The blurb for The East Indian states that this is one for anyone who enjoyed works by Esi Edugyan and Yaa Gyasi. I think it would be more accurate to pair The East Indian with Edugyan's Washington Black than Gyasi's works, considering that both focus on a boy of color coming of age in North America who have a knack for the sciences. Charry similarly wrote with great detail and care to unveil her protagonist's experiences as an "East Indian" (i.e., South Asian) indentured servant in colonial Jamestown.

I thought Charry navigated race and, to a lesser extent, class in seventeenth-century Virginia rather well. With regard to race, it was made clear that Tony's positionality is somewhat of a unique one, as he is neither Black nor white, but a result of having darker skin, is still deemed "lesser" by the English. Throughout the novel, Tony reflects on this positionality in a way that never came off as didactic or preachy, but clearly recognized the significant influence this had in his interactions with everyone.

I did find the novel to be a bit unevenly paced, but not in a way that took away from the overall reading experience. Ultimately, I really appreciate that Charry took time to craft a story focusing on oft-unheard voices in colonial America. Whether this was her intention or not, I found it rather illuminating to step back and reflect on the global movements of peoples for centuries.