Remaindered People & Other Stories by Pratap Reddy
Reviewed by James M. Fisher
In the “About the Author” page at the back of Pratap Reddy’s latest collection of short fiction, it states: “He is currently working on a book of verse and a novel tentatively titled Praful’s Errands, both of which — he’s happy to add — stay clear of the topic of immigration.”
I truly enjoy Pratap Reddy's stories about new immigrants to Canada seeking a better life. Many factors, including the desire for more money, space, and opportunities, drive people from the Indian subcontinent to leave. However, they don't always find what they're looking for. The Canadian climate, housing costs, and job market present challenges.
What I enjoy about Pratap’s stories in Remaindered People & Other Stories, much like his previous collection, Weather Permitting & Other Stories, is learning about the immigrant experience from someone who has experienced it first-hand.
The first story in this collection, “Sweet Memories” is a perfect example of the challenges faced by those who leave everything behind to start a life in Canada. Hemanth and his wife Prabha, along with their little daughter live in a house, but Hemanth’s mother, Saraswati, is suffering from dementia, and as such, must be confined to the basement when they are both out working.
Saraswati unexpectedly began to sob, She said, “I am a prisoner here.”
“We are in the same boat,” Hemanth said under his breath.He had sold his share of his dad’s small house and had given up a manager’s position to migrate to Canada. Now he was working as a labourer in a warehouse, and his wife as a cashier in a coffee shop.
An all-too-real scenario, which makes Pratap Reddy’s stories a true slice-of-life reading experience.
In the poignant titular story, an old man laments: “Nobody really wants us- like books which have no takers. We are remaindered people.” A very relatable simile, especially for those of us that have ever looked over a remaindered book bin or table. Or visited a senior’s home.
In another story, “The Cost of Immigration” Kamal finds an old boarding pass (a flight from India to Canada) in a library book, evidently used as an impromptu bookmark. Later, Kamal notices that there is some scribbling on it which looks like a breakdown of monthly expenses. The meaning of the expenses leads Kamal’s family to speculate if the man stayed in Canada or what became of him.
A contemplative silence settled over the room while the adults present reminisced about their not-so-distant past. How often in those first few years, when everything seemed so discouraging, they had to steel themselves and persevere rather than yield to the temptation to throw in the towel. For each one of them, it was like replaying their personal montage of hopes and fears, both equally unrealistic, which had been archived in a remote vault of their memory.
Other stories are about Indians either born in Canada, or have been out of the country for a long time, returning to India for a funeral of a favourite aunt (“Carrion Birds”) or temporarily to work for their company’s interests there (“Nachurees Ten Rupees” a quick little murder-mystery around the Diwali festival).
Pratap Reddy clearly understands the Canadian South Asian community, especially those in the Greater Toronto Area, where he lives. I find his stories to be reminiscent of another Guernica author, Danila Botha, whose writing, despite being from a different culture, is characterized by a truthful and raw style that makes their fiction incredibly realistic. Highly recommended.
About the Author
An underwriter by day and a writer by night, Pratap Reddy writes about the angst and the agonies (on occasion the ecstasies) of newly arrived immigrants. He is the author of the novel Ramya’s Treasure and the short story collection Weather Permitting & Other Stories (Guernica Editions). Remaindered People is his second collection of short stories. He lives in Mississauga with his wife and son.
About the Reviewer
James M. Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of The Seaboard Review. He lives in Miramichi New Brunswick with his wife Diane, their Tabby cat Eddie and Buster the Border Collie. James works as an MRI Technologist at the Miramichi Hospital.
Book Details
Guernica Editions (Essential Prose)
978-1-77183-936-5
258 pages | March 1, 2025