City of Joy,\" by Dominique Lapierre. Specifically,

¶ … City of Joy," by Dominique Lapierre. Specifically, it will study the underlying message of hope and love that permeates the book, and how such a devastating life can be a "city of joy" to the slum dwellers in Calcutta.

CITY OF JOY lesson of hope and faith for the world."

Pope John Paul II

Author Dominique Lapierre researched this book by living with the people of India, and the people who try to help them for three years. His experiences come to life in this moving book, and even more importantly, the royalties of the book are all donated to a relief group to aid those who live in Anand Nagar, or "The City of Joy."

Through royalties generated from Lapierre's international bestsellers, The City of Joy, Beyond Love and A Thousand Suns, through lecture fees, and donations from readers, the organization has rescued 9,000 children suffering from leprosy and other diseases due to malnutrition and poverty; suppressed tuberculosis in 1,200 villages; dug 541 tube wells for drinking water; provided medical assistance to over 5 million patients in the last 10 years; and taught the women of a thousand villages to read and write (CityofJoyaid.org).

Critics have called "A City of Joy" one of the most important books on the culture and sociology of India. The "Washington Post Book World" said, "Some of its moments may stay with the reader forever. This book contains great lessons of resilience and dignity, and of what is really important when life is paired down to its essence" (Lapierre, introduction). From the opening page, the reader understands this beautifully written book will celebrate the culture and beliefs of the Indians, as well as show their abject poverty, and the horrible conditions of the slums in Calcutta. Yet, even from the beginning, it is apparent this is not a story of despair, but of hope, and of love. "Then he heard the old peasant murmur, as if to himself, 'Coal doesn't change it's color when you wash it. What can't be cured must be endured'" (Lapierre 6). This is the theme of these resilient people, and one of the reasons this book is so haunting. It tells the story of people who endure, no matter what.

This is a story of people who are used to hardships, and have learned how to deal with them through courage and good humor. Rather than bemoan the loss of everything he had worked so hard to obtain, Prodip Pal revels in the joy of his sons. "What a blessing those sons were" (Lapierre 7)! This is the central conception to the book, and one from which everyone can learn important lessons. These people do not feel sorry for themselves - rather they revel in the joys they can find, because they "shared in a communal world and respected its social and religious values, maintaining the ancestral traditions and beliefs" (Lapierre 45). This is why the decrepit slum is called "The City of Joy." It is more than clear they are poor, but they are happy, and it becomes a joy to read about it, even though many of their experiences are quite simply unspeakable.

The author does not look at the topic through rose-colored glasses; he shows the abject poverty in enormous and memorable detail. He tells of how he stood in line for three hours, along with residents, to use a latrine also used by 2,500 other slum residents. He later said about his experiences, "At the heart of this hell, I found more heroism, more love, more sharing, more joy and ultimately more happiness than in many a city in our affluent West" (Editor 334). There are glaring descriptions of women undergoing illegal operations, leper clinics destroyed for the lack of funds to provide "protection" money, and natural disasters that destroy areas of the slum, leaving dirt, excrement, and human bodies to decay in the hot sun. Children are abducted; families are torn apart and forced to beg in the streets for a bit of food. It is a disturbing book, and yet there is always a message of hope and love that carries it through. Neighbors still help neighbors, and there is a never-ending religious culture that helps these people endure through the worst of their experiences.

In these slums people actually put love and mutual support into practice. They knew how to be tolerant of all creeds and castes, how to give respect to a stranger, how to show charity toward beggars, cripples, lepers, and even the insane. Here the weak were helped, not trampled upon. Orphans were instantly adopted by their neighbors and old people were cared for and revered by their children (Lapierre 100).

Lapierre also introduces the American doctor, Max Loeb, who leaves his lucrative practice to help the Polish priest, Stephan Kovalski, learn more about these poorest of the poor of the world. He ended up living in a 5 by 10 room, and sharing it with Lapierre for a time. The room flooded with raw sewage during monsoon seasons. These men gave up their creature comforts to help people who needed it, and in turn, they all learned more about themselves than they ever thought possible. In turn, their experiences make the reader more aware of the sacrifices they made, and the great strength of these people who seem to all outward appearances to have nothing.