Book Review: The D'Costa Family by Rochelle Potkar

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There are a few writers in Bengali literature whose work we await, and one of the foremost amongst them is Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. His writing style has a unique quality: an imaginary place or mansion, many characters, but everyone is equally important. The D'Costa Family by Rochelle Potkar brought me back to that style once more. It is a dark comedy about a very complex family of equally complicated people, the residents of Burgundy House, plotting against one another for supremacy. Frankly, from the cover design, I was thinking it would be a funny book that I would spend reading, laughing loudly. Yes, I laughed and added to it; I also shuddered at times and often gritted my teeth, and that is the surprise element of this story. 

About the Book

The powerful Don, Theodore D'Costa, breathes his last, leaving his vast empire to his eldest son, Pedro, much to the disliking of his widow, Rita. Even Pedro's own wife, Annette, has her eyes on owning everything. In the game of thrones, some hidden dirty secrets are unearthed. What happens at the end? Who succeeds and who loses all is what unfolds, step by step.


About the Author

Rochelle Potkar is a multiple Award-winning poet and author from Mumbai. A writer-in-residence at the University of Iowa's International Writing Programme, she had also been a Charles Wallace Writer's fellow at the University of Sterling, Scotland. Her latest book, The Fabric Goddesses, came out in March, 2026. Her work has been translated into various international languages. Her contributions to literature across various genres are an inspiration to writers.

Here are her Social Media handles:

Blog: https://rochellepotkar.com/about/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rochellepotkar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.potkar

X: https://x.com/rochellepotkar


The Synopsis

Rita D'Costa, the recently widowed wife of the dreaded Don, Theodore, has plans to take over his empire, ruled from Burgundy House, from their eldest son, Pedro. But she is not the only one to conspire. Many people are plotting against one another to seize the vast empire. Some canned secrets are opened up, leading to more complications. People's identities and intentions are revealed in the process. 

Review of The D'Costa Family

The best factor about reading the book was that it was a learning experience. Each and every aspect of the story, from the atmosphere and setup to the house's characteristics and every character, has been created with great precision and detail. One can picture even the minutest detail of the scenes, like a movie setup. The author has masterfully applied her screenwriting experience in every chapter. 

The humour is subtle most of the time, except in a few scenarios, such as when numerous murderous plots against Pedro were foiled by something or other, turning the book into a great dark comedy. The hidden frustrations and motives of each character, sometimes revealed slowly, do not appear in the initial introductory passages. The real characters unfold chapter by chapter as the story progresses, adding to its sense of mystery. But the author has made sure to give equal emphasis to all the characters, so that each one's participation gets significance. 

The D'Costa Family is an entertaining read about a very dysfunctional family, with shocking disclosures of apathy towards one another in every chapter. Each character is flawed, each seeking vengeance. A must-read for dark-comedy lovers.  

The book is available on Amazon

This review is a part of the ECM Blog Hop's Book Review Programme hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed 

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