 |
An imposing figure even at sixty-five, Terry Johnson’s stay in the Lion City is punctuated by a disturbing conversation with his cab driver, Sammy. That is when Terry first learns about baby spirits and feels compelled to take action to bring down the entire system. Having been imprisoned and allegedly committing harrowing crimes himself, Terry’s success in the aviation industry is in large part due to having met Belinda, his wife. Although the narrative journeys through Belinda meeting Terry for the first time at the train station, the driving force behind the novel is Terry’s resolve to unearth dark truths about illegal abortion that have been perpetuated for centuries.
Blackwood’s visceral description of baking a newborn baby in the sun while chanting occurs is haunting. In fact, it could spur audiences into an outcry against the belief that by killing these babies, these perpetrators are snatching their spirits to obey their every command. Interestingly, the author conveys the traditional beliefs of Buddhism and its focus on suffering and penance as a pathway to nirvana. This working understanding of Buddhism, when juxtaposed with the atrocities committed by the Kuman Thong, a group consisting of witch doctors embedded into the fabric of Thailand’s society, is gut-wrenching.
Terry, along with his monk friends and mercenary allies from Greece, are unyielding in thwarting what the Kuman Thong have planned for August 21st and pulling the veil off humanity’s most vile vices. As the story progresses, characters like Sherine, an adult worker, depict how helpless one can become at the altar of the almighty dollar. Yet, the idea of paying women to become pregnant or already pregnant women to give up their babies early in return for a significant sum of cash is not only illegal but speaks to humanity’s penchant to cross every boundary of being human.