HT Picks; New Reads
On the reading list this week is a collection of writing by Indian women on grappling with mental health issues, a novel from an International Booker winning translator, and an exploration of one of India’s most revered classical dance forms
Humanising psychological conditions through storytelling
Bandaged Moments brings together 26 compelling stories from 17 Indian languages, humanising psychological conditions through storytelling, with each narrative illustrating the multifaceted nature of mental health issues, the challenges of seeking psychiatric help in India, along with the redemptive power of a support system (or the consequences when there isn’t one), and the lived experiences of individuals grappling with mental health issues in varied cultural settings.
Apart from compiling a diverse range of women writers, this anthology sheds light on the insidious intricacies of trauma and suffering, and the challenges and triumphs faced by patients and their caregivers.*
At the intersection of the dead and the living
Alice’s ancestral home is crumbling. As her grandmother lies on her deathbed, and her relationships with her alcoholic mother and extended family members grow strained, Alice finds herself haunted by a spectral visitor. The ghost’s cryptic and friendly whispers lead her on a journey to India, where long-buried family secrets lie in wait.
Her fiancé, psychiatrist Ronit Roy, is troubled by Alice’s obsession with the supernatural. Yet, he finds himself irresistibly drawn into the labyrinth of secrets entwining her family’s past. Together, they embark on a mission to India, seeking answers that lie at the precarious intersection of the living and the dead.
As the future beckons, Alice finally confronts a question that will change her life: will unearthing these hidden truths bring her closer to understanding herself and mend her familial bonds, or will the weight of the past prevent her from moving forward?
In Alice Sees Ghosts, Daisy Rockwell tells an unforgettable story of love, grief and wanting closure. A profound exploration of people trying to piece their broken selves together, this novel celebrates life in all its guises, and what comes after.*
A concise history of Bharata Natyam
In Dance of Freedom, renowned dancer and choreographer Leela Samson explores one of India’s oldest, most revered classical dance forms, Bharata Natyam. Tracing its origins to the earliest devadasis performing in the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu, she follows its flourishing passage through the imperial court of Thanjavur, its marginalization and eventual resurgence under British rule, and its glorious arrival on the public stage in the twentieth century at the Music Academy in Madras. Paying homage to the most significant contributors to its artistic trajectory, from the Tanjore Quartet and the Kalyani sisters to Rukmini Devi Arundale, she describes how each of them guided the dance form, with its expressive display of emotions and stylized storytelling, along the eventful path to its present stature.
She asks: how is it that this ancient art has endured over millennia, and continues to flourish today? The answer lies in its inclusivity. Bharata Natyam is a reflection of the aesthetic and culture of the nation that is India, absorbing its many musical forms, literary texts, and languages. This concise telling of its history is an impassioned and deeply personal celebration of the dance form by one of its foremost practitioners.*
*All copy from book flap.
