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The power and
the glory
Non-violent resistance and
satyagraha, imbibed in South Africa, were the hallmarks of Mahatma
Gandhi’s struggle to free India from the British
Catching up with Gandhi
By Graham Turner.
Penguin.
Pages 329. Rs 350.
Reviewed by Rumina Sethi
CATCHING
up with Gandhi is Graham Turner’s spiritual Gandhian odyssey.
Turner travels through places and relives episodes of Gandhi’s life in
an endeavour to undertake "a series of magical journeys in India
and South Africa" accompanied occasionally by one of Mahatma
Gandhi’s grandsons, Rajmohan Gandhi, and at other times by his
granddaughter, Ela Menon.
Trials
and tribulations
The Collector’s Daughter
By S. K. Das.
Rupa.
Pages 290. Rs 295.
Reviewed by Amarinder Sandhu
THE
book is set in Orissa where the imperial British are all powerful.
William Stewart, the Collector of Puri, forces himself on Meni, the
teenage daughter of his chaprassi. Later, the girl is sent to her
native village where she bears a daughter.
Eye-Catcher
Of blue robes, steel swords
The Valiant Ones: A journey into the mesmerizing world of
the Sikhs
By Gurbir Singh and Gagandeep Kaur
Kesar Media and Lahore Books. Pages 158. Rs 3,000.
Reviewed by Roopinder Singh
THE Nihangs always attract the eye. Their colourful attires, displays of traditional and not-so-traditional weapons and distinctive lifestyle set them apart.
Whiff
of Punjab’s mitti
Stories of the Soil
Edited and translated by Nirupama Dutt.
Penguin.
Pages 314. Rs 350.
Reviewed by Nonika Singh
AT
first glance, the simple title of the book Stories of the Soil
and rather unimpressive cover do little to excite one’s imagination.
But unfurl the pages of the book, and soon enough the fragrance of the
soil begins to overpower and grip your senses.
Disturbing
history
The Jesus Mystery
By Lena Einhorn.
Lyons Press.
Pages 279. $24.95.
Reviewed by B. L. Chakoo
THERE
were always historians who said it could not be done because of
historical problems. There were always theologians who said it should
not be done because of theological objections. And there were always
scholars who said the former when they meant the latter."
Paro
to Priya
Madhusree Chatterjee
The concept of the Bharatiya nari is a can of worms, says Namita
Gokhale as she talks of her latest title, Priya: An Incredible Indyaa
Being
a housewife in contemporary India is a tedious task and comes with a new
set of pressures, says writer-publisher Namita Gokhale, who also
believes that Indian feminists balance and suppress a lot. "There
is the pressure of looking young, slim and beautiful. As one gets older,
one has to look younger. It is very hard work to be a Delhi society
lady; a minute-by-minute struggle!" Gokhale, who has penned 10
books, said in a recent interview.
Archie
in aamchi Mumbai
Comic hero Archie goes desi,
dances to Bollywood songs
THE
iconic red-haired Archie, a comic book heartthrob with a perpetually
hassled look and two girlfriends, will soon be dancing to Bollywood
numbers in the book's Indian avatar published in Hindi and Malayalam.
Orange
win makes Obreht hottest name in fiction
Rob Sharp
THE
first-time novelist Téa Obreht’s book The Tiger’s Wife, a
surreal, seductive meander through recent history in the Balkans, has
turned the 25-year-old into the latest literary superstar after she was
crowned the youngest winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction recently.
Back of the book
The Emerald Atlas
By John Stephens.
Doubleday. Pages 417.
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