Book in a nutshell: From Mughal courts to modern love, the Male Harem is an immersive tale of acceptance

In his book "The Male Harem: A Dutch Indian Tale of Masculine Love", late Dutch storyteller and novelist Vinco David masterfully weaves together two distinct narratives. A rich historical tale set in the opulence of medieval and a compelling contemporary romance. The first story immerses the reader in the world of early modern India. It is set in a royal palace on the banks of the Yamuna, where an emperor maintained a male harem specifically for love and pleasure, a practice that was tolerated in some Indian regions during that time. These harems who are brought into a life of luxury as slaves live in beautiful surroundings, but are caught in dangerous webs of rivalry and jealousy. In the second modern story, we are introduced to Amir, a young lawyer from India, born and raised in Lucknow, who travels to the Netherlands for a posting at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. He begins his journey of self discovery there. After he meets Sjoerd, a Dutch historian who specializes in South Asian art and culture, his life changes profoundly. Their connection quickly blossoms into a passionate love story. As the book progresses, the duo's relationship faces its most significant hurdle when Amir must persuade his traditional, conservative Indian family to accept his Dutch lover and his new life. After facing rejection from his family, he directs his rage towards his lover. "If I hadn't met Showed, I wouldn't have had to break up with my family. I would've married a decent girl and continued having casual relationships with them. Many people do that these days," he contemplated halfway through the novel. The novel’s most compelling aspect is the ingenious way these two narratives are brought together. The contemporary relationship between Amir and Sjoerd is intertwined with the medieval plot when Sjoerd’s historical research uncovers ancestral connections to the ancient male harem. "I'm discovering a family document. After the rejection I felt...I no longer feel so alone in the family," Amir says after the epiphany that he was related to the emperor. Amir reading the documents which trace his ancestry back to the ancient male harem in front of Sjoerd is my favourite part of the book. Their interactions along with the intriguing storyline of the past make the book an instant page turner. The revelation of a complex, tolerant past plays a crucial role in Amir’s struggle for acceptance in the present. By connecting the love of a royal court centuries ago to modern day gay love which still faces rejection and judgement from society, David crafts a powerful message. A rich tapestry of layered romance about love in all its diversity, the book provides readers with memorable characters and a mystery that bridges continents and time. At its core is the message that love is the most powerful force. As a temporary stint, Amir is posted in Afghanistan while working for the US government. There he meets Rahim, who is also gay. They both share a deep bond and Rahim is broken when he hears that Amir is leaving Afghanistan. While Amir is back with his lover, he receives a letter from Rahim in which he says he wishes to live in a world without fear of his brothers due to his identity. "Someday, who knows...In Shaa Allah". A novel can cause a revolution. In the 19th century, Harriet Beecher-Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin led to the abolition of transatlantic slavery. David hoped that his novel, the first of his three Indian novels, would lead to more acceptance within Indian society. Even amongst animals such as lions, 5 to 15% of the males tend to love each other and have physical relations with one another. While this is not a problem among animals, it is one amongst heterosexual Indians. By not granting gay and bi men full human rights and freedom of lifestyle, we prevent them from blossoming, unlike in the West where openly gay and bi men are great artists, scientists, thinkers and businessmen. Think of Michelangelo’s world-famous works of art in Italy that we Indians admire when traveling to Italy. He was able to make these masterpieces because he could live freely as a man who loved men. Or Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s music, which enriched Russian culture for centuries. Or the British Alan Turing who laid the foundation of modern IT that all of us use nowadays. Maybe somewhere in India today in a small village a new Indian Michelangelo, Tchaikovsky or Turing grows up. Let us enable him to live and love in freedom, so he can create and enrich our nation for centuries to come. I hope this novel leads to more freedom and sexual diversity in our beloved Bharat. Then David would have achieved his goal.