A review by thebooktrail88
The Bureau of Second Chances by Sheena Kalayil

4.0

Visit India as in the novel


This book deals with some interesting topics - returning back to your home after years of being away. 30 in this case which makes this a highly emotional novel and a story that many of us could find ourselves in. The title was interesting and at first I didn’t get the reference but as it becomes clear it makes the novel even more of a journey.

Tell you something, the sense of place is indeed very strong - as are the colours and vibrancy of a city which is seen through the eyes of someone who was there when young but who returns later on and sees the place he knew so well through adult eyes. You discover with the author what this city means to her.

The story is bittersweet, and painfully personal at times. The characters all have something to offer the novel and it’s a story where you finish and then stand by to really appreciate what you’ve just read. There were times when I felt a little lost in the narrative like the man in the story but it was a read where I felt informed after the event. It read more as a linear narrative than a story as such - a documented account of the man’s life - but the scene setting kept my attention.