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OFF THE SHELF
Jinnah’s tragic love
V.N. Datta
Ruttie Jinnah: The Story, Told and Untold
by Khwaja Razi Haider. Pakistan Study Centre,
University of Karachi, Karachi. Pages 194. Price not stated.
A
great deal has been written on Jinnah’s role in
the making of Pakistan, but little is known of his private and personal
life. This was because he wrote little, and what he wrote was formal and
a matter of fact. Some of his letters read like telegrams. He wrote no
autobiography or diary, as he had no literary flair. He was reserved,
taciturn and secretive.
Stronger
than the bullet
A.J. Philip
Memory and Identity
Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium Pope John Paul II Rizzoli.
Pages 172. $15.75
PUBLISHERS
can be deceptive. When this book came out early this year, the Pope was
on his deathbed. Many others like me would have been amazed by his
prolixity. They would have recalled his Crossing the Threshold of
Hope, which was an international bestseller. It
was, therefore, with great hope that I picked up the book as soon as it
was available in Chandigarh.
Roots
of unreason
P. K. Vasudeva
Islam 9/11 and Global
Terrorism: A Study of Perceptions and Solutions
Ed: Dr Nazrul Islam. Viva Books, New Delhi Pages
230. Rs 495.
THERE
is a growing misconception among most of the religious communities that
Muslims are becoming terrorists, which may not actually a fact. Though a
large number of terrorist organisations come from the Muslim community,
Muslims as such cannot be branded as terrorists. The Muslims have failed
to keep pace with the advancement in science and technology.
Lending
voice to adopted children
Rajesh Kumar Aggarwal
Adoption in India: Policies and Experiences
by Vinita Bhargava. Sage, New Delhi. Pages 284. Rs 350.
BASED
on the doctoral work of the author, the book discusses the macro
concerns of child development in the light of adoption policies and
describes the micro issues concerning adoption, listing experiences of
parents and children. The book
opens with the introduction of adoption practices.
It discusses both traditional and contemporary adoption
practices, with particular focus on inter-country adoption.
TOP OF THE HEAP
CELEBRATING
POTTERMANIA
Deepika Gurdev
IT
is the biggest story of our time, one that promises to stay on the
publishing scene for a long time to come. You guessed it, I’m talking
about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Now, it is possible
that you might not believe in wizards, witches, wizardry and Hogwarts,
but there is absolutely no way of getting away from this story.
History
voices verdict on colonisers
M.L.Raina
The Zigzag Way
by Anita Desai. Vintage. Pages 180. £ 3.50
IN
our age of political correctness and prim lipstick feminism, Anita Desai
remains a steadfast defender of core literary values. Her effortless
maturing into a prominent English language novelist over more than three
decades speaks of a rare professional dedication away from arc lights,
and ensures her place among significant contemporary writers.
A
‘blood-boiling’ saga
Komal Vijay Singh
The Gods of Glass
by Madan M. Sauldie ssx.Stuttgart.Germany.
Pages 304. Euro 19.90
THIS
is the writer’s first attempt at fiction and an ambitious one at that.
Before the story unfolds, the reader is informed that the saga
encompasses "biting reality enveloped in the soothing humour of
life." The tale is woven around a campaign that has been launched
by a minor potentate and his two brothers prior to Partition to oust a
bigger despot and thwart the activities of a group of thugs.
IMPRINT
Back of the book
-
Vanishing Acts
by Jodi Picoult.
Hodder & Stoughton. Pages: 418 £ 6.90
-
My Friend Leonard
by James Frey.
John Murray. Pages: 357 £ 6.90
-
Passion
by Jude Morgan
Review Headline. Pages: 663 £ 4.25
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