 | |
| Author | Susan Palwick |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Stephan Martiniere |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction, Speculative fiction |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
Publication date | October 1, 2005 |
| Pages | 320 pages |
| ISBN | 978-0765310972 |
The Necessary Beggar is an adult science fiction novel written by Susan Palwick. Published on October 1, 2005 by Tor Books, it is the author's second novel. The book received the Alex Award in 2006 [1] and was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award in 2007. [2]
The Necessary Beggar tells the story of alleged murderer Darroti and his family after he is exiled from the city of Lémabantunk in Gandiffri, a paradisaical land built on the central idea of community. Murder is the sole unforgivable crime in this world, and as Darroti is accused of murdering a mendicant (a holy beggar), his crimes are considered particularly egregious. Darroti's family follows him through the glowing doorway that leads to the randomly selected realm of his exile. They emerge at the entrance of an American refugee camp. Unable to speak the language or explain their origins, the family is prohibited from being officially admitted into the country but impossible to deport. The situation is made worse by the heightened xenophobia present in this year 2022 version of America.
Faced with the guilt of his family's exile, Darroti commits suicide to relieve his loved ones of his burden. Rather than be reincarnated in a new form as he would have been in his homeland, he becomes a ghost. To his dismay, his death throws his father into depression and embitters his other family members. He attempts to provide explanation by entering his father's dreams, but his communications are interpreted as nightmares.
Lisa and Stan, camp volunteers and evangelists, help the family adapt to the new culture. Zamatryna, one of Darroti's nieces, is the quickest to adapt thanks to her high intelligence. When a bomb planted by an anti-immigration group explodes in the camp, Lisa helps the family escape under the guise of death. She allows them to live in the home inherited from her mother with the loose promise of payback at a later date.
Zamatryna continues to flourish in school, convinced that education is the only way to make her family's life easier, while the adults acquire work. She meets a boy named Jerry who slowly convinces her to consider her own desires and open up to those who wish to know her. The final push is made by Darroti when he manipulates the dreams of the more susceptible Jerry. Through Jerry, the family discovers that Darroti didn't murder the mendicant; she was in fact his lover, and under the impression that Darroti had been unfaithful, killed herself. With the truth now known, Darroti's spirit is returned to Lémabantunk. Zama and Jerry marry so that she may gain citizenship and sponsor her family.
Publishers Weekly called the novel "a sharp meditation on refugees and displaced persons and a tragicomedy of cultural differences." [3]
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