Shenaz Patel
by Shanta Lee
The Maroons, a novel silenced 180 years ago, in 1844, has adopted our time—the year 2024—as its new era. The book—and the occasion—calls to mind these oft-quoted words, reiterated by Lucille Clifton: “I come to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.”
Mauritian author Shenaz Patel brings the story of the displaced Chagossian people to life with a keen journalist’s eye and fiery prose, gracefully translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman. Here, we’re honored to share with you her forceful afterword, which provides all of the history you need to understand their struggle and the “past that is not yet past.”
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