Stealing Green Mangoes: Two Brothers, Two Fates, One Indian Childhood – An LAPD Veteran's Search for Peace After Cancer, Partition Violence, and a Brother's Betrayal

by Sunil Dutta

A memoir—written in the wake of a cancer diagnosis—that zeroes in on the crux between two one who became an LAPD officer, and the other a terrorist Sunil Dutta is a twenty-year veteran of the LAPD. Before that, he was a biologist at the University of California and a translator of classic Indian poetry. Before that, he was a destitute refugee, one of so many uprooted by the genocidal violence surrounding the Partition of India. Back then, he had a brother. Back then, they were children together, chasing whatever fun and solace they could find in impossible conditions. Sunil looked up to Raju. He admired his strength, his character. Raju took a different path. He was arrested, he fled the law, he became a fugitive. He became a terrorist. Then he became a father—and then a murderer. After being diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer later in life, Sunil urgently wanted to understand what choices had led he and his brother down such radically different paths. In Stealing Green Mangoes, Dutta takes us from his family home in Rajasthan to America, to France, to the streets of southeastern Los Angeles, homing in on the questions that tore him and Raju Can you outgrow the madness that made you? Can you make peace with the ghosts of your past?   A memoir with sweeping, spiritual ambitions, Stealing Green Mangoes tells the story of a man who pushed back against the forces that captured his own brother and built a compassionate, meaningful life in a broken world.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, India, Asia, Autobiography, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[John Soria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished listening to this book last night, and I'm glad I slept on it before writing this review. Not that it changed my opinion, but I was tired and had to wake up early in the morning. The weather has been very hot lately and I haven't been sleeping well. I've been tossing and turning in bed, afraid of disturbing my beautiful wife. She is such an amazing woman, and I am so lucky to have her! We met about a decade ago as coworkers, and while there was no immediate spark, our proximity helped to grow a lovely friendship. Before too long she began spending more time with me. ME, of all people! I couldn't believe my luck! I nearly tore apart my entire world just to be with her, and our friendship blossomed into more. Oh, it was obvious to anyone I told the story to that I was only a convenience for her, but I had PASSION, not intelligence. When we were together, the flames of our love burned so hotly...

If you were expecting a book review and wondering when I'd get to the point, then you'll know how I felt this entire book. Based on the summary, I was expecting to hear about two brothers and the circumstances which led to them choosing opposite paths - one a police officer and the other a terrorist. The summary did correctly call this a memoir, but it also insinuated there would be more to the brother's story, making it clear how the two paths were chosen. Rather, we are overloaded with inconsequential details about the main character.

Let me first say that I mean him no disrespect. He was a good man who wanted to tell his story, and he did that. I blame the publishers, not Sunil, for the deception. The problem here is that if this book were marketed as "Sunil Dutta: A Memoir," no one would care. And in listening, I didn't care. I didn't realize at first that his retelling of memories as a young boy would have no bearing on what I expected to be the ultimate payoff: Learning exactly how he and his brother turned out so differently. It was when he would go on... and on... and on about his relationship with Wes and noticing how much time was left in the book that I began to realize that he may not tell us much more about his brother. He told us how hot his skin felt when she showed up to his dorm on some random day, and how her hair moved in unison with the clouds as they walked among the gawking crowds, but why would I care about any of that?

But let's say I did. Let's say I was completely enthralled in the romance of this random person who wrote a book. As far as love stories go, this one is HORRIBLE! Wes is an opportunist who doesn't know how to be alone. I believe she loved him, but this spoiled rich girl got very lucky to find someone who didn't mind if she treated him poorly. All of his questioning as to how she could love him turned out to be a line of questioning he should have followed. If she truly made him happy until the end, then good for him. I'm happy for him if he was happy, but that does not make her a better person, and while listening to the book there was no way I could root for their relationship to succeed. Did he ever tell us what happened with the baby? I don't even remember. He told so many details about things that didn't matter and skimmed over important events that may have had an impact.

Something I found interesting was how much disdain the author seemed to feel about the men of India. Stereotypes already exist, and while I'm not saying he should have denied them, he could have at least highlighted more of the good things. All he did for Indians is perpetuated those stereotypes. There are so many beautiful things that could have been mentioned about Indian culture, but he chose to focus on the negative. Reality or not, there was an opportunity that he completely missed.

Another thing that bothered me was the overall preachy-ness of this book. Again, it's hard to fault the author for writing the book he wanted to write, but I wouldn't have read it had I known, because as I've said, I wouldn't have cared about this random guy's memoir. It only got worse as we neared the end. He had a couple of specific stories for us from his first entry into the police force that were of minimal interest, which to me seemed a poor attempt at bringing the entire story together.

If there was one redeeming quality about the book, it's the amazing relief I felt once I finished it.
If you'd like to feel the same relief, I suggest bumping your head on a hard surface so you can apply ice to it afterward. Skip this book, though.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunil Dutta's book, "Stealing Green Mangoes: Two Brothers, Two Fates, One Indian Childhood", is essentially the memoir of a dying man. Dutta died of lung cancer right after the book's completion in the summer of 2019. He left behind a wife, a mother, and a brother. It is the brother who is referred to in the book's title; he's is currently incarcerated in the French penal system for murdering three people.

Sunil Dutta's life story is an interesting one. Born to a lower middle-class family in the Punjab area of India, he was raised in a not-particularly loving home. Lots of family fighting and the fact that his brother turned into a criminal and Sunil literally turned into the opposite - a cop in Los Angeles - is a testament to the vagaries of fate. He fell in love with an American student and was able to get a visa to the United States where they married and he became a forester, a professor, and, finally, a cop in the LAPD. Quite a job progression, I'd say, while his brother was slipping from serious crime to serious crime.

I'm not sure how well-written Dutta's book is, but then, I'm not sure how good it has to be. He's writing about his life and the lives of others - from fellow students in India, to his wife, to his brother, and to the fellow police officers and crime doers he meets on the "job". He's not particularly emotional, but then, most men are not. Emotion, whether soapy, silly, or strong, is the province of we women.

I enjoyed the book though I wish it was a bit deeper. (I was left with a lot of questions about his wife and their relationship that he left dangling.)

[Lisa the Tech · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would have benefited from another 100-170 pages, as he says basically nothing about his 'true love' or her perspective on his brother. The story is told in a very choppy way as well. I would have appreciated more details.

[Nemy Rose James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunil Dutta’s ‘Stealing Green Mangoes’ offers a unique glimpse into the immigrant experience and his journey from academia to becoming an LAPD officer. His portrayal of Indian culture and his struggles to secure a visa add depth to the narrative, leaving me wanting more of this rich cultural exploration. What stands out is Dutta’s intriguing perspectives on gangs, riots, and his experiences within the LAPD, all of which are presented with thought-provoking clarity. The title, ‘Stealing Green Mangoes,’ takes on a symbolic role, embodying the complexities and bittersweet aspects of Dutta’s dual life as an Indian immigrant and a police officer in America. While the book provides valuable insights, I found myself yearning for a deeper dive into the cultural aspects that initially drew me in. Overall, a solid read deserving of its 3.5-star rating.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always difficult to review a memoir because it can feel as though you are making a judgment about someone's life and life choices. That's not the case here because Dutta has written a fascinating book about not only his life but that of his brother Raju. Could this be a case of nature versus nuture- one brother emigrated to the US, gained advanced degrees, and joined the LAPD while the other became a murderer. Clearly Dutta has spent a lot of time thinking about why their lives are so different and ultimately there is, as in so many things, no answer. This does wander a bit at times but it's a fascinating story. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A worthy read.

[Ann M. LaManna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story to read. The author details his life beginning with his childhood in India. I found his style of writing to be easy and the flow of his storytelling kept me turning the pages to find out what was happening next. I appreciated his telling of his internal dialogue to figure out why things in his life happened, and how they relate to the larger world.

I won’t give away details… Go and read it for yourself and enjoy the story.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two brothers born and raised in India. One becomes a US policeman, one a murderer. How can such a difference happen in humans having the same background? The author sets out to find answers. He is looking not only at brothers, but opposing religious, political, and societal groups. What keeps the circle of unjustice alive in our world?

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Police accounts are almost taboo to hear or talk about at the time, but this was really an incredible book. Usually a book about cops and one about immigration seem to be on separate spectrums entirely, but I suppose that is the type of thinking that has caused so many issues in society today. In my ongoing attempt to read more nonfiction I read this after an intro explaining one brother became a cop the other a criminal. I don't have siblings of my own, but I know many people that hate their siblings and have cut ties with them in adulthood even going so far as to avoid certain holidays with family just to avoid them. I'm not surprised that these two brothers turned out so different, because while they're genes and homelife was the same the choices they made are really what defined them as different. There is one passage in this book that I haven't been able to stop thinking about and that was when the author went on to talk about how it was initially hard for him to understand the crime in certain LA neighborhoods when they had so much more than he did when he was young. He grew up in poverty as a refugee in a nation recovering from British occupation a world away without reliable running water all the time, but this community in LA with dishwashers and flat-screens and video games was the one that was crime-ridden. Of course it is hard to compare adversities and unfair to say one had it easier than another, but just the sheer amount of access the LA community had was far beyond what the author ever had as a child. Its just a thought that has stuck in my mind, and a realization that poverty has completely different meaning depending on where you live.

[Tamara Mousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunil Dutta juxtaposed his life with that of his brother (Kaushal/Raju) in Stealing Green Mangoes to understand the reasons that shaped their poles apart paths. In this memoir, he enthrallingly moved from portraying his atrocious childhood in Jaipur's camp, the displacement of his family following India's partition in 1947 that was preceded by the eruption of religious violence, meeting the love of his life, becoming an academic, joining LAPD, and the excruciating cancer journey, to analyzing the life choices of his brother and gang members. He concluded that the heartless acts of gang members are not different from what the Hindus, Muslims, and Sikh have done! Their washed brains masked their sensibility to act humanly, benefiting ammunition factories in the first scenario, and fulfilling the British dream of weakening India in the second case by reducing the number of both, its ports on the Arabian Sea and owned oil wells.
You can read more about it in my blog: www.tamarayousefmousa.com/

[Bimal Patel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nature vs. Nurture is an age old debate and in this book the author Sunil Dutta has tried his best to help the readers pick a side and decide for themselves. The reality is that it is difficult to say which one has a total say in how a person develops and acts. I personally feel they both are at play to varying extent in defining his or her personality. The author is a scientist by training and what better to test the hypothesis but on your own life. Two brothers both turning out 180 degree diametrically opposite in personality. One following the path of love, meaning, patience and other one following path of greed, manipulation and crime. The description of life in India at that time is fairly accurate except couple of things that I found little imaginative but overall good description of socioeconomic and cultural practices at that time. I think most Indian readers can relate to the story except the romantic aspect of the author. The author is cut from a different material when it comes to love. His love for an american girl with everything she puts the author through is little too much to stomach for any self-respecting man. But I suppose when you are in love, you are in love. Journey from a refugee camp to PhD at UC Davis and then eventually as a police officer at LAPD is what this book is about but the debate this book tries to answer is whether an evil person is inherently evil or does the circumstances around that person makes him so.

Overall, I think this is a good book. It's an easy read and certainly worth checking it out at your local library.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dutta has a fascinating family history, but unfortunately a poorly written memoir with a confusing purpose and timeline, and a frustratingly superficial, close-minded conclusion that "our choices about how we respond to adversity make us humans or sociopaths" (p236). Repeatedly, the author comes across as holier-than-thou and attempts to simplify complex sociocultural issues and effects of generational and personal trauma, e.g., he reiterates how he and his brother "faced exactly the same adversities" (p2; 237) and continuously presents extreme mutually exclusive options to reflect on why their lives look different, ignoring the blatant weight of their individuality, including interpretation of personal experience, biology, social influence, etc. that anyone who grew up with a sibling can observe.

[Mandie Pottery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about how two brothers raised in the same home, strayed so far from one another in how they chose to cope with their adversity and how they each allowed it to shape their respective lives. Although I can respect the view of the author, I was left feeling that perhaps in spending his life absorbed trying to understand his brother's chosen criminal path, he doesn't look at himself introspectively, especially where his wife Wes is concerned. From an outsiders' perspective, the very reason he seems to wax poetic about unconditional love, and loyalty choosing to stay no matter how badly he is treated, may be the same reason his brother is unable to tolerate that same treatment in life.

[Julie Giehl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glad I read this one, but left me with more questions than answers. Wish the author had gone deeper. It’s a memoir, but I thought it would have more analysis regarding the differences between his brother and him but it mostly just tells the two stories. Learned a lot about partition in India and the impact it had on families. Found the last few chapters fairly boring, I think mostly because I didn’t connect with the writing style.

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir filled with the familial culture of India. Without recapping the synopsis or spoiling, this is worth the time to read and see the differences in perspectives of people and their upbringing. There are several rants of vial profanity.

Picked this up on clearance at Book Outlet. I will donate the book.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read and look at the nature's of good and bad. Two brothers: one turned to a life of crime and even murder. Another good filled with love and forgiveness. This book goes along with Steinbeck's East of Eden.

[Linda Chrisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be most interesting. I agree with the author about the cult of victimhood, the refusal to take responsibility for one's choices. I admire the author for never being afraid to change opinions, to being open to admitting he could be wrong. The world is lessened by his passing.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

You could skip the majority of the book and get to that last two chapters. It’s no joy to disregard someone’s life’s work, but the story isn’t worth the time when the thesis is as it is.

[Sharon Kloepfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting autobiography of a life lived in India and the US including violence, family dysfunction, romance, philosophical questions, and inner workings of the LAPD. Very thoughtfully written.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Molly Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

the premise was so exciting but i honestly thought this was so boring. did not enjoy

[Saliha · Rating 3 out of 5]

إنَّا لِله و إنَّا الَيهِ راجعون
Really amazing life story, and I am grateful Dutta had a chance to share it.

As a book, it could have benefited from more editing.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rounding up from 2.5 because there were flashes of really interesting stuff, but this was very all over the place with timeline and "plot". It takes a while to get to a point of caring about either brother or why their lives diverged which doesn't make sense for a biography.

ARC provided by publisher.

[Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a devoted educator and advocate for equity, I am always drawn to stories that detail divergent paths of similar characters. As such, I was excited by the prospect of Datta's narrative, but I was disappointed. Certainly, Datta is biased towards his own "success" story, but he presented his brother's life with little sympathy and a paucity of childhood and adolescent details to endear him to the reader. Of course, presenting his brother through a forgiving lens may not have been Datta's intent; in that case, I am all the more frustrated, for then this book just reads as a self-congratulatory piece about a man who overcame all obstacles to do good in the world; frankly, I'm not convinced.

[Eugenerose4gmail.Com · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Fast pace. Amazing true story. Wife disappears from the memoir mid book.

[Kavz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was strictly alright. There wasn’t a cohesive narrative that the author developed. The story was scattered. Felt more like a diary than a novel structured to be engaging.