Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran

Title: Safe Haven

Author: Shankari Chandran

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Ultimo Press

Published: 1^st May 2024

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Price: $34.99

Synopsis: It was a beautiful evening. The wind gathered speed, lifting the frangipanis from the grove behind him, pink and yellow petals defying gravity. Beyond the trees, hidden by the foliage and rows of towering palm trees, the detention centre slept fitfully in the heavy summer heat. The palms blocked the ocean gust that now swirled around him, filling his lungs with the taste of temple flowers and salt. It reminded him of home. He took a deep breath, stepped off the escarpment and felt the red sand rush up towards him.

After arriving in Australia seeking asylum, Fina dedicates herself to aiding the refugees held in a detention centre at Port Camden, a remote island outpost. Appalled by the mistreatment of those in custody, Fina speaks out to the media about the poor conditions within the facility, as a result she is arrested, taken from her home in the small country town of Hastings and threatened with deportation.

When a security officer dies under suspicious circumstances, Lucky, a special investigator, arrives to uncover the truth. Her mystery is tied to Fina’s fate—and the secrets of the detention centre will divide the town and the nation.

Safe Haven is about displacement and seeking refuge — but ultimately it is a story about finding home — and the lengths you’ll go to find safety and love.

~*~

Refugees coming to Australia on boats has been part of Australia’s history for a long time. So, Shankari Chandran’s 2024 novel, Safe Haven is a timely story. When it opens, we meet Fina, who has come from Sri Lanka as a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee. She’s travelling on a Norwegian ship after the refugee boat sinks. The Galaske is trying to get everyone to safety, and they end up at a detention centre on Port Campbell. Fina however, is living in a small community called Hastings.

When Fina sees how everyone is being mistreated, she’s horrified. But when she speaks out and goes to the media, she’s arrested. She’s forced to leave the country town she’s been living in called Hastings as someone else, and the officials threaten to deport her. But then, a security guard is found dead, and the circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious. Enter Lucky, who has come to investigate everything, and slowly, she uncovers things that have been hidden for a long time. Lucky has secrets of her own, tied to Fina. But the secrets the detention centre has been keeping will divide everyone.

Safe Haven is a mystery with a timely message about seeking refuge, about displacement and about finding safety and a home. Anyone would go to any lengths to save their family in times of need. And we accept it. So why is it different for refugees who have run out of options nearly everywhere? This forms the main story of Shankari’s novel, and the deaths that don’t make sense, that nobody is willing to explain. There are also threads of corruption throughout this novel, hinting at the idea that there’s one set of rules for some people, and another set of rules for someone else. Some people are allowed to have secrets, but others aren’t. Some people are allowed to seek safety, but only if they fit a certain type of person. Or certain expectations.

Everything in this book, from its themes to its plot and its characters reveal that everyone has very human flaws and emotions, and these drive the novel and its complex layers that highlight how everyone deals with things in very different ways. Which feeds into a narrative that has been part of the discussion around refugees in Australia since the early 2000s, the role of offshore detention, and how this led to the outcry surrounded what happened to the Biloela family. It’s all part of something that has bigger implications than many people could ever imagine, because what we see on the news, in our feeds is really only a part of the story, and the part of the story that people in power want everyone to see. It’s curated to ensure people believe what others want us to, rather than giving the people affected a voice.

As the story unfolds, it also becomes clear that this is a story about identity. Specifically, Fina and Lucky’s identities and how people see them, and what everyone sees as acceptable about them. But perhaps what is the most powerful thing about this is that we get to hear the voices of refugees. We get to understand what might drive someone to come across the seas in a rickety SIEV, far from home and hope for safety somewhere new. Somewhere it may be less likely they’ll be tracked down. Safe Haven reflects the diversity of refugees, of the Australian community and of opinions as well, because when it comes to issues that might be divisive and controversial, there are always going to be many stories and opinions. It’s a matter of sorting out what to take on, what is speculation, and identifying the gaps to fill in to ensure as full a story as possible is told.

At first glance, it doesn’t come across as a crime or mystery, and this made it stand out a bit more for me. I was surprised by what I did read, and liked that it navigated everything sensitively, with great thought and ensuring the voices of the people who needed to be heard get a chance to say something. It does have moments of racism to reflect the prevailing attitudes and illustrate why we shouldn’t judge people based on race or circumstance.

It is an important story to hear and read, and one that us made a bit more accessible through fiction. A story that evokes empathy and understanding with an intriguing mystery on the side.