The Man Without Shelter: 4 Stars

I'd like to give a special thank you to Indrajit Garai and Estelle for sharing this book with me.

Summary

The Man Without Shelter by Indrajit Garai takes place just outside of Paris. Arnault, our main character has just been released from a 23 year long imprisonment for a crime of which he was wrongfully accused.

We follow Arnault's journey as he makes his way to Paris in search of the one thing he really wants, a job. However, he soon discovers, with a criminal record, no place to live, and expired documentation, he is at the bottom of a very long list of potential hires.

On a dual timeline, we also meet Lucy, a hungry young lawyer who is eager to quickly move up the ranks at her firm. With the onslaught of immigrants moving into the city and the lack of proper services for the homeless, many people in the city have turned to violence in order to survive. It is one such crime that merges the stories of Arnault and Lucy.

After rescuing Lucy from a near-fatal mugging, Arnault and Lucy become intertwined. Lucy is determined to help Arnault clear his name and Arnault is determined to support the growing homeless population in Paris. Together, the two uncover the dark past and shine a light on the evil undertakings of some of the most violent clans in Paris.

Who Should Read This Book?

While this book is a short and quick read, it is heavy. A lot of this book takes place in the slums and details stories of what many homeless families and communities have to go through.

If you're looking for a light feel good book, this is not the book for you. However, if you're looking for something to expand your mind and bring awareness to issues that are happening not only in Paris but all around the world, then this is your book.

Trigger Warnings

There is violence, mention of rape, suicide, and human trafficking. None of these scenes go into great detail but they are mentioned or alluded to.

My Thoughts/Recommendation

I was a big fan of this book. As I mentioned earlier, it shines a light on the issues surrounding homelessness and the lack of services available to this community. Think about how many times you've heard someone ask "Why don't they just get a job?" Or maybe you've asked this question yourself. Sure, I'm sure there are some homeless people that don't want to bother with getting a job. But for that one person who doesn't, there are many more who do and the system makes it near impossible for them.

They have no home address, and likely any documentation they have is expired or lost. Those two things right there make it nearly impossible to get past the application process, let alone the interview. This is when gangs and clans start to take advantage of those who have no other options for money. We see in the book how these gangs prey on these homeless communities, offering them money and protection if they'll work for them committing crime and violence all so the people at the top of the gangs can keep their hands clean.

I like how Garai highlights in his book the struggle between finding honest work and working for one of the gangs. Every day these people had to make a decision to stay on the straight and narrow path even though that meant less money, more hours, and a slow progression upward.

I'd highly recommend giving this book a read. Indrajit Garai is a wonderful author and does a great job of bringing important issues to light.

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Leah Lawrence