Why do some books sit on my shelves for months before I get around to reading them? I bought my copy of Gupshup Goes to Prison in August last year. In September, I met author Arefa Tehsin at the Neev Literature Festival and got my copy signed. I finally read it today!
And what a fun book it is. Featuring a boy, a cat, an amateur detective, and a pair of twins, it sparkles because of the characters. I love the twins Che and Guevara best of all! They’re experts at getting the best deal in any given situation, and I could learn a thing or two from them.
Khalid wants to find his cat? He has to make a deal with Che and Guevara.
Amateur detective Kodi wants a client? He has to make a deal with Che and Guevara too.
Smart and sassy, they’re my favourite characters in the story, making me marvel and chuckle at their entrepreneurship.
While being a fun story, Gupshup Goes to Prison is also a commentary on the prisons, and I loved the gentle way in which this idea comes through. One line stood out to me in the story. Khalid’s cat Gupshup is lost, and child detective Kodi says, “Imagine your mum punishing you for life if we don’t find Gupshup today.” And that sums it up. Sometimes, a mistake is a mistake. A criminal mistake, but a mistake.
Set in an open prison in Rajasthan, Gupshup Goes to Prison invites us to look at prisons differently, even as we follow a cat that, of course, doesn’t belong in a prison at all.
| Title | Gupshup Goes to Prison |
| Author | Arefa Tehsin |
| Tags | hOle book, chapter book, humour |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4.5 |
| Age-group | 7+ |
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