‘Missy’ by Raghav Rao alters frame of migration

‘Missy’ presents the convoluted reality of a migrant, whose every struggle is not merely a challenge, but a formative experience that contributes to a richer but complex, multifaceted new identity — it is a story of her ‘being’ and ‘becoming’. Though touching the mundane leitmotif of migration to the First World, Raghav Rao’s debut novel is a not-so-compelling exploration of relocation, identity and resilience, centered around the life of Missy, aka Savi, a young Indian orphan servant, who embarks on a life-altering journey to America.

The novel intricately weaves Missy’s personal struggles with the broader themes of forced displacement and the ache to belong, crafting a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. From the outset, Rao immerses the readers into Missy’s world. Growing up at St Ursula’s Convent in Madras, where girls are destined to be nuns or servants, Savi harbours dreams of a life beyond the constraints of her circumstances: “But I don’t think I will be satisfied until I see what’s there.” Thus, Savi’s migration to America serves as the novel’s pivotal moment. Rao impresses the reader with quite a discerning capture of the sudden, chaotic departure of Savi and then his frugal presentation of the vibrant yet harsh realities of her life in the United States. There, Savi, now Missy Royce, is a successful woman and a mother to two young girls, Mansi and Shilpa.

Rao’s prose shines through the depiction of Missy’s navigation and negotiation of the diverse tapestry of lives that converge in the pursuit of her American Dream. The conversations — between the mother and daughters, between the sisters, and Shilpa and her boyfriend — do not merely portray varied human sensibilities, but offer a sort of authenticity to the story. The subtle refinements and shortcomings of life, both Indian and American, are carefully pruned: “He was stuck by how openly the Royce women discussed family problems… This was a window into a more transparent life. In India, you had to be more guarded with information. People treated it like it was worth more.”

A story of migration, ‘Missy’ still reiterates that ‘home’ is not merely a place, but a feeling forged through love, struggle and connection. Even as ‘home’ becomes a complex and elusive concept, the novel evokes this yearning for a sense of belonging, to see home as a site of empowerment, or perhaps even reclaim one’s being — “I’m Savi.” … “There is no Savi.”

There is a perennial temptation of blending in but soon the realisation that you can never escape your past overtakes.

It is ‘A Letter from Raghav’ to the reader at the end of the novel that offers greater perspicacity to his work. As he puts it: “It’s your imagination that brings Missy and her world to life… Each of you therefore creates your own Missy…” It is only then that you replay the story of Missy all over again to realise that it is the acutely nuanced projection of the protagonist’s journey overseas and back to her source that attempts to put ‘Missy’ in a somewhat altered frame of archetypal migration novels. Other than that, ‘Missy’ is, perhaps, a casual read with a predictable storyline.

— The writer teaches at GGDSD College, Chandigarh