The Prisoner of Bhopal

The Prisoner of Bhopal is a novel that weaves together history and fiction, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal Disaster and the contribution of the 9th Bhopal Infantry to the First World War. The story follows Amil, a young boy with dreams of working at the modern pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, who is unexpectedly and harshly taken away from his loving family because of a generational debt. Amil is imprisoned as an indentured labourer at a former printing factory and his once happy life is destroyed.

As the narrative unfolds, Amil discovers a secret First World War journal that reveals a magical gift he shares with his great-grandfather – the ability to read the wind. This mystical element means that we hear the story of the Indian soldiers interwoven with Amil’s story. We see the devastation that the use of poisonous gas had on the young men who fought in World War One as well as the horrifying outcomes and lasting impact of the tragic event when poison gas leaked from the pesticide plant into the air above Bhopal in 1984.

This is a complex story with many themes, of caste, of the interpretation of cowardice, of the impact of poverty, of intergenerational trauma and of the disregard of large corporations for individual lives. There’s also friendship and bravery, magical gifts and the kindness of individuals.  There’s a great deal of action in this story and it leaps and flies like the wind that is another theme in the book.  I sometimes found the multitude of themes a little overwhelming and had the feeling I was reading not one but two or three different stories at the same time.  Walker’s writing does make the story exciting though and it does bring attention to an important historical event in a way that engages young readers and encourages further research.

Walker is clear that this is a fiction story, inspired by rather than based on, actual events and the book could serve as an excellent springboard or additional reading for a class investigation on the historical events. It could definitely help children to ask questions, explore different perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them and the world in the past.