by Nicole Yurcaba
Every now and then a press chooses to publish a book that not only possesses the power to bring that press to the world’s attention but also holds the potential to transform literature. In the poetry genre, Astrophil Press did that when it published Steve Von Till’s metaphysical poetry collection Harvestman. However, how often does a press do that in both poetry and fiction? Rarely, and yet, Astrophil Press has found yet another glistening gem in the figurative coal mine of literature, this time in fiction. In Murzban F. Shroff’s Waiting for Jonathan Koshy, readers discover the Beverly Hells of Mumbai, the heart of Pali Hill, where four friends await the return of their friend Jonathan, a man exiled from his home state. Through their conversations, readers learn of Jonathan’s tumultuous life–his pranks, his ordeals, his larger-than-reality bold personality. Most importantly, readers learn about the priceless nature of friendship, perseverance, and loyalty and the few chances at redemption life offers.
Through their memories, Jonathan’s friends shape the story of not only Jonathan’s life, but also theirs. However, the friends’ recollections are the only access to the seemingly mythical Jonathan that readers have. While many of Jonathan’s stunts–such as single-handedly reporting a gambling den and abusing the identity of a wealthy man at a swanky club–might seem reckless, these stunts are, essentially, what make Jonathan human and endear him to his friends and to readers. Jonathan’s friends are keen, observant, noting the “sadness, wistful sadness” and “heavy lassitude” that “crept into his eyes and speech.” They carefully deconstruct Jonathan’s “reluctance to return home” after Jonathan’s father leaves Jonathan’s mother. The friends’ portrayal of Jonathan’s brokenness, along with their philosophical acknowledgements like “Life was his parent and Pain his teacher” grant readers access to not only Jonathan’s vulnerability, but also the friends’ vulnerability. It is at these points that Waiting for Jonathan Koshy possesses the transforming, meditative power of books like The Billionaire and The Monk.
Nonetheless, Waiting for Jonathan Koshy isn’t merely an exploration of one man’s fallibilities and how those fallibilities are his most endearing, memorable qualities. It’s also a nostalgic novel, one that like poetry collections such as Mary Biddinger’s Department of Elegy, reminds readers of the true emotional and mental shaping one undergoes during adolescence, youth, and young adulthood. This is most evident in the novel’s seventh chapter, where the narrator makes a profoundly haunting observation: “It occurred to me why youth was so important to us, why we were allowed our days of exploration. Simply because much of later life–devoted to matters of survival–sustains on the euphoria of youth.” The narrator also observes, “And Jonathan was youth on call. To him we were indebted. All the inspiration came from him. So also the fun, the madness.” The narrator’s statements create an intense longing for more of the friends’ recollections and for more of Jonathan’s passion and intensity. At this point, the novel begins its decrescendo as the friends continue their wait, their remembrance, and the friends’ strong longing and nostalgia flood readers and carry them into the subsequent chapters.
One of the novel’s most beautiful passages is its penultimate paragraph. Here, the narrator reflects, “It was a good life, after all, I thought. Even if things did not manifest as they should, when they should.” The narrator reminds readers that for life to unfold as it should, it can take years, “because truth was all wrapped up in other stuff–darkness, doubts, and individual longings, the fury of non-attainment, essentially.” The narrator then leaves readers with a profound statement:
…sometimes the realization came when you least expected it, making you sit up and savor it better, simply because it was hard-earned, because it came at the end of a long journey, and then that realization had the power to make everyone happy, make them forget what the reality had once been.
The novel’s true message becomes clear by its end: it’s life’s ride–the wildness and the turbulence–that create the adventure and the memories, but it’s during the wait when truth reveals itself.
Waiting for Jonathan Koshy is a valuable lesson about patience, loyalty, friendship, and the undeniable force known as memory. It’s a book about personal passions and desires. It’s philosophical, but more significantly, it’s soulful and reflective, a gentle reminder about how so often the family we keep is the family we form ourselves.
About the Reviewer
Nicole Yurcaba (Ukrainian: Нікола Юрцаба) is a Ukrainian-American poet and essayist. Her poems and essays have appeared in The Atlanta Review, The Lindenwood Review, Whiskey Island, Raven Chronicles, Appalachian Heritage, North of Oxford, and many other online and print journals. Nicole holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University, is the recipient of a July 2020 Writing Residency at Gullkistan, Creative Center for the Arts in Iceland, and is a Tupelo Press June 2020 30 for 30 featured poet. Her poetry collection Triskaidekaphobia is forthcoming Black Spring Group in 2022. She teaches poetry workshops for Southern New Hampshire University and works as a career counselor for Blue Ridge Community College.
