The Year of the Runaways

By: Sunjeev Sahota

Narrated by: Sartaj Garewal

Thirteen young men live in a house in Sheffield, each in flight from India and in desperate search of a new life. Tarlochan, a former rickshaw driver, will say nothing about his past in Bihar, and Avtar has a secret that binds him to protect the choatic Randeep. Randeep, in turn, has a visa wife in a flat on the other side of town: a clever, devout woman whose cupboards are full of her husband's clothes, in case the immigration men surprise her with a call.

Sweeping between India and England and between childhood and the present day, Sunjeev Sahota's generous, unforgettable novel is - as with Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance - a story of dignity in the face of adversity and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.

©2016 Sunjeev Sahota. Recorded by arrangement with Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random. (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

" The Year of the Runaways is a brilliant and beautiful novel." (Kamila Shamsie, Guardian)

"Sunjeev Sahota is an absolutely wonderful writer. It is amazing that this book, so rich, so absorbing, so deftly executed, should be only his second. I doubt if I'll read a better novel this year." (Cressida Connolly, Spectator)

" The Year of the Runaways is no less accomplished in its lyrical prose and ability to immerse the reader in the experiences of a hidden community in Britain.... It is a testament to Sahota's accomplished characterisation that he maintains sympathy with the men even after they commit crimes and take advantage of others." (Emily Dugan, Independent on Sunday)

Shown not told

Where does The Year of the Runaways rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The author forces you to pay attention to details by not explaining. It's refreshing: you must learn like a child or a foreigner. The story is tense and dramatic. Wonderful, really. The best novel I've read in a long, long time. The ending was a tad weak, but that can be forgiven.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Year of the Runaways?

Oh God, I don't know. Everything was interconnected.

What about Sartaj Garewal’s performance did you like?

It was just perfect. Inflected with an Indian accent but easy to understand. He stayed out of the way, didn't overdo it as some readers do.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I don't know what a tag line is.

Any additional comments?

Sahota takes Americans to absolutely new places.

A must read

I liked this book. It informed me of the desperate measures people looking for a better life face when fleeing their own corrupt overcrowded homelands.
This book builds empathy in the reader for people in this situation. It also subtly throws the myth of spiritual India into the spotlight leaving the reader questioning the role of religion.

Maybe easier to read than to listen to.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Year of the Runaways to be better than the print version?

I didn't read it. But for me, it was a difficult book to listen to though I was interested in what Sahota had to say about a soul crushing problem. I really couldn't keep track of the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Year of the Runaways?

None

Which character – as performed by Sartaj Garewal – was your favorite?

None

Depressing and difficult to follow

I am a big fan of India, have been there, have read several novels by Indian authors, and read a lot about India, but I still found it difficult to keep track of all the characters with their unfamiliar names, nicknames, and then the complicated way the author jumped back and forth among their various stories. Lastly, there wasn't much of a story to any of it, except for the endless struggle for uneducated illegal Indian immigrants to survive (and find work) in England. There was no "bright side" to any of it for anyone. No one is happy from beginning to end. Not exactly sure what the takeaway is supposed to be.

Difficult

This would be better read in print. It was too difficult to follow by listening to it. The plot and characters were too complex and vacillated too much to follow while just listening.

A must read!

Beautifully written book and an even more beautifully narrated audio recording. A must read for everyone.

Hiding from authorities

I liked the exchange between characters. It is a different world out there. Who would have known what undocumented immigrants go through