Black Bread White Beer; Niven Govinden, HarperCollins India, Rs. 350
Amal is driving Claud from London to her parents' country house. In the wake of Claud's miscarriage, it is a journey that will push their already strained relationship towards a possible collapse. Over the course of 24 hours, Black Bread White Beer captures the inner lives of this 30-something, upwardly mobile couple as it deals with festering, unaddressed issues of mixed-race marriages, parental pressures, the tension between humanism and organised religion and the loss of their unborn child.
Inspector Singh Investigates: A Curious Indian Cadaver; Shamini Flint, Piatkus, Rs. 350
Inspector Singh is sick of sick leave so when Mrs Singh suggests they attend a family wedding in Mumbai he grudgingly agrees hoping that the spicy Indian curries will make up for extended exposure to his wife's relatives. Unfortunately the beautiful bride-to-be disappears on the eve of her wedding. Did she run away to avoid an arranged marriage or is something more sinister afoot? When a corpse is found the fat inspector is soon dragged into a curious murder investigation with very firm instructions from Mrs Singh to exonerate her family.
Between Clay and Dust; Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Aleph Book Company, Rs. 450
Musharraf Ali Farooqi's latest novel is set in an unnamed Pakistani city emptied of most of its inhabitants shortly after Partition. Ustad Ramzi, a famous wrestler past his prime, and Gohar Jan, a well-known courtesan whose kotha once attracted the wealthy and the eminent, contemplate the former splendour of their lives and the ruthless currents of time and history that have swept them into oblivion.
Making News, Breaking News, Her Own Way; Edited By Latika Padgaonkar and Shubha Singh, Tranquebar, Rs. 250
This book is about the lives and work of the outstanding women journalists of our time who redefined and gave a whole new meaning to what constitutes news, in terms of values and themes. Their groundbreaking work won them the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain Award. From across the north, south, east and west of India, in different languages, these intrepid women have exposed corruption, child labour and caste massacres, uncovered financial scams and championed human rights. The stories range from the days of Prabha Dutt and Usha Rai to those like Barkha Dutt, Tavleen Singh and Madhu Kishawar.
3, Sakina Manzil and Other Plays; Ramu Ramanathan, Orient BlackSwan, Rs. 375
One aim of this collection is to record the work of a contemporary playwright so we have an opportunity to see the world through his eyes. Theatre is Ramu Ramanathan'd passion and he not only writes and directs plays but also conducts workshops on plays and playwriting. The volume includes “Shanti, Shanti”; “It's a War”; “The Boy Who Stopped Smiling”; “Curfew”; “3, Sakina Manzil”; and “Shakespeare and She”.
Time to Start Thinking: America and the Spectre of Decline; Edward Luce, Hachette India, Rs. 699
Edward Luce offers an incisive and highly engaging account of the challenge facing the U.S., a nation in long term economic and geopolitical decline. This book provides a revealing and intimate portrait of the country at a time of global financial and political upheaval. Washington Bureau chief for the last four years, Luce has travelled the U. S. interviewing business and political leaders, from Bill Gates to Larry Summers, as well as ordinary teachers, workers and scientists.
