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Under the Bakula Tree

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Buy At: Amazon   Pages: 55 Author : Prasannakumary Raghavan Genre : Fiction Format : eBook Publisher : Self-published on Amazon KDP Book Blurb: Sorrowful, traumatic, and intensely romantic,  Under the Bakula Tree , set in Kerala , is the story of a widow tormented by patriarchal traditions. A mother of two, she finds love again, but as a widow, it is forbidden. Then something happens; a sisterhood turns a corner, ready to take up her challenge. They meet under an old Bakula tree, where Sara finds the secrets to find love again. My Review: 'Under the Bakula Tree' is a short story on female friendship, sisterhood and resilience in the face of the world.  In the heart of this narrative lies the intertwined destinies of three remarkable women. Leading the trio is Sara, a resilient widow and devoted mother of two, who confronts societal barriers head-on in her quest to rediscover her self-assurance and independence. Yet, her path is fraught with challenges; in a society that scrutin

Mad Sisters of Esi

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·         Publisher ‏ : ‎  HarperCollins India (29 September 2023) ·         Language ‏ : ‎  English ·         Paperback ‏ : ‎  424 pages ·         Genre : Fantasy ·         Buy At : Amazon   Book Blurb: Myung and Laleh are keepers of the whale of babel. They roam within its cosmic chambers, speak folktales of themselves, and pray to an enigmatic figure they know only as 'Great Wisa'. To Laleh, this is everything. For Myung, it is not enough. When Myung flees the whale, she stumbles into a new universe where shapeshifting islands and ancient maps hold sway. There, she sets off on an adventure that is both tragic and transformative, for her and Laleh. For at the heart of her quest lies a mystery that has confounded scholars for centuries: the truth about the mad sisters of Esi. Fables, dreams and myths come together in this masterful work of fantasy by acclaimed author Tashan Mehta, sweeping across three landscapes, and featuring a museum of collective memory a

SimSim By Geet Chaturvedi

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  ·         Publisher ‏ : ‎  Penguin (6 February 2023); Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd. ·         Language ‏ : ‎  English ·         Hardcover ‏ : ‎  296 pages ·         Buy At         : Amazon   Book Blurb: Old Basar Mal remembers his love and homeland that he lost in Sindh, Pakistan during the Partition. A young graduate gets into an imaginary relationship with a girl at a yellow window. The Mumbai land mafia is after Basar Mal and his library. A chatty book cover relates the plight of books. A silent Mangan's ma washes and feeds a plastic doll she thinks is her son. Poignantly written by Geet Chaturvedi, a major Hindi writer, and beautifully translated by Anita Gopalan, Simsim is a struggle between memory, imagination, and reality- an exquisitely crafted book that fuses the voices of remarkable yet relatable characters to weave a tale of seeking happiness, fulfilling passion, and reconciling with loss. Simsim is charming, and wonderfully original.   Book Re

Strange stories of Cults - A List

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1. Wild Wild Country 2. Midsommar / Wicker Man - Read more here 3. The Family Upstairs - Read Book Review here 4. Offering to the storms ( Baztan Trilogy) - Read more here 5. House of Secrets : The Burari Deaths 6. The Jonestown Massacre - Jim Jones who led a mass suicide of 900+ people. 7. Under the banner of heaven This post is a part of  Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023 .  

Jorasanko by Aruna Chakravarti

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I first heard of this novel in a BooksOnToast show on their YouTube channel. And I'm so glad I did.  Spanning four generations of Tagore (Thakur) family in Bengal, from 1823 to 1902, this book is a very unique experience. It is especially the life stories of the daughters-in-law and the daughters of the Tagore family - their world and their perspectives.  There's the din and bustle of a joint family household, where the everyday chores are an elaborate affair, and I could relate to it all. A palatial mansion which was home to the little child brides from their pre teen years till their death. They almost lived their entire lives here. Difficult to imagine. Aruna Chakravarti brings alive the era, the inception of the Brahmos, the new religion, the changing laws of the land, and the various members of the Tagore family who influenced the Bengali culture and tradition a great deal with their written word. Satyendranath who wrote plays to be enacted for the public, Swarnakumari who

Meghalaya Through Stories

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  I have long been fascinated with Shillong. Rather Meghalaya as a whole. Introduced to it through Janice Pariat’s books – ‘Nine Chambered Heart’ , ‘Boats on Land’ , and ‘Everything the Light Touches’ . In her stories it seems a far-off land, deep in culture, myths and folklores, where people speak such a different tongue. The oral tradition of storytelling there has long enchanted me, of how mountains came to be, those fireside narrations and gatherings in winter nights. I long to visit the rolling hills, the forests, the sacred groves, the clean waters of Dawki river, the idyllic villages, and the numerous roadside waterfalls in the state. Through ‘Name Place Animal Thing’ I was introduced to how the childhood and the school life of a teenage girl looks like in Shillong. The author, Daribha Lyndem, has put the tale so simplistically, like a collection of memories from days past. And recently through numerous blogs by Cheryl Rhyn, I was again fascinated by so many local tales the

On Stranger Things

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  Firstly, I cannot help but be jealous of these kids who get to live such a happening and adventurous childhood. I love the pre-internet era. All romanticism got lost once internet came into picture. But yes I mean they did perfect with the setting, the fashion of that time, those trending hairdos, and it is such fun to frolic around with your buddies. Going to the shopping mall was such an occasion, such fun. Eating ice-creams scoop after scoop, playing games, just goofing around in your bicycle in forested suburbs, such privilege. Not a lackluster everyday affair that it has become now.   Like we millennials had Harry Potter while growing up, GenZ has Stranger Things, is what I feel. Thanks to newsletters from Resh, I have come to appreciate the middle-grade books, as well as movies. When we had things to wonder about, and seek wonderment. I miss that phase of life. Reality and adulthood aren’t half as interesting as what these kids do in these 4 seasons. Friendships, secrets, bru

Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju

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