Poskem : Goans in the Shadow

by Rodricks Wendell

Goans are presently experiencing the last generation of Poskim— young children taken in by wealthy families and retained most often as servants. In a narrative that spans Portuguese Goa to post the liberation of India’s golden state, Goans in the Shadows takes the reader to locales from Bombay to Lyon, Pune to Paris, and into the world of the Poskim people and Goan recipes. Through happiness and hope, despair and delusion, Rodricks writes of an unspoken, unheard of and shamefully silenced world of the last generation of a people that would soon be forgotten but for this book preserving their story for posterity.

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2017

Reviews

[Nilanjana Haldar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire structure of this Goanese folktale, as described in the book, is more enticing than any other native Indian author-written book I have read before. The story of the four Poskems (young children taken in by wealthy families and retained most often as servants) separated by time, circumstances and people, each of whom arrive in close quarters, at a contemporary moment in time, to taste the flavours of a Goanese restaurant---- this encounter being a split moment of any possibility of their reunion as the last surviving Poskems ever. But, circumstances and the drift of life parade them away into four different directions, and they never realise that this singular meet of four people related by blood will from now on forever be dispersed.

Their lives up until then and how love, rape, marriage, abuse, defiance shaped it all is what the entire book is about. You learn about each of these four Poskems earlier lives, as you are introduced in slow steps about their unplanned, unnoticed, single-table meet at the restaurant in a future time—and remember while they share the same blood, they really are random civilians occupying the same restaurant table as happenstance on this future date. They are adults now with no knowledge of who is who.

I found it extremely challenging to go ahead with the book without a platter of food to accompany me as I went, because the journey, as the late Wendell has crafted it, is peppered with flavours of the lost Poskems and contemporary Goanese savouries as well—you might want to sit down and actually learn these recipes. They are described in fitting detail, in a way that it embeds supremely well with the story.


The illustrations robbed my heart and even today, I still flip through the pages once in a while just to recollect the joy of reading this book, and the delight of glancing past the Goanese sketches.

I spoke to this author over email around the time I finished reviewing this book. I had wanted to gift him something for his generosity towards me. Sadly, he passed away by the time my novel came out. It hurt!

I think everyone must read about this person---the author, Wendell Rodricks----and check out Youtube videos of him. In 2014, the Government of India conferred upon him its fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri. Mostly I really admired the person he was. He offered to help get people who could read my novel. Plus, amidst the little conversation I had had with the author I came to recognise traits of a really admirable human!

Here is a Ted Talk video of him that you will really like---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPCcY...

[Bulbul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book which gives a glimpse into real Goa. Can't wait to try the recipes in the book.

[Raylene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, firstly Wendell Rodricks was a writer? Wonders never cease.

The theme is super interesting. The book at most points read more like a recipe book, but I didn't mind that too much. It's a well-intended work of fiction, a bit hackneyed in the plot line but I LOVE it for its original theme and authentic portrayal of Goans and Goan life.
So I am rather conflicted, objectively. Rating is reductive, I would say, read it.
Will forever be the book that taught me something new.

P.S. I hope to own a well thumbed copy of this soon, purely because of Mario Miranda's illustrations and the recipes it holds.

[Benjamin N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the stories of the main characters. Some things definitely shocked and intrigued me. Good and easy read for anyone who can relate to the little nuances of Goa.

The recipes are definitely something interesting if you love cooking

[Sandeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect much from the book but in reality got to know about poskem, very sad to hear this school of thought exists or existed in goa,

I skipped reading the recipes though...

[Anchal Shukla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for the goan recipes