The Savior of Turk

by Ron D Smith

Bhanu Ganesh can’t catch a break. He comes from India with his parents to start a new life in rural Missouri where, as his American-born cousin says, a person “stands out like a vegan at a rib joint if he’s anything other than white boy or a black cow.” Bhanu arrives with everything short of a “kick me” sign on his back. His prep school getup, highbrow British accent, and pathological fear of feminine touch make him an immediate social outcast. Then there’s his little arson habit, the primary reason his family comes to America for a fresh start. What’s more, the new family business in the tiny town of Turk is selling adult movies and other products at a store along the interstate. That doesn’t sit well with the locals, particularly those at the Turk Everlasting Church of God.

388 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Glenn Kleier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Smith has set himself a high bar, creating the character of a young Indian immigrant plunked down in the Midwest USA. A tough objective that he accomplishes with wit, humor, and insight into the idiosyncrasies of human nature. Accolades.

[Arrbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read! Lots of midwestern humor with a twist of immigrant interactions. I loved hearing this story from different voices. It will keep you laughing right til the end.

[Brie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads contest.

I was a little unsure of if I would like the book...especially after I started seeing the editing errors off and on while reading. There is nothing more jarring than coming across a wrong word, mis-spelled word, or missing word when reading a book. Thank goodness the issues were not overwhelming when it came to this I was able to just read and pay attention to the story. It should be something that is corrected for future editions though.

The story itself was engaging and fun. I really enjoyed reading about this "fish out of water" story of an Indian immigrant who's family moved to the Midwest in the US. Oh, and he is a pyro as well which adds to the fun. Bhanu's father opens a porno store in the small town of Turk and gets the locals all up at arms to the point where a local pastor erects a huge, shaped like Jesus, sign across from the store. Bhanu is trying hard to fit in, otherwise known as "trying not to be noticed". It isn't working to well for him since he faints when women touch him and he has attracted the scorn of the local psycho bully. When Bhanu gets upset, he sets things alight. This is the reason his family left India in the first place. he manages to befriend the daughter of the preacher who is leading the locals in picketing and trying to get rid of the porno store.

The story has so much sly humor in it and is interesting in that it is told from other people's point of view and not the main character of the story. So you get to hear about Bhanu through other characters. This works out very well since it reflects how things happen in real life.

I really enjoyed this book and am glad I got the chance to read it.

[Jenee Rager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I wasn't prepared to find so many grammatical errors in a published version of a book, but they were sprinkled throughout the book and most heavily towards the end. I like the way the story was told through three different points of view, and yet none of them were Bhanu the main character. It made everyone seem more diminsional and exposed their flaws as well as their strengths in a way that made them seem like people you knew. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, as it just seemed to stop, and it was the one time you really wish Bhanu was telling the story so you knew why he decided to do what he did.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine recieved this book from Goodreads give aways. I found this book to be funny and very plausible with parts of it paralleling a personel family situation. I have suggested that friends of mine read it because of our ties to Missouri and small towns. The biggest issue for me was the numerous errors in the book that a proof reader will need to correct. It was like reading a text message with predictive spelling that has gone terribly wrong. I would read other books by this author....

[Ms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this author took the point of view from so many different characters. This really made the story a unique and interesting read. I think if you come from a small town or can imagine small town life, then you'll appreciate this book.