The Red Book

Meaghan Delahunt

Be prepared to be angry, and deeply moved. This is a book about a monstrous, avoidable, criminal catastrophe. But it also about three people from disparate backgrounds - Scotland, India and Australia - struggling to confront their demons and redeem their lives. In other words, a song in praise of the human spirit, and its unending capacity to rise above terrible circumstances.

Extract

I stayed a month in Delhi and then headed north to Madhya Pradesh, for my residency. Aruna urged me to take the photograph of Sonam. 'But he would look different now.' I was reluctant. 'It's almost twenty years. Do you even have an address?'
'His family lived in Old Bhopal,' she said. 'Near the factory. That's all I know.'

Parallels