Diving For Pearls by Jamie O’Connell

Synopsis
A young woman’s body floats in the Dubai marina. Her death alters the fates of six people, each one striving for a better life in an unforgiving city.

A young Irish man comes to stay with his sister, keen to erase his troubled past in the heat of the Dubai sun. A Russian sex worker has outsmarted the system so far – but will her luck run out? A Pakistani taxi driver dreams of a future for his daughters. An Emirate man hides the truth about who he really is. An Ethiopian maid tries to carve out a path of her own. From every corner of the globe, Dubai has made promises to them all. Promises of gilded opportunities and bright new horizons, the chance to forget the past and protect long-held secrets.

But Dubai breaks its promises, with deadly consequences. In a city of mirages, how do you find your way out?

Review

Diving for Pearls is the debut novelfrom Irish author Jamie O’Connell, and is set in the glitz and glamour that is Dubai. When a young woman is found floating in the Marina in Dubai, the ripples spread out to touch the lives of seven very different people in Dubai and in Dublin. Told from the points of view of seven different characters this is part thriller, part contemporary fiction, that raises many questions of people trafficking, race and the power of the rich.

Dubai is synonymous with money, luxury, the elite and opulence, with it’s beautiful beaches, the Burj Khalifia and shopping malls. But what Jamie O’Connell does in Diving for Pearls is show the contrast of two worlds, the glamour and money and those who are brought in to work, do the menial jobs like taxi drivers, builders, maids and sex workers, all through the eyes of seven people, all in some way connected to Dubai and with tenuous links to the murdered woman.

Aasim was brought up in Dubai, the son of a wealthy family, but he couldn’t wait to get away. Now a studying to be surgeon at Dublin University he can finally be himself, and no longer hide his sexuality. Being gay in Dubai is illegal, and could result in death, or prison at the least, but in Dublin he can openly live with his boyfriend. When he is called back to Dubai after the death of his sister, he struggles to tow the family line, he feels like an outsider and tensions rise, all he wants is to go back to Dublin. Joan lives in Cork, but her daughter Siobhan and her husband and children live in Dubai. Siobhan lives a life of luxury, spending money in the malls, lunch and brunch with other ex pats and has a maid to help her look after her two sons. The downside is that her husband works long hours. Joan’s son, Trevor, has a troubled past that is slowly revealed, and goes to stay with Siobhan with the aim of maybe starting a business out in Dubai. Interestingly he showed a lot of compassion towards Gete, Siobhan’s maid, finding it hard to get used to the privileged life his sister lives. Through his eyes we see how the glamour and riches are seen by those new to the city. He is stunned by the amount of money Siobhan spends, the heat and the extravagant lifestyles of her and her friends. Aasim, Siobhan and Trevor are all privilaged in their lives in Dubai, but there is a darker side, and not everything is shiney and bright.

Grete is maid to Siobhan. She was brought into Dubai from Ethiopia with promises of money that she sends home to her family. However, the agency that recruited her took her passport when she came into the country so she can’t go home until her contract has been completed, including money to be paid to the agency. Through Grete we learn that other maids are not treated as well as her, some are beaten or sexually abused by the male in the house. Tahir, like Grete, came to Dubai through an agency, also looking to make money for a better life for his family. He drives a taxi, ferrying the rich around Dubai, and off shift sleeps in a small room with seven other men, sharing a shower and a ring on an oven to make something to eat. The final character is Lydia, a sex worker from Russia. Sex outside marriage is illegal in Dubai, so whilst there is money to be made, there is also fear at being arrested. These characters show the injustice in Dubai, how those who are there to work, non white, not part of the elite, are seen as inferior, an shown no respect by the law or the rich.

Jamie O’Connell really brings to light the trafficking and seedier side of Dubai, something we probably don’t think about when we seen the sun and beautiful architecture. I also thought the irony of Siobhan and her family moving to Dubai for a better life, against Aasim, a native of Dubai wanting to escape to Dublin, very thought provoking; nowhere is perfect. Jamie O’Connell really captures both sides to Dubai, the light and the dark, the good and the bad, in his prose, catching the heady atmosphere Dubai offers, and those who live there. However, I did feel the book was a bit disjointed in parts, the seven points of view not coming together to make a whole story. I also felt that there was a lot of jumping between past and present in the characters stories with no precursor so it got a little confusing. There were also bits just dropped in, like Trevor doing a degree but no mention in what it was, I wanted more from the characters, more information that would have made me connect more. I have to say I didn’t even understand why the actor even appeared in the book as he played no role at all in the story, apart from adding to the idea of Dubai being a playground for the rich and famous.

Overall I did enjoy reading Diving for Pearls. I loved the setting of Dubai, a place I would love to visit, and the two contrasting sides to the city. Jamie O’Connell certainly captured the atmosphere and zeitgeist of Dubai,the luxury and the idea that money can just about buy anything, and the consumerism of the society we now live in. The diversity of the characters, their beliefs, their lifestyles, made for a fascinating read even though I would I have loved to learn more about them. The themes of injustice, discrimination, wealth versus poverty, sexuality and trafficking make for a thought provoking and compelling read. Was the conclusion fitting? I will let you decide.

I would like the thank Doubleday Books and Anne Cater from Ranom things Tours for the invite to the blog tour and my copy of the book in return for my honest review.