Sheila Kumar - Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Photo feature: By the Sea in Cornwall

All photographs copyrighted to Sheila Kumar.

Book review: Do Not Ask The River Her Name

Far away in Jerusalem…. Sheela Tomy, in her second book, the evocatively named Do Not Ask The River Her Name, has moved from the hilly tracts of Kerala all the way over to Israel but the story keeps its roots firmly planted in the land of coconuts. The book`s protagonist is Ruth from Kollam, who…

Book review: Hurda by Atharva Pandit

Murders most foul Ever so often there is distressing news of girls found dead in small-town India. It follows a set pattern. The reports almost always say that the cause of death is yet to be established; it could be due to suicide, murder or an accident. Places that the urban dweller pays scant attention…

Book review: Like Being Alive Twice by Dharini Bhaskar

Love in dark times This inter-religious love story set in a dystopian unnamed nation packs quite a punch. It is an intense exploration of what it means to love in a fractured world. Priyamvada (Poppy) and Tariq are in love. When we meet them, Tariq intends to propose, and Poppy intends to say yes. In…

Book review: An Unholy Drought by Madhulika Liddle

Where history and embroidery come alive This story is as detailed, as intricate, as a naqsha for an elaborate tapestry. In a time of turbulence, drought and famine, a man nearing his end starts narrating the story of his family’s life. Through this narrative that spans generations, the sprawling saga of a family and the…

Daunt Books: a treasure trove in Marylebone

Treasure trove This is such a pretty bookshop, it almost diverts attention from the substantial collection of books it holds. Almost. The first Daunt bookstore, situated on a quiet road in Marylebone, a London suburb, was formerly an Edwardian antiquarian bookshop. That ambience has been retained, and translates to a gorgeous oak gallery, old-fashioned skylights…

Book review: Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Meditations on murders Asako Yuzuki was inspired by the sensational real-life case of the `Konkatsu Killer` when she wrote up this study of a suspected killer, of the possible motive behind the killings if killings they were, and of several things that ail Japanese society in modern times, spreading disaffection and maybe violence, too. Manako…

Column: When enough is enough

Enough, already! Let`s play a quick word game. I`ll throw a word at you, and you make the necessary associations. The word, used as a noun, is: enough. In response, I hear you say: ordinary. Limited. Average, tepid. No more, no less. My turn now. And I`m saying: equanimity. Balance, liberation. Happiness. I`m saying we…

Book review: Rosarita by Anita Desai

A journey within, a journey without The story opens on a cracker of a note. Our protagonist, Bonita, is sitting on a park bench in San Miguel, Mexico, absorbed in her own thoughts. She is approached by Victoria, a dramatically dressed Mexican woman of a certain age, who insists she must be the artist Rosarita`s…