Review of Identity Crisis

 

INTERVIEW ADN REVIEW

Today, we have an opportunity to talk to T.K. Kanwar.  T.K. Kanwar has written the book, ‘Identity Crisis’. 

 

First, let me thank you for joining me.  I appreciate you giving me your links and I want to share those with our readers.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NLPX6LJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59821667-identity-crisis

That is great.  Can you tell us a little about yourself and what led you to start writing?

I’ve always been interested in politics and was a staunch liberal until I was 40 years old. But around 2019 or so, I started to notice that the left in both Canada and the United States – and most of Europe for that matter – completely stopped talking about things like creating jobs or supporting families, and instead became almost singularly obsessed with identity politics and the so-called “woke” movement. I’m all for supporting disadvantaged groups (I’m a minority, after all) but I love my country and the things that made it great (freedom of speech, a tradition of civil governance, true equality under the law, etc.) and as I saw the rising vitriol against certain groups (notably whites, males, and Christians) in the mainstream media and particularly in the realm of entertainment, I started to wonder what the heck was going on. ‘Identity Crisis’ is an attempt to figure that out and offers…let’s call it…an educated guess as to why this all might be happening, and does so in the form of what I hope will be a very engaging story for readers.    

Are there particular dystopian or political novels that inspire you? 

My favorite books are the classic societal dystopian novels with which we’re all familiar: ‘1984’, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘Brave New World’, etc. I think these are truly some of the boldest works in all of literary history. When a novel takes on the biggest issues facing us and our place in the world (e.g. where we might be headed, what kind of society we might have in the future, etc.) if that’s done right – I don’t think there’s a better reading experience possible.    

 

What is the best advice you have ever been given as a writer?

“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” It’s particularly helpful for me because I have a difficult time letting go of my work for fear I could improve a sentence with one word. Often (though not always), the changes aren’t as significant as I make them out to be.

How many hours a day do you write?

I find I can write about 3-4 hours a day before the law of diminishing returns sets in. In actuality, I will write for 4-6 hours on many days, but a couple of those hours are spent just editing and fine-tuning the bulk of what I wrote in the first few hours. Practical concerns (eye pain, neck pain) from spending so much time at my computer play a big role, and frankly prevent any real marathon sessions.   

What does literary success look like to you?

Engaging those of like mind and perspective to speak about the issues in my book and to try and have us all figure out what’s going on. While it’s my job as a writer to try and craft an original and interesting narrative, the problems faced by my characters are things many of us can relate to. They are issues we are all facing, and so my writing is an attempt to: (a) entertain and engage; but also (b) bring others who may be feeling the same way out of their shells.   

 

Please tell us about your current release.

 ‘Identity Crisis’ is a look at one possible outcome of our current unrelenting progressive cultural drift, and the long-term implications it could have on society and western civilization at large. Issues that used to be considered perfectly acceptable domains for civil discussion (immigration, cultural preservation) are explored in the story, which takes place in both Canada and the United States.

 Can you provide us with a small exert? 

Nolan: “I worry about where things are headed.”

“Where do you think things are headed?” Sam asked.

“Well, where this all leads . . . is in the complete demise of the concept of the individual, which was a very important principle in Western thought. It inspired a lot of the rights we have today. Namely, that we should all be treated equally regardless of race, gender, orientation, or anything of the sort.”

[…]

“But how does all this stop?” Sam asked. “How do we get back to a merit-based system where equality is cherished, no one is overlooked, and everyone is given the same opportunity? Where certain people aren’t viewed as the enemy because of the way the world was fifty years ago?”

 What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

‘All Thy Sons’ by my friend and colleague, K.M. Breakey.

 

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Consider giving ‘Identity Crisis’ a look. It was my goal to approach certain social and cultural issues very candidly to give the reader the most engaging experience possible, and to match the seriousness of our times. I hope your readers find the book worthwhile.

Finally, I would like to thank you, Jerry, as well as all your readers for taking the time to read this interview.

 

I appreciate that. We do what we can to support Indie authors. One more time, where can someone go to purchase your book?

 ON AMAZON

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NLPX6LJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59821667-identity-crisis

 

---- MY REVIEW AS FOUND ON AMAZON AND GOODREADS -----

An analysis of modernity through fictional characters. The story starts with a “To Whom It May Concern” letter written out of Russia from the 80’s. It is a quick read and lays out the path to collapse nations such as Canada and the USA could encounter. It sets up the true start of the novel in 2025 with Sam first, then Jennifer, then a host of other characters. I particularly connected with Jennifer’s religious background, conservative upbringing, and how it played into her character development as she was finally free from the “shackles” of her childhood at New York University. I also connected to Sam as he underwent anti-racism training, something my work mandated recently as well. Sam and Jennifer’s experience do, indeed, reflect much of common culture and our political trend to the left. There are minor characters such as Cindy, with a Vietnamese background, who give warnings of where USA and Canada may go but there are equally as many actual turns in the story predicting a future America and Canada. I appreciated the inclusion (not surprising based on the name of the book) of our often too available information. In particular, I enjoyed the section where Nolan is called to meet someone who knows information he has not even shared with his wife. They have all access from his medical diagnosis to the coming weather report in Vancouver… “don’t forget to bring an umbrella.” I also appreciated the character’s who take a stand, one example being Jennifer whose kid is given a book at school representing revisionist history.

At times the story felt more a political news article than work of fiction. But that is really the point. The world the author uses is not one of make believe. It is in fact the one of reality.