Mauritius

Silent winds, dry seas by Vinod Busjeet

Silent winds, dry seas was written by Vinod Busjeet in 2021. Set on the tiny island nation of Mauritius, this debut novel follows the life of Vishnu, a descendent of Indian “coolies” – i.e., slaves – who is determined to make a better life for himself through education. Beginning in the 1950’s, Vishnu watches his island home brave the pangs of independence, the turmoil of Cyclone Carol, and the government corruption that almost prevented him from obtaining his dream of an education abroad.

Vinod Busjeet was born in Mauritius, and moved to the United States in 1971 as a student at Wesleyan University. Today, he holds degrees from Wesleyan University, New York University, and Harvard University. Busjeet has held various jobs in “economic development, finance, and diplomacy,” as well as briefly teaching high school on his home island of Mauritius. Silent winds, dry seas is his first novel. He currently lives and works in Washington, D.C.

• Aberbach, K. (2021, September 10). From Uncommon Journeys, Universal Truths: An Interview with Vinod Busjeet ’73. Wesleyan University Magazine. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from http://magazine.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2021/09/10/from-uncommon-journeys-universal-truths-an-interview-with-vinod-busjeet-73/.

• BBC News. (2020, June 30). Mauritius Country Profile. BBC News. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13882233.

• Bhatt, J. (2021, August 19). This surprising debut takes readers to a crossroads of empires and cultures. NPR. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1029112040/this-surprising-debut-takes-readers-to-a-crossroads-of-empires-and-cultures.

• Busjeet, V. (2021). Silent Winds, Dry Seas. Doubleday US.

• ontheworldmap.com. (n.d.). Mauritius location on the world map. Mauritius location on the World Map. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://ontheworldmap.com/mauritius/mauritius-location-map.html.

• UK Parliament. (n.d.). Cyclone damage in Mauritius. CYCLONE DAMAGE IN MAURITIUS (Hansard, 17 March 1960). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1960/mar/17/cyclone-damage-in-mauritius.

• Vinod Busjeet: Penguin random house. PenguinRandomhouse.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2240594/vinod-busjeet/.