Description
A young woman belonging to a religious minority escapes sectarian persecution in her own land and seeks refuge in a neighbouring country, only to find that here, too, she must submit to the lust of powerful men if she has to survive.
Another is deprived of a peaceful burial on her death as the social guardians declare that she had violated the tenets of her faith by preferring ligation to being a child-bearing machine all her life.
One who has had an unhappy girlhood turns to religion to seek some solace but ends up being whipped in the hot sun for committing the heresy of leading prayers with her friends which is a taboo for her gender.
Three sisters bear the pain of their mother whose life had been made hell by her husband for failing to give birth to a male heir.
These and other stories in this collection have such women at their central characters who seldom find a voice in the domain of English literature: rooted firmly in the oriental society of Bangladesh, they speak of their trials and tribulations in a lingo that represent their soul sisters all over the world.
Masuda Bhatti is a British author born in Bangladesh. She has attained fame in the genres of fiction and nonfiction, both in Bangladesh and overseas. Her 28 published books include novels, anthologies of short stories, political analytical essays, children’s books and academic writing.
Masuda’s first novel Jiboner Bhagnangsha brings to life a picture of rural Bangladesh. Her first published book of short stories was Kalo Titir Kande (The Weeping Partridge). Masuda’s short stories have been translated into English, Russian and Japanese languages.
Masuda’s writing, free from any kind of bigotry, reflects a world citizen.
Malobika Chatterjee is the founder-proprietor of the 39-year young Mono Translation Bureau and is the translator of the original Bengali by Masuda Bhatti. Malobika has translated 18-20 books published by Penguin, Rupa and Frontpage. Her repertoire includes transcribing for the 2005 Oscar wining movie ‘Born into Brothels’.
