enlightening for the depiction it gives of an unusual culture and the challenges of all immigrants who try to blend into a new culture while preserving what is important from their own. n Mary Whipple

Whiteman

I read D'Souza's earlier novel Whiteman and was looking forward to The Konkans as well. The new novel did not disappoint me at all. As previous reviews have described, The Konkans takes place in and out of India, and it's told from the perspective of the biracial son of a Konkan man and his American wife, who focuses on his parents as well as his uncle.

What I enjoyed about this novel was its immense scope, moving back and forth between the worlds of India past, India present, and the various social strata of Chicago. Along the way you learn a lot about the Konkans and their history - first as a series of fantastic tall tales told by the uncle and then as more measured historical assessment. The novel was at times hilarious, at times sad, at times shocking. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

Its a story of Immigrant Indian brothers in 70s mostly set in Chicago, IL & South West states of India (Karnataka/Goa). It explores the relationship between a mid-western born American women doing social welfare in rural south Indian on President Kennedy's call & elite Kokan family who lost their glory after British left India. I really liked the story as it gives deep insight into peoples thinking depending on their circumstances. Author D'souza succeeds bringing the characters to life with his description.

Tony D'Souza produced a mosaic of moods and expectations in this novel about a family that seems too real to be fictional. The characters and scenes reflect life on both sides of the globe, from the dusty streets of India across the ocean to the Chicago cityscape.

D'Souza clearly and simply conveys the story through Francisco, a boy who grows up in America with his Detroit-born mother and his Konkan father, along with two uncles who arrive from India entirely reliant upon Francisco's family.

His father Lawrence works hard to provide and strives to climb the corporate ladder. Trials and temptations reveal the battle between devotion to tradition and thirsty desire. Francisco grows up to learn the importance of being the "firstborn son of a firstborn son of a firstborn son." Dialog between relatives is honest and heartfelt and paints a family portrait accented by brilliant highlights and deep shadows.

At times, I forgot the words I read described events born in the author's mind. This is not in any way a biographical work, but is so true to life, I felt that I knew these people as I walked with them in foreign lands.

D'Souza maintained interest with his captivating storytelling, which made this book much like a sunset walk on the beach. Words in his hands blended the verdant colors of India with well-sewn threads of suburbia into an enduring tapestry of diversity and familial love.

Armchair Interviews says: A fictional family you'll be glad to know.

I read this one after reading Mule. It's really good, too, even though the subject matter is so different. There are similarities in the writing style in that it's lyrical, fast-paced, both funny and dark, and easy to read. The grandfather in India is involved in sandalwood smuggling and corruption just like the guy in Mule is involved in muling. But I'm pretty amazed that the writer could cover two subject matters that are as diverse as these two books are, and do both really well. His story "The Man Who Married a Tree" that was in McSweeney's a few years ago is a fantasy classic. Great range, Tony. Keep it up!

Having read Tony D'Souza's first novel,"Whiteman," I eagerly looked forward to his next. And I was not at all disappopinted. It is a very different setting than the African one of the previous book, but it is equally engrossing and authentic about its Portuguese-Idian and Chicago-American settings- along with keeping the reader totally involved in the fascinating story. I can't wait for his next one.