Trachea and Other Stories

A novel in linked episodes, told in unaffected direct prose, about the life of an Indian man called Sharad, who becomes a Canadian--of sorts. The story begins in childhood with the suicide of Sharad’s father, who killed himself by cutting his throat. Sharad, brought up by his grandmother, grows up to become a nonconforming open-minded journalist involved in Bombay’s union and communal (Hindu-Muslim) politics. He marries an Indo-Canadian woman, Gunjun, from Toronto whom he meets via a photo and emails. The story of his struggles with jobs, marriage, identity, and weather comes alive through the vivid experiences of this uncomfortable uncompromising new Canadian.

Mayank Bhatt immigrated to Toronto in 2008 from Mumbai (Bombay). His debut novel, Belief, was published by Mawenzi House in 2016. His short stories have been published in TOK 5: Writing the New Toronto, Canadian Voices II, the Maple Tree Literary Supplement and the Beacon.