Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

by Deepa Anappara

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is an incredibly touching story told through the eyes of Jai, a nine-year-old boy living in a basti or slum of an Indian city. It’s an amazing book to read—you feel like you are living in the basti with Jai and his friends, experiencing the sights, the smells, the characters, including the corrupt police force. The mystery element is a minor part of the book, in the sense that there isn’t really an ‘aha’ moment, but this book is definitely a must-read. Afterwards, it was hard not to click on some of the organizations that the author recommends that work with children from impoverished communities.