Boo 50-100

I can honestly say I have never been sucked into a work of non-fiction the way I have with Behind the Beautiful Forevers. Boo’s work is actually addictive; she explores the characters so deeply that the reader begins to feel something for them. I felt genuine horror in the final pages of the reading that describe just how far Fatima will go to bring down Abdul’s family. Looking back upon this section, it’s very clear that Boo is staying true to what she set out to do-to describe a reality for the people of this culture. Her intent wasn’t to make us feel sorry for them, although feeling upset for their condition is a side emotion that comes along with the apt details of the book, but to say look: Here’s how it is, and here’s WHAT it is, and you’re going to finally understand as well as you can without being there. Her perseverance in piecing this story together is obvious, and in this instance I believe secondary sources aren’t necessary for her purpose. They would only distract from the flow of the narrative, making the book less impactful. This is not to say that secondary sources are not helpful; they would certainly add a layer of factuality onto the stories Boo is telling, and are a good way of creating a certain bond of trust between the reader and the author. But Beautiful Forevers already has that, through Boo’s meticulous writing and research.