Radhika Jha
From Shibu Mondal, the physically challenged beggar with a dark past, to Sushila, the child-wife who weaves colourful dreams from a pile of garbage and hopes for a bright future unlike hers for her yet to be conceived child, the author takes the reader through a maze of emotions. A freak episode involving an elephant and a Maruti car affects someone totally unrelated. The slow build-up to communal violence where living, thinking people become nameless, mindless mobs; the story of the young girl fascinated by the idea of beauty provides a heady concoction with glimpses into many worlds. The author uses language brilliantly, keeping it simple and to the point. The narrative is taut and crisp, but there is always an undercurrent of passion in her stories – a passion for life, for the city of Delhi, and for the common man who rises above all odds and comes up trumps.
This collection enhances Radhika Jha’s reputation as a writer of sensory and philosophical power.
Sales
- Penguin India
- Arena Holland
- Neri Pozza Italy
- Editions Philippe Picquier France
- Dom Quixote Portugal
- Defne Yayinevi Turkey
Material: finished copies (243pp)