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Life behind bars
Life in confinement is marked
by pain and desolation. In custody: Women in Tihar is a story
of the hundreds of women lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail. Excerpts:
A
slow climb over the Janakpuri flyover in West Delhi, gives a visitor
the first glimpse of the fortress that is Tihar Jail. Surrounded by
lofty eucalyptus trees, barbed-wire fencing and circular watch bays at
every few metres, it is the largest prison in South Asia.
Gentle
perfectionist
Nonika Singh
A. R. Rahman: The Musical
Storm
By Kamini Mathai.
Penguin/ Viking.
Pages 265. Rs 499.
OSCAR
winner A. R. Rahman’s musical odyssey had begun quietly, softy and
oh so melodiously. From the time he leapt into national consciousness
with his memorable number chotti si aasha to today, when an
awestruck nation stands grateful for bringing it the much-coveted
Oscars, curiosity about India’s best-known music composer has grown
in leaps and bounds.
Driving
moms nuts with posers
Priyanka Singh
100 Questions From My Child
By Mallika Chopra.
Roli.
Pages 191. Rs 395.
THIS
curiosity of children is boundless and often the quirkiest, crooked
questions are asked in ways most innocent. Frankly, the book didn’t
appear very appealing in the beginning, but it turned out to be quite
a pleasant read.
Hard-edged
reality
Kamaldeep Kaur
The Middleman
By Mani Sankar Mukherji.
Trans. Arunava Sinha.
Penguin.
Pages 192. Rs 200.
THIS
novel unveils the sordid underbelly of the great metropolis of Kolkata.
It demystifies this crown jewel of art, culture and literature to
expose its base and decadent society. The author subtly peels off the
layers of its ostensible cultural sophistication to reveal a repulsive
and rotting inner core.
A
look at the challenges ahead
Vijay Mohan
Flashpoints In South Asia
By Maj Gen Rajendra Nath (retd) and late Lt Col K. S. Ludra
Lancer’s Books.
Pages 481. Rs 795.
AS
socio-economic development in India gathers momentum in the backdrop
of a fast changing international scenario, a troubled regional
environment with its spillover effects throws up some daunting
challenges.
punjabi
review
Account
of daily life
B. S. Thaur
Dharti Hor Pare ...
By Jaswant Deed.
Chetna Parkashan.
Pages 160. Rs 160.
Jaswant
Deed is a noted writer and
winner of the Sahitya Academy Award. This is Deed's 10th book, a
collection of 16 short stories and an important addition to his
oeuvre. The stories are from daily life, depicting the first-hand
experiences of the author who has not hidden himself, but has come
forward as an important actor in these tales that offer moments of
potent love, longing, anguish and plenty of enjoyment with whisky
sessions day and night.
Identity
of a nation
Andrew Buncombe
Making Sense of Pakistan
By Farzana Shaikh.
Hurst &Co.
Pages 288. £15.99
Phrases
such as "failed state" and "country on the brink"
have been bandied around about Pakistan for so long that many people
might hazard a guess about the causes of the country’s woes: a
history of military rule; corrupt and inefficient politicians; a
failure to confront extremists; or the thrall of the US.
Back
of the book
Madhavrao Scindia—A
Life
By Vir Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare.
Penguin.
Pages 355. Rs 550.
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