Lascar

by Shahida Rahman

Lascar is the epic story of one man’s journey to fulfil his destiny. When Ayan discovers his brother has cancer, the need to cover medical expenses propels him to leave poverty-stricken Bengal and emulate their late father by becoming a Lascar – shovelling coal in the bowels of the steamships trading between India and England. The brutal reality of this existence leaves Ayan fearing for his life. Fleeing the ship, he disappears into the bitter-cold streets of Victorian London. After serving time for a crime he did not commit, the kindness of a new friend, and a chance meeting with a young half-caste street urchin changes everything, prompting Ayan to re-examine his life. With his faith restored, and the realisation that his journey is complete, Ayan must begin the long trip home.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Simi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was extremely well written and had a cruise ship-load of stunning descriptions and imagery. It felt a little bit like lots of tiny little stories all mushed together into one - basically, Ayan's story is split into lots of different little slices of his life in England. His journey is an incredible one and I know this will intrigue many young adults. And I mean adults, because this book was gory and, to be honest, I'M A LITTLE BIT SCARRED, YES. There's a lot of blood and shootings and all that, but it is set in Victorian times, which I thought was done very well. Ayan is really the only character that ACTUALLY STAYS ALIVE which makes the story even sadder. Just how this one man faces slavery, the death of friends and being horrendously insulted and discriminated against because of his skin colour, but still stands tall until the end is so so so awesome. This is one brave guy here, peeps.

At times it did get slightly boring - I think it could've been slightly shorter - and it was also a bit complicating because I think it was written for older ages. The ending of the book was way too cliffhanger-y and I STILL HAVE SOME MANY QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED, but other than that it was a brilliant book!

Warning: it is a pretty violent book so I wouldn’t recommend it to those under 14.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history, but knew nothing about East Pakistan in the 19th Century, where the book starts. This books has all the ingredients needed to make an epic. Love, prejudice, injustice. I love the main character Ayan who is a Lascar - working in terrible conditions on the British merchant ships. He manages to escape from that awful life only to find himself alone and peniless in Victorian London. Throughout the book we feel for Ayan who clings on to his courage through his religion and culture.

Definitely worthy of 5 Stars

[SISTERS Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lascar is the compelling story of how a man's love for his brother and desire to emulate his father as a ‘Lascar’ (the name given by the Europeans to describe the non-European sailors) takes him on a journey from Bengal to Victorian England where he endures extreme hardship, hunger, loss of love and friendships, and terrible prejudice. Yet, he displays a tremendous strength of character in the face of adversity. As the title of the book suggests, the reader follows the story of a Lascar providing fascinating glimpses with historical references of what life would have been like in Victorian England for a man from the East.
The book begins with Ayan's dream of being trapped on a ship where he has confusing visions of meeting a man who appears to be his father. These recurring dreams highlight his yearning to be like his father who had drowned at sea leaving behind two sons, Ayan and Kazi, to reside in an orphanage. Kazi, pronounced ‘the special one’ in the orphanage by a doctor, becomes the centre of attention due to his captivating stories about his family. The boys eventually escape the orphanage pursuing dreams of a better life. Both men become merchants of betel nuts and rice. However, Kazi's consumption of the betel nuts and Ayan’s growing good looks and resemblance to his late father lead to the increasingly overweight Kazi being ignored and mocked by the female buyers. Kazi, having never been side-lined before, drives himself to ill health and self-neglect due to his addiction to betel nuts. Eventually, Ayan's desire to help his brother and the arrival of their female cousins Mirvat and Faiza motivate Ayan to pursue his dream of becoming a Lascar.
Unfortunately, life as a Lascar proves to be incredibly difficult due to the inhumane treatment of the "darkies" by the owners of the ship. Despite Ayan's inner struggle with his faith, he remains steadfast in his belief and eventually decides to abandon ship and escape into the streets of London where he faces many new challenges stemming from prejudice and poverty.

Shahida Rahman did an excellent job researching and writing about the life of a Lascar from Eastern India and the difficulties he faces in the slums of London. I would definitely recommend reading the book as it captivates from start to finish. In addition, Rahman's richly woven tale is hard to put down and is a piece of historical fiction on a theme that has never been written about before. The book provided me with fascinating insight into what life would have been like for someone of my Asian background in Victorian England. I found this an eye-opening account which is well worth a read!

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This review by Aliza Qureshi originally appeared in SISTERS magazine #48, August 2013.

Qureshi is a secondary school English teacher and mother of three: two cheeky boys and a scrumptious new born little girl. She enjoys reading a good book at every opportunity.