The Mercury in Me

Maya Pratik has always wanted to be a doctor. She is seventeen and very studious, a fact which is much appreciated by her seemingly traditional British Indian parents.  Every sentence her mother says appears to Maya to begin with, ‘This will look good on your medical school application.’ Maya’s parents have one strict rule: you may not date until university because boys are a distraction.

Maya has a brother, Tamir, who is already at university. His parents, however, are unaware that he is gay. Maya sees a picture of Freddie Mercury of Queen fame and after discovering that he too was British Indian and, like Maya, a talented musician, she decides to audition for the school production of We Will Rock You. In this production, she meets a boy, Harry Wu. What will the production mean for them both and how far is Maya willing to push the barriers of her reality, culture and comfort zone to inhabit her new role?

This is a deeply felt and very funny and nuanced love story.  It foregrounds female friendships and the need not to discount them while being in love. It also highlights the cultural barriers which can be faced by people trying to navigate multiple cultures. Musical, theatre-loving readers will also enjoy a more detailed look into the creation of this art form.