Matters of the heart amid petty politics

Set in today’s British labour union party politics, renowned author Sunjeev Sahota’s The Spoiled Heart brings the readers face-to-face with the struggles of common working-class folks and the issues faced by women, migrants and people of colour. The male protagonist, Nayan Olak, a down to earth man of Indian descent, has been promised the general secretary’s post in Britain’s largest labour union. He is determined to make society a better place to live. Nayak is someone who scaled the ranks after putting years of service in the labour union. His solidarity lies firmly with the ‘working class’ folks in the UK. Nayan’s opponent is a young and dynamic well-heeled woman Megha Sharma, who is a formidable force in her own right.

Nayan’s loyalty to the party after decades of service despite personal tragedies is known to the people in his hometown of Chesterfield. Two decades ago, Nayan’s mother and son died

in a horrific fire that engulfed his parent’s shop and the

small apartment above it where they lived. The tragedy left a void in Nayan’s life because soon after the accident his wife too walked out on him, leaving him all alone to take care of his old father, who suffers from dementia.

The author cleverly makes the narrator Sajjan Dhanoa recount all these events. Sajjan, a talented writer lived in Chesterfield close to Nayan’s house and has seen him grow up right from his student days. As the poll fervor picks up, the political barbs between Nayan and Megha’s supporters become ugly and personal. To make matters worse, Nayan is still haunted by the fire incident and is unable to put a closure. He wonders if it was arson by some thugs or a racist attack by someone. His only solace is Helen Fletcher, who has moved back into her old house in Chester-field town with her teenage son, Brandon. Nayan is attracted to her. They grow closer and he starts a relationship with her. He feels that their pasts may be linked to each other in some way. However, there is a lot at stake, especially Nayan’s political career. As an Anglo-Indian, he is likely to become the

first non-White general secretary in Britain’s largest labor union. But one wrong move and all his dreams will come crashing down.

The Spoiled Heart is a multi-layered contemporary story with brilliant well-etched characters, who literally jump out of the pages, surprise you, and then slip back into their daily lives, effortlessly!