Book Review- Riambel by Priya Hein

In this coming-of-age story, Priya Hein has managed to pack in the history, culture, and aspirations of a maritime island nation in the middle of the Indian Ocean, all within 154 pages. Beyond the white sandy beaches and grand colonial castles of Mauritius, there lies a painful history of slavery, subjugation, and stark inequality. This history’s modern-day legacy still ripples through and dictates the lives of the people.

The book is told in a highly experimental style that incorporates prose, poetry, songs, recipes, and multiple narrators. It offers a delightful experience that challenges conventional storytelling styles and rewards the reader.

In the heart of Riambel, we meet Noemi, a Creole teenager whose unfortunate reality in this heavily racialized society is to serve the Franco-Mauritian population. When Noemi is not in school, she can be found setting tables or working in the kitchen of the De Grandbourgh family as her mother’s assistant. Her mother hopes that education will provide Noemi with a different path than her own or her late sister’s, who fell victim to the island’s darker side. We encounter her on this hopeful path, until things take a turn. Enter Alexandre, the worldly cousin of the De Grandbourgh family, who is studying in Australia. In the perfect setting for an impossible love, two teenagers from two different worlds are innocently drawn to each other. However, as their worlds collide, this boy-meets-girl story takes a dark and gloomy turn.

And so, in both prose and verse, we join Noemi on her quest. We also get to hear from other voices. There is a resounding chorus from the ancestors of the past, questioning the legacy and remnants of chattel slavery. Additionally, there is her impossible love interest, yearning for her and overflowing with desire. The recipe maker is there, serving us drool-worthy meal instructions, along with a host of other characters making sense of their realities.

In Riambel, Hein presents us with a vivid portrayal of Mauritian culture. Whether it’s the affluent individuals enjoying sport fishing trips and extravagant champagne dinners, or the residents of Cite (slum) who immerse themselves in Sega (Mauritian popular music) during lively beach parties and indulge in seafood-rich cuisine. The Mauritius we encounter in Riambel is a vibrant, multicultural hotspot. The inhabitants, hailing from different parts of the globe, have contributed to a pulsating cultural medley where having a mixed heritage is the norm. From Franco-Mauritian to Indo-Mauritian to Creole, the diversity is evident.

In this island nation, with its 177km of coastline, the ocean plays a huge role in everyday life. And in Riambel, it’s no different. The ocean takes on a key role in the story, acting as a dynamic character. Whether it is soothing or teeming, gloomy or gleaming, the ocean heaves and sighs, punctuating the story and adding sentiment to it.