Hands Like Trees

by Sabyasachi Nag

An act of passion reverberates across continents when Visma Sen, a retired army officer, decides to remain in Calcutta when his family migrates to Canada. Sabyasachi Nag evokes the rising heat of Calcutta in the early morning as masterfully as he depicts the calmness of a snow-lit evening street in Brampton, Ontario while the entangled lives of the Sens of Shulut unfurl over three decades. Each linked story is told through the voice of a different member of the Sen family, from Nilroy's movingly excruciating first day as caregiver to Aunt Rita with dementia to Milli's ambition to host her guru Mata G. The experiences of each character draw a portrait of the Sen family, whose wounds drive them to pursue an ever-elusive happiness, while clearly yearning for identity and belonging. "These poignant stories, poetic in their detailed descriptions and flawed characters, highlight a life of challenges for those who have and those who have not and reflect a society where even class doesn't protect you from the realities of a disconnected or interrupted life."--Stella Harvey, author of Finding Callidora Fiction.

232 pages, Paperback

Published April 14, 2023

About the author

Sabyasachi Nag is the author of Uncharted (Mansfield Press, 2021) and two previous collections of poetry, Could You Please, Please, Stop Singing (Mosaic Press, 2015), and Bloodlines (Writers Workshop, 2006). His fiction or poetry can be found in ANMLY, Canadian Literature, Contemporary Verse 2, Grain, The Antigonish Review, The Dalhousie Review, The Windsor Review, among others. He is a graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University and the Humber School for Writers. He is currently an MFA candidate at University of British Columbia. He was born in Calcutta and writes from the the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid collection that sort of falls apart at the end -- like [some] families generally, I guess. Worth the read!

[Kulpreet Badial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands Like Trees by Sabyasachi Nag is a lovely collection of intertwined stories - oscillating back and forth between suburban Toronto and Kolkata, India; mirroring much of the lived immigrant experience with uncanny precision. Nag is a poet first and it shows - the prose flows in a carefully calibrated rhythm. Some descriptions have the power to stop the reader in his tracks - forcing a re-read. For example, on the chaos of the elections in sleepy town India : The vote came in cycles, like a prolonged menstruation, shedding blood with cramping pain, leaving behind hope. Or the wise words of a leftist growing progressively blind : His cataract, he said, was “a natural filter. Good, bad, ugly - everything needs to be sieved and sifted and seeped before letting it hit the mind’s eye, the third eye. That’s all you have. If that gets cataracted, you’re gone”. Lovely writing - beautiful character development. Nag’s own sensitivity shines through the characters in each story. Indo-Canadian writers doing such mixed narratives are a growing phenomenon - but are typically weighed down by clichéd and stale content. (Your mileage may vary). Nag is exceptional though as he has something real and substantial to bring out in each story. Awesome book - highly recommended.

[Chitto Ranjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intense and bold portrayal of a family living in two different states—one that has migrated and one that has chosen to remain in Bengal, India—presented in a unique and compelling manner. The book incorporates multiple perspectives, as mentioned in the blurb, resulting in deeply layered narratives. Upon reading the first story, I interpreted it to explore the boundaries of empathy, the acceptance of an order without resistance driven by fatalism, and the shifting motives within the same narrative. The second story explores a profound affection for a place and a zest for life, embracing every facet of existence, breaking boundaries. This challenging book delves into darker themes sometimes, provoking discomfort sometimes while being facilitated by very pleasing, uplifting language, as noted by another reviewer. It is not a book for everyone, but personally, it deeply moved me, I have been looking for something this gritty and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Stella Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of linked stories, poetic and beautifully written, showcase the lives of those who leave their homes for a better life in contrast to those who remain behind. The specific details, gorgeous descriptions and the flawed characters make for a great read. The stories highlight a life of challenges for both those who have and those who have not and reflect a society where even class doesn’t protect you from the realities of a disconnected or interrupted life. Loss and grief are central themes in these stories as are the ramifications of a patriarchal society on the characters in each of the stories. There were many lines in this collection I loved. Here is one example from the story entitled, Pumpkin Flowers: “… there is no decent way to pack up history and leave. Because to leave history and pack up is not what time here is all about. Time has a shape, direction. No one can freeze time in a pumpkin flower.” Again, a very satisfying read from a skilled writer.

[Lucy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands Like Trees by Sabyasachi Nag is a powerful collection of nine linked short stories.
Each of these pieces meditate upon significant moments in a life, revealing deep vulnerabilities and unhealed places. Nag’s powerful use of description and analogy skilfully present vivid scenes that resonate with mystery and emotion. Lines rich with imagery shape the narrative: The night is spread out like a coat of black butter. Such restrained elegance is the hallmark of Nag’s prose, infusing his work with delicate metaphor to create both a sense of place but also one of foreboding.
Powerful memories are finely presented through the skilful application of language – often employing discordant phrases to establish dissonance. This is an accomplished collection of short stories that will take the reader to far away worlds and deeply intimate places. Highly recommended.

[Becky Sommers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabyasachi Nag's collection, Hands Like Trees, invites readers into a forceful yet unsettling milieu. With its captivating shifts in perspective, this anthology unveils the guarded and shared secrets of a complex web of relationships. An original and daring work, it will stir readers' emotions. readers are taken on a journey through a disconcerting world. Through its multiple perspectives, the secrets of a complicated kinship network are unraveled. This innovative and courageous collection stirs the reader's emotions with each page.
Hands Like Trees

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first few stories but totally lost interest by the end.