Comfortably Numb - Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

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…

Book review: The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon

Tales of the Korean diaspora A sense of sadness, loss and regret runs through the seven stories in this collection which grapple with the themes of identity, belonging and escape, and casts a light on the experiences of the Korean diaspora. We see their lives play out not only in different parts of the world…

Book review: The Long Strider by Dom Moraes and Sarayu Srivatsa

In the adventurer`s footsteps The late poet and novelist Dom Moraes was apparently much taken with the account of the adventures of a man named Thomas Coryate of Odcombe village in Somerset, an enthusiastic trekker known in those parts as the Long Strider. Coryate took a long walk from England to Jehangir`s court in India,…

Book review: The Cobra`s Gaze by Stephen Alter

Where the wild things are This is such an important work, a masterclass in ecological awareness for those of us who would read, absorb, learn. In an intense effort to show us the missing link between animals, birds and humans, how we perceive other species through our umwelt or sensory bubble, project human expectations on…

Travel: The tigers of Tadoba

Tadoba`s family tigers Tiger-spotting is serious business at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. On any given evening, as the visitor is about to dig into dinner after a long day of morning and evening safaris, eavesdropping becomes a fun sport. “Raka`s back,” announces one tiger-spotter, a satisfied smile hovering about his mouth. “He`s a…