*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
In 1981, in Blackburn, young Rafi dreams of the big screen, just like the Bollywood stars he grew up watching. As factory closure threatens his father’s job, Rafi dreads the day he must move to the school down the road, where his musically gifted talents make him a target to the school bullies. Twenty years later, all the way from Australia, Rafi is summoned back home for his best friend’s wedding. For years, he has almost forgotten Blackburn, but as he makes his way back home, the memories and expectations he left behind come flooding back.
Northern Boy is a deeply moving coming-of-age story that vividly portrays the cultural and societal challenges faced by a young Pakistani boy growing up in the 1980s, a time and place deeply marked by societal changes with the rise of Thatcherism. As Rafi grapples with his traditional upbringing, he becomes acutely aware of the whispers in the neighbourhood, the rumours of lost jobs and the rise in racial harassment. His creative outlets, once a source of joy, are suddenly a burden, and at a young age, he is faced with the growing expectations that he must become the man his family wants him to be. But when the opportunity of a lifetime appears, a chance to sing alongside ABBA, Rafi’s determination not to let his dream pass is palpable.
Northern Boy is written from a dual perspective: Rafi in his youth and Rafi as an adult making the journey to Blackburn, much of which is the plane ride from Australia. For me, this was an example of a book in which the dual perspective did not work in favour of this book. Hussain does well in differentiating the tone between Rafi in different life stages; one moment stuck out to me when Rafi’s childhood innocence did not pick up the situation of his teacher, and then in the later chapters, he looks back on his experience in hindsight. However, for the most part, the narrative feels very skewered. As I read, I found myself really enjoying Young Rafi’s chapter, but whenever it switched over to the present time, older Rafi’s chapters lacked any real progression; those chapters felt like we were just in a waiting game for the Young Rafi chapters to be over before the Present Rafi could finally move on. While the dual perspective approach was not as effective as it could have been, and the timeline became somewhat unclear towards the end, these issues did not significantly detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.
In all, Northern Boy is heartfelt and poignant. Hussain’s ability to vividly portray the struggles and triumphs of Rafi’s youth was fantastic to read. Despite my shortcomings with the dual perspective and the adult chapters, the story is still rich in character development, and poignant storytelling shines through. Rafi’s journey and quest for identity resonate deeply, making Northern Boy still a worthwhile read.
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