An Absence of Squirrels is the fictional account of a small island called ‘Thutta’. Katli, a young girl, lives on the island with her family. To cope with the challenges of life, Katli is taught by her father to adopt different roles for brief periods of time. Various versions of Katli are shy, timid, confident and adventurous. Responding to the moment, Katli selects the role that she wants to play to face the situation. She feels most comfortable around her parents and her friend Abhay. In interacting with her school friends, she comes across repeated mention of the Captain of the island being their protector and an overarching authority. Nobody is allowed to leave the island, unless they decide not to return.
Tracing the mystery of copper hats that buzz over people, making them forget their memories, Katli and Abhay come across a page in the library that talks about squirrels that had earlier existed on the island. They realize that on the Captain’s orders, anyone speaking the word ‘squirrel’ is met with a bronze hat. The children of the island join together to overturn the somewhat tyrannical Captain. The people of the island establish new rules and develop a more open society.
The story incorporates elements of magical realism and dystopian fiction. The book is marked appropriate for children ten years and above. The illustrations are suitable and the print quality and language are also suited for the age group.
The reference to how Katli’s various personalities handle situations will be meaningful to readers. Katli’s realization that she does not need to switch between personalities and can be herself around people who love her unconditionally (her parents and her friend Abhay) is an important insight. The story also brings to fore the complexities of friendships among children. With parental intervention, children are sometimes forced to break friendships. At other times, small fights can lead to distance. Many of these conflicts are resolved, and children demonstrate resilience in rebuilding friendships.
For an informed reader, the references to absolute authoritarianism and what it can possibly do to society, hold significance. What happens when you defy the authority who believes in punishing difference of opinion? What happens to the person in a position of authority? How do closed societies impact the lives of people? Some of these questions can be part of discussions that children can engage with.
Aparna Kapur’s storytelling takes the reader to a world of imagination. It is a reminder that imagination, books, and education are tools of resistance against oppression. Squirrels in this book are symbols of histories erased from collective unconscious. Silencing of truths to serve the tyrant’s purpose needs to be challenged— on Thutta, and beyond. The book is much more than a children’s tale. It serves as a mirror to contemporary social structures and is a reminder of the possible consequences of erasure of memories, and creating false imagery, in the absence of resistance.