Shuggie Bain
Douglas Stuart
In the library, even after reading the backcover reviews that warned of profound sadness, I decided to take "Shuggie Bain ".One of the reasons was that the setting was in Scotland. Memories of a recent Scotland trip was fresh in mind and I wanted to go there once again. A land of profound beauty with blue lakes, mountains, meadows and castles. On the way from "Locke Lomond" (A lake in the Highlands) to Edinburgh, while descending the mountains I even wondered whether that was the way angels descended from heaven to earth?!!!! Also, the settings reminded me of Hogwarts Magic Academy of Harry Potter which gave a mysterious aura to the place.
The story was all about struggles of little Shuggie Bain and his mother Agnes Bain. While Agnes was fighting an ever losing battle with alcoholism and perils of a broken marriage, little Shuggie had to struggle with unpredictable home atmosphere, bullying by neighborhood children and confusion regarding his own gender identity.
Little Shuggie found ways to cope. He tried his best to protect and take care of his inebriated mammy through her miserable days. He tried his best to be ' normal ' like other boys, trying hard to learn things that the other boys do naturally. Only to find later that it was not working that way.
Perhaps the best advice his mammy gave Shuggie was never to give his tormenters the satisfaction of victory. They could win only if he would let them. With all her limitations and shortcomings Agnes excelled at that. Every morning she rose from her mess, did her hair, put on makeup, wore her best coat and walked out keeping her head high.
Shuggie Bain made me cry. My heart bled when he crept inside. And I know he is going to stay there for long. Addiction, poverty, broken parents, being different from ' normal' - it's the same everywhere, be it in Scotland, in Africa or in India. There are so many little Shuggies out there, around the globe, around you, right under your nose.
While dealing with all the hopelessness and helplessness, it is amazing to see a thread of hope and some hues of mild humour ingrained so skillfully in the book. Suggie Bain is a wonderful read.
Preetha Raj
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