The Spoiled Heart, Sunjeev Sahota
In the latest novel from two-time Booker nominee Sunjeev Sahota, the downfall of a trade unionist in a small town becomes a lens through which to examine ideological divides within the British left. While, on the surface, the subject matter could alienate some readers, politics is blended with a family mystery and an unlikely romance to create a pacey page-turner to be enjoyed by all readers.
Set in a tight-knit Derbyshire community, The Spoiled Heart charts the rise and fall of Nayan Olak, a well-known and respected factory worker running to become the next general secretary of the country’s largest trade union. After the immense grief of losing his mother and young son in a tragic fire twenty years before, Nayan’s passions lie in leading the union forward as the first person of colour. His ascendancy is almost guaranteed until a young and privileged newcomer, Megha, poses a challenge to his class-first politics and decides to stand against him. What begins as a friendly rivalry soon becomes a smear campaign on both sides, with mounting accusations threatening everything Nayan has worked to build. Running alongside the escalating tensions in the campaign are those in his personal life when Nayan becomes romantically involved with Helen Fletcher, a local woman who has recently moved back to the town with her teenage son. As their relationship deepens, so does Helen’s grasp on her own concealed past, which appears to hold some of the answers to the central mystery concerning the fire which destroyed Nayan’s family.
These two plot strands are narrated and brought together by an outside voice – a writer called Sajjan who finds inspiration in Nayan for his upcoming novel. Curious to uncover how the lives of these characters intersect, Sajjan’s meetings with Nayan add another meta-layer of the narrative to contend with. This framed device took some adjusting to and there were moments when the transitions felt disruptive; however, the way in which small revelations are drip-fed throughout, ultimately lead to a shocking climax with lasting consequences, is expertly executed.
It's refreshing to read a contemporary novel that doesn’t sacrifice plot in favour of style or ideas – The Spoiled Heart instils great storytelling as the beating heart behind everything else.
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