In 2017, a spontaneous fire tore through Behrampada, a slum in eastern Mumbai, India for the third time in the last decade. The flames destroyed multiple hutments, collapsing multi-storied residences, and displacing thousands of residents. The Behrampada slum, which houses thousands of predominately Muslim residents, stands in stark contrast to the nearby Bandra Railway station and the more affluent Bandra West, and has for years blocked land the city plans for development. Although officials determined the Behrampada fires were caused by electrical issues, many suspect foul play, including Canadian author Reema Patel. In her stunning debut novel, Such Big Dreams, Patel transports readers to the heart of Mumbai, drawing from her own personal history and the socioeconomic, class, and cultural struggles of the Behrampada fire victims. The result is a unique and riveting story of systemic poverty, self-discovery, and ambition.

Such Big Dreams tells the story of 23 year old Rakhi, a former street child who, after the death of her parents, grows up on the streets of Mumbai in a child street gang. After a tragic accident, Rakhi is discovered by Gauri Verna, executive director of Justice for All, a struggling human rights non-profit, who offers her a second chance at life. However, things begin to change for Rakhi and the organization when a fading Bollywood star becomes a celebrity ambassador for Justice For All as a last-ditch effort to revive her career and, in the process, lands an internship for her wealthy, Harvard-bound friend, Alex. When Alex and Rakhi strike up an unlikely friendship, Rakhi’s life begins to change as Alex broadens her range of possibilities for the future. 

Rakhi is a complex and singular character who acts as the driving force behind this insatiably-readable drama. Patel’s depiction of Rakhi is vivid and personal, drawing from her own experience working at a non-profit in India. At the office, Rakhi is constantly undermined, forced to attend to menial tasks and run errands for her superiors. She feels stuck, barely scraping by and with no prospects. Patel’s narration of Rakhi’s inner monologue depicts a fierce survivor who responds to her surroundings with an attitude and zest that comes crackling off the page. In her portrayal of Rakhi, who lives in the Behrampada slum, Patel convincingly explores how she is a product of her environment: she is at once a self-resilient fighter and victim, street smart but delusional, relatable but emotionally guarded. Such contradictory impulses define our narrator’s understanding of self, acting as a testament to the pain and wisdom she gained from her experience on the streets.

Patel’s exploration of trauma and the long road to self-actualization is perhaps the novel’s most interesting aspect. With Rakhi, Patel considers how feelings of guilt and shame can hinder our self-worth and aspirations. The novel opens in flames, referencing the tragic accident which resulted in her being separated from her childhood gang. Trauma surfaces in the form of nightmares, waking her in the night and following her throughout the day. Patel builds a delicious and gripping tension throughout the novel as Rakhi’s past begins to catch up with her, despite her newfound desire to change. When Alex encourages Rakhi to apply for university, she considers whether she is worthy of such a life. Flashbacks to Rakhi’s childhood on the streets, complete with the threat of starvation, violence, and housing instability, loom large in the background. Patel subtly and effectively introduces readers to a cyclical world of systemic lower-economic victimhood. The understated brilliance of Patel’s depiction of Rakhi derives from the internalization of the emotional effects of systemic poverty and how they inform our narrator’s emotional reality and low-income families in general.

The novel ranges from a personal love letter to the city to a staunch social criticism of Mumbai’s social elite. Patel’s focus on the work of a human-rights NGO opens the door for readers to learn about the disparate quality of life among India’s lower class. Mumbai is ravaged by poverty; many citizens are crowded in slums, struggling daily to afford food and rent. Additionally, these slums are frequently demolished with little notice to advantage India’s social elite in the form of luxury hotels and offices. But rather than focus on the need for social change, Patel is more interested in the compromises made along the way. Patel strikes gold when exploring the personal sacrifices her characters must make between the betterment of themselves and the betterment of Mumbai. When fading star Rubina Mansoor attaches her name to Justice For All, she does so intending to revive her brand. However, the organization is quickly flipped on its head, resulting in an engaging and fast-paced office drama when the staff of human rights lawyers retaliate in response to the organization’s flashy new direction. In a singular critique of the blitheness of social media branding amid humanitarian crises, Patel reminds us of the entrenched role the social elite occupy in a given society and how the system cannot change based on the will of the people alone. 

In a similar vein, Patel tackles the issue of “voluntourism” from Rakhi’s perspective. When Alex asks Rakhi to show him the “real India,” Patel reluctantly welcomes the reader to explore the inner workings of Mumbai. However, as their relationship grows, Rakhi cannot help but be wary of his intentions. As street-smart Rahki quickly realizes, White visitors with resources often arrive in India wanting to make lasting social change, but then give up when they begin to miss the luxuries of Western society. Given the uneven distribution of resources in Mumbai, dependent on factors like class and racial privilege, the emotional crux of this page-turner remains Patel’s characters’ ability to experience freedom, to live out their dreams. Obviously, this comes easier to some than others. Patel’s ability to draw attention to her characters’ privilege and the undercurrent of morality which scores their actions fills the novel with a real-world gravity that is both thoughtful and current.

By the end of the novel, the fate of both Rakhi and her city are at odds. In a thoughtful resolution, Patel gracefully suggests that if Mumbai cannot reach lasting social change, then perhaps our main character and societal victim’s emotional growth and resilience is a start. Such Big Dreams is an exceptional debut novel, grounded by dynamic characters and real-world consequences. Patel draws strength from experience, and her attachment to Mumbai shines throughout this novel. As the city becomes a character of its own, her ability to examine society’s most vulnerable while drawing attention to social elitism and the humanistic betrayal behind such relationships is impressive. Yet, the novel never loses sight of plot, emotion, and engaging storytelling. Such Big Dreams is an eloquent depiction of India’s present political state that consistently begs the question of improvement in the form of a compelling, steadfast female protagonist.