Defector (book)
| File:DefectorEnglish.png Front cover of the English translation of Defector | |
| Author | Tao James |
|---|---|
| Country |  Namor |
| Language | Namorese, English, other languages |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Media type | Print (paperback, hardcover) E-book |
Defector (Namorese: Пандодже) is an autobiography written by Nantai defector Tao James. It was written in NMR 2357 on the 20th anniversary of Tao's widely covered defection from Luziycan-controlled Nantai to West Namor as a soldier of the Luziycan Armed Forces.
Plot
Before the first chapter begins, there is a preface from Tao. In it, he says that he decided to write this autobiography after he was encouraged by his wife Chin Ya and many other people who wanted to know more about his life prior to defection.
Tao noted that he was initially hesitant to do so, but finally agreed. "These days, there are many articles coming from the Constitution and the National Enquirer that garble my life. I wrote this book to tell them - 'This is my life; you can see my life your way, but I'm going to see my life my way."
The autobiography begins with Tao's birth and his experience growing up in Kenyen while the Green Fever was ongoing and Namo-East Luziycan tensions were considerably high. It then details how Tao underwent an identity crisis as he was torn between seeing himself as Luziycan and Namorese. He finally considered himself as a Namorese in the aftermath of the Vulan Incident and the Third Namo-Luziycan War, which led to his ultimate defection in January 3, NMR 2337. The autobiography ends with Tao's new life after defection and what he plans on doing for the remainder of his life. He became friends with other Nantainese who had similar experiences. He joined the Liberationist Party of Namor. At the time of writing, Tao had resigned from the party and was an independent.
Tao explained in the end of the book that many of the names featured in Defector were pseudonyms because he didn't want to reveal the identities of the characters, which would expose his relatives and friends in Nantai to harassment from Luziycan authorities. He added that some of his acquaintances were identified by the government and "have either gotten new identities or were thrown into jail. Even I don't know where they are to this day."
Reception
Upon its publication, Defector became a bestseller. It was the best-selling book in Namor for twenty weeks and remained the best-selling autobiography for years. An editorial by The Liberator gave Defector a "10/10," calling it "perhaps the most riveting account of one of the very few who chose to give up everything in the pursuit of truth and one's identity." Book review magazine Shuji said in its Reactions column that "Not all people in Nantai share the same views as the defector Tao James, but nonetheless this autobiography exposes just how interesting his life was and is."
In Luziyca, Defector was released, but due to Son of Sam laws in effect within many regions including Nantai, all profits from the book generated within Luziyca were given to the relatives of the soldier who was murdered when he defected to Namor in 1997. It was a bestseller in Nantai for three weeks, with a critic saying "it provides a refreshing glimpse of what he was thinking when he betrayed our country."