Poorna Bell's Desert Island Books
Featuring the book that sits rent-free in Poorna's head, and the book that taught her about the history of sex and poetry...
I’ve loved Poorna Bell’s writing since I first read her beautiful memoir, Chase the Rainbow, about her late husband Rob. A moving, bittersweet account of Rob’s suicide, it’s essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand depression, and an important contribution towards the mental health debate. I later read her second memoir, In Search of Silence, while I was on holiday in Lake Atitlan. It’s an equally beautiful account of her journey across the landscapes of India, New Zealand and the UK, as she rebuilds her life in the wake of Rob’s death.
Like many fans of her writing, I was thrilled when her first novel, In Case of Emergency, was released last year, and eagerly awaited her second foray into fiction, the recently released This is Fine. It’s a beautifully intricate tale of female family members navigating the complexities of wanting children, not wanting children, and the uncertainty of what they desire or deserve from life. Written with Poorna’s signature heft and heart and wry observations on the nuances of life, I absolutely loved it - and can guarantee that you will too.
You can buy This is Fine from Bookshop.org, and from all good retailers in Australia. If you fancy getting your hands on a copy of it, why not consider becoming a paid subscriber of my Substack? Each week, you’ll be automatically entered into a draw to win a book by the guest from my Desert Island Books series.
Luster by Raven Leilani
This book sits rent-free in my head almost daily, written with such beautiful prose that often melts into poetry. It follows the story of Edie, a young Black woman who works in publishing, who falls into a relationship of sorts with a much older white man named Eric. Eric’s wife has reluctantly agreed to an open marriage, and the two of them also have an adopted Black daughter who doesn’t have anyone to show her how to do her hair. Edie tumbles into their suburban world, and it’s a story that is never predictable, but always lyrically written.
The Chain: Love, Betrayal, and the Sisterhood That Heals Us by Chimene Suleyman
This is the story of something that actually happened to Chimene, and I’m still in shock about it. In it, Chimene charts the story of her boyfriend who comes with her while she’s getting an abortion and when she comes out, he’s disappeared. She then tracks him down and uncovers all manner of awful behaviour by him, that has not been done just to her, but to many other women as well. While it sounds like a heavy read (and it can be in parts) it’s also a call to arms of the power of sisterhood, and how women are made to reduce parts of themselves to fit a relationship.
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
When I was younger I read very weighty books, and then I studied English at university. The reaction to all that literature, and getting older, is that sometimes, simplicity can be the most powerful thing. This is the book that I have re-read the most. It is like a warm bath, a slow glow. It follows the story of a young woman who is an orphan, and then her grandmother dies and she’s taken in by someone. It’s about friendships – but it’s written with such pathos that you can’t help but want to live in the world that has been created for a brief time.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Murakami can divide or unite people, and I have loved almost every single one of his books. This is a book I have re-read, and I never fail to be fascinated by the fact that he can describe even something as simple as making a sandwich or having a beer, and I’m instantly there with him in his books. This book in particular, which is around the mysterious disappearance of the protagonist’s wife, is done in such a deft way, working in magical realism that builds to a point where two worlds almost sit side by side with each other, that I adore it.
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
I read this book when I was pretty young – about 18. At the time, I was obsessed with Rushdie’s writing, although I haven’t been a fan of his work since The Moor’s Last Sigh. This book to me was the one I wished I had the talent to write, and it was also a book that depicts India, especially at the time of independence, so well. For a kid growing up in a very white area, in the Kent suburbs, it was incredible to have a bit of my cultural homeland brought into my bedroom.
Parrots of Desire: 3,000 years of Indian Erotica by Amrita Narayanan
Bear with me. I found this book in a bookshop in Calcutta and taught me so much about the history of sex and poetry. Indians by default tend to be conservative in their outlook on sex (thanks, colonialism) and we didn’t always used to be this way. Not only is it a compendium of some of the most ancient texts on sex – and not just the Kama Sutra – but it also contains modern poetry and prose that is beautifully executed.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
He is one of the most brilliant diarists, and his works makes me laugh so hard I almost cry. His observations of the mundane is really what I admire the most – how he can craft a story around something a random stranger said to him in the street. I bought this book when I was bored in Philadelphia airport, and five minutes in, I was entertained. I also love his life – how candid he is about being an art student on meth, going on to clean people’s houses and then working his way into writing books.
Collected Poems and Plays by Rabindranath
I visited Tagore’s house in India – he was the first non-European to win the Nobel Laureate for literature. I learned that at various points he spent some time in solitude, and he wrote poetry according to his own rules, rather than following others. His words are exquisite, and they wield nature and elements of the divine to create the most startlingly beautiful images. So many years after his death, and his poetry remains some of the most relevant I’ve ever read.
If you’d like to buy any of Poorna Bell’s Desert Island Books please consider doing so from Bookshop.org (US) here, and Bookshop.org (UK) here. If you’re in Australia, please consider buying them from my favourite independent bookshop, Gertrude & Alice.
Thank you for reminding me of Poorna Bell’s memoir. I shall take it on holiday! Her other books sound most interesting too. I enjoyed her list of desert island books! Thank you x