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 A Man From Motihari.  You will not be far off the mark, if this title reminds you of George Orwell. Eric Arthur Blair, the noted English novelist better known as George Orwell, was born in Motihari. And so was Aslam Sher Khan, the protagonist of A Man From Motihari . The connection doesn't end here...Aslam was delivered in the same bungalow where Orwell was born; Aslam's delivery was aided by a midwife, who was Orwell's nanny. This 'Lady in White' has constant presence in Aslam's life, something like a talisman.   But no, this is not a novel redolent of ghosts stories. Or shall we say it, A Man From Motihari is not the conventional ghost story. Instead its author Abdullah Khan touches upon the 'ghosts' of Babri Masjid, Godhra riots, bomb blasts in Varanasi, the agitation against Citizenship Amendment Act, all seen through the eyes of Aslam Sher Khan, a banker and an aspiring writer from small town India.  Khan has deftly woven the past and present of o

  (This book review was first written for Amritabharati) Summer’s Song Title: Bena’s Summer Author: Shibal Bhartiya Pages: 247 Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’s Books From its first page, Bena’s Summer draws you into a world that is fast fading away -- of innocence, believing in and doing the good, trust and happiness. The story is a visual treat of a summer that promises fun with cousins, climbing trees, eating raw mangoes and reveling in the pleasure of having outsmarted elders. Set somewhere in the 80s, Bena’s Summer travels to Gaya in Bihar, where her paternal relatives stay in Altamash Manzil and later to Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where her maternal grandparents and aunt live.   A largely autbobiographical story of Shibal Bhartiya, her protagonist Bena or Benzair Altamash is a precocious eight-year-old. Bena is generous to a fault and believes in the goodness of all; sometimes she does stumble and makes an unkind remark, but apologises straight from the heart when she realise

  (This book review was first written for Amritabharati) Title: Saira Zariwala is Afraid Author: Shabnam Minwalla Pages: 352 Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Book   Right there…behind you An ordinary school girl’s life gets enmeshed with wannabe stars, the rich and happening set of Mumbai and the result is an edge-of-the-seat whodunit murder mystery. Saira Zariwala gets a silver iphone for her 15 th birthday, but her excitement is elbowed out when she realises that her mobile number previously belonged to one Akaash and all the messages that pour in are for him. ‘Who is Akaash and where is he?’ Saira wonders as the evil forces quickly zero in on the teenager, who at first, is clueless about her role in the scheme of things. Saira’s history of panic attacks, protective parents, her outwardly cool but watchful elder brother, and a set of school friends and frenenemies keep the plot churning in Saira Zariwala is Afraid . The book teems with characters, but not one is ‘unneces

Three years to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has taught us all many a lesson, that (hopefully) will not be forgotten in a hurry. Amidst all the changes that we have lived through -- WFH to WFA, hybrid work models, 'new normal', and connecting with almost the entire world online -- here are some stories of how those in the creative field plodded on. Here's a series with authors and artists on how the virus affected their productivity. We start off with Deepa Agarwal, a prolific writer, poet, who has written for children and adults. Read on... Many publishing houses hosted interactive online sessions to connect readers with their authors. How was your experience? There were several requests from publishers for sessions with schools and on social media like Facebook and Insta Live interviews. There were also requests for pre recorded videos. Not only publishers but other writers, book stores, reading groups and various organisations and individuals contacted me. Scho

 Ambika Shaligram Is there a kid in your class who has a natural aptitude for running? Well, Zainab would be happy to meet them, to pick a tip or two. You see, Zainab has done her school proud by winning a race.  And, then there is Bashir, who is pro at football, looking forward to his next match. Bet, you have another friend who is equally good at the sport. Oh yes, you should meet Rehman too, who might not be good at cricket like his friends. But he is at home on a sled, racing far ahead of his friends on the snow laden hilly tracks. Maryam is inquisitive, always ready to talk and ask questions. Anam is a little shy, but has a way with words, the written, of course. Sajid wants to be something else, not a salesman, like his father. For the life of him, Sajid can't press upon the visitors to Dal Lake to buy pretty stuff. It is necessary, how else will they earn their livelihood, his father tries to impress upon Sajid. These kids, alongwith a few others, feature in a clutch of nine

Ambika Shaligram Food and all the closest adjectives that make up the culinary world grab you in Manreet Sodhi Someshwar's Girls and the City . It tosses you around, lets you simmer a bit, and sets you out on a plate to chew and ruminate.  There's Reshma Talwar, who loves her Butter Chicken, but in her heart she's afraid of being called the gori moti bhains , a scar from her teenage years. JJ or Juhi Jha, on the other hand, easily tucks into large quantities of food, stays back late in office because the company picks up food tab if you stay back beyond the prescribed hours for work reasons. She knows hunger and intimately so, scrounging off pots for the last grain of rice or trying to hide a roti in her salwar , away from the males in the family who dig in their meals for second and third helping.  And, then there is Leela Lakshmi, who has lot on her plate. An abusive father, an abusive relationship, from which she has tenaciously build a happy life for her daughter, Nani

  By Ambika Shaligram Name: The Impeccable Integrity of Ruby R Author: Moni Mohsin Publisher: Penguin Random House India Pages: 276 It’s very easy to assume that Moni Mohsin’s latest work, The Impeccable Integrity of Ruby R has no surprises. On the surface, Ruby Rauf comes across as a familiar character, a person we know. One who has aimed high, but inevitably has her fall from grace. An industrious student studying in London, Ruby is working hard towards her Master’s degree so that she can grab a job back home in Pakistan and lead a comfortable life which was snatched from her and her mother, when her father passed away. In London, she happens to attend a speech by Saif Haq, a has-been actor, who is testing waters in Pakistan's politics. He still has charisma, good looks and convinces Ruby into quitting her degree and returning home to work as the social media manager for his political party, Integrity. Of course there are other compelling reasons for Ruby taking up the of