The Plucker
The Plucker
From the World of Spilt Milk
by D. K. Cassidy
Review by Barry Boy
In The Plucker, we meet Pria, an Indian girl living with her family in the USA. She has several issues, which seem to stem from her parents’ ethnic origin, which they still adhere to. Pria finds things such as saris and curry embarrassing as she tries to blend in with the white American majority around her. She is particularly conscious of the colour of her skin and fantasises about being a white-skinned, blond-haired, blue-eyed princess.
These tensions and internal conflicts lead to her developing several Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, which also bother her, while providing comfort at the same time.
Pria’s obsessive compulsive disorders and her Indian heritage result in her leading a solitary life, although she does feel an affinity for a neighbour and classmate, George, not that they ever play together or even talk. In her early twenties, Pria learns that he is in a mental home, and she decides to try to help him. However, after just one visit, she comes to the conclusion that he is happy as he is, and the reader is given a glimmer of hope that Pria will start her recovery too.
The Plucker is a thought-provoking story, which offers an insight into how difficult it can be for some people to fit into the culture of a society, which is not originally their own.
Miss Cassidy does a particularly good job of describing Pria’s thoughts and consequent reasons for doing what she does, but the other characters are also well drawn.
The Plucker is part of a collection of novels called The World of Spilt Milk, which I gather can be read in any order. I really enjoyed The Plucker and will be looking at its companion novels.
Full marks.