A Life Long Ago; Sunanda Sikdar, Translated by Anchita Ghatak, Penguin India, Rs. 250
Barely 12 years old, Dayamoyee watches with bewilderment as her village, Dighpait, begins to change and people she knows and loves pack their belongings and leave. India has been partitioned, and Dighpait has now become part of a new country: (East) Pakistan. Forced to leave her beloved house and her friends, Dayamoyee resolves never to mention what they have left behind. And then, in the early 1990s she hears of Majam's death and the floodgates of memory open. An English translation of Sunanda Sikdar's award winning Dayamoyeer Katha , a memoir in Bengali, is being published by Penguin India.
My Kumaon; Jim Corbett, Oxford University Press, Rs. 225
An integral part of OUP India's centenary celebrations, this volume includes hunter, naturalist, and conservationist Jim Corbett's unpublished writings on man-eaters, nature, and his beloved Kumaon, personal letters, articles written for newspapers and gazettes by his contemporaries, and letters exchanged between Corbett and his publisher showcasing the development of his bestselling books — all from the archives of the Oxford University Press. Chronicling the history of his bestselling books ( Man-Eaters of Kumaon, The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag , and My India ) and supported by rare photographs and evocative line drawings, this volume reflects the evolution of his writing as well as his long relationship with the Press.
Taj Mahal; Raghu Rai, Timeless Books, Rs. 1150
This book of Raghu Rai's photographic portraits of the Taj Mahal blends the romance of the ethereal monument with reality, combining India's timeless life, light and landscape with surrealistic glimpses of the world's most remarkable monument to love.
Chittagong: Summer of 1930; Manoshi Bhattacharya, HarperCollins, Rs. 450
Chittagong: Summer of 1930, Part 1 brings to life the famous Chittagong Armoury Raid, led by Bengali revolutionary Surya Sen, through the memories of his young disciples and the British officers who were his contemporaries. Manoshi Bhattacharya draws upon historical records, government documents and personal reminiscences, tracing the life of the Bengalis and the British during the period.
Tamarind City: Where Modern India Began; Bishwanath Ghosh, Tranquebar, Rs. 295
‘While in other big cities tradition stays mothballed in trunks, taken out only during festivals and weddings, tradition here is worn round the year.' This is just one of the author's many keen observations of Chennai. Bishwanath Ghosh explores the city he has made his home, delving into its past, roaming its historic sites and neighbourhoods, and meeting a wide variety of people-from a top vocalist to a top sexologist, from a yoga teacher to a hip transsexual, from a yesteryear film star to his own 85-year-old neighbour, from the ghosts of Clive, Wellesley, Hastings and Yale to those of Periyar and MGR; two people who redefined the political skyline of Tamil Nadu. What emerges is an evocative portrait of this unique city, drawn without reservation-sometimes with humour, sometimes with irony-but always with love.
Imperfect Mr. Right: Shakti Salgaokar, Popular Prakashan, Rs. 175
Can an ordinary perfume salesman ever be a girl's dream match? Avinash Menon, head of Cee TV is out to make Rahul Rajgopal the man of every woman's dreams: rich, handsome and suave. Avinash enters Rahul in a reality show in which pretty Tanya Kher is also a participant. She's in for a lark, she's not really looking for Mr. Right. Or is she? Will this be a love story to end all love stories?
