BOOKS WE RECOMMEND THIS WEEK

From a short story anthology from the Black Soil region of Tamil Nadu, to Romila Thapar’s account of her first visit to China in 1957, our book picks this week, curated by Chirdeep Malhotra

FICTION/ TRANSLATION

“Along with the Sun: Stories from Tamil Nadu's Black Soil Region”, edited by Ki. Rajanarayanan and translated by Padma Narayanan

This unique anthology of short stories from the 'Karisal' or 'Black Soil' region of Tamil Nadu has been edited by one of the most acclaimed and influential writers in Tamil, Ki. Rajanarayanan. Written by celebrated contemporary Tamil authors in a range of literary styles, these stories depict, with genuine affection and concern, the lives of people living against the backdrop of the black soil land. With the rain playing hide-and-seek; and caste and religion still forming a large part of the social order, these stories will resonate universally long after they are read.



HISTORICAL FICTION

“Twilight in a Knotted World” by Siddhartha Sarma

This historical novel is set in India of the late 1820’s and 1830’s, and features British colonial administrator William Henry Sleeman, famous for the elimination of ‘thuggee’. When Captain Sleeman, who administers Jabalpur district, is tasked with investigating the activities of an obscure group of criminals who are said to strangle their victims, he uncovers the many layers of the Phansigar problem.
But Sleeman’s inquiries will make him confront the nature of his beloved adopted homeland and of the mighty people in Calcutta who he serves. Through the prism of caste, the consequent web of intricate social and cultural relationships, and the nature of travel in the hinterland, he will see the real face of India and come across its uncomfortable, bleak truths.



TRAVEL MEMOIR

“Getting There” by Manjula Padmanabhan

This picaresque travel memoir looks back on novelist, cartoonist and award-winning playwright Manjula Padmanabhan’s youthful misadventures in Europe. In Bombay in the late 1970s, Manjula is in her twenties, struggling to earn a living as an author- illustrator. Then, a deceptively routine visit to a diet clinic and an encounter with two tall Dutch men turn her life inside out, and without much ado she speeds off on a Westward-bound spiritual quest. By turns funny and fierce, this book will touch anyone who has ever wanted to strip off their skin to waltz, however briefly, on the wild side.



NON-FICTION

“Gazing Eastwards: Of Buddhist Monks and Revolutionaries in China” by Romila Thapar

This book is a lively and arresting account of Romila Thapar’s first visit to China in 1957, when she went to study two major Buddhist sites in Maijishan and Dunhuang, as a research assistant to the Sri Lankan art historian Anil de Silva. This being her first visit to East Asia, she was greatly intrigued by the country, its culture, and its people; and delved into Chinese history and tried to experience as much of Chinese society as she could. Her observations of her time in China provide the reader with a profound, funny, original, and constantly insightful look at one of the world’s oldest and most complex countries.