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HT Picks; New Reads
The reading list this week includes a new novel from the author of Brick Lane, a collection of Telugu stories appearing in English for the first time, and a travelogue that chronicles the author’s adventures around the world with her husband, children, and dog
Two cultures. Two families. Two People
Yasmin Ghorami has a lot to be grateful for: A loving family, a fledgling career in medicine and a charming, handsome fiancé, fellow doctor Joe Sangster.
But as the wedding day draws closer and Yasmin’s parents get to know Joe’s firebrand feminist mother, both families must confront the unraveling of long-held secrets, lies and betrayals.
While Yasmin dismantles her own assumptions about the people she holds most dear, she’s also forced to ask herself what she really wants in a relationship and what a ‘love marriage’ actually means.
Love Marriage is a story about who we are and how we love today – with all the complications and contradictions of life, desire, marriage and family. What starts as captivating social comedy develops into a heartbreaking and gripping story of two cultures, two families and two people trying to understand one another. *
Travels with my family
Shreya Sen-Handley’s Handle with Care is a blithe and zippy travelogue that chronicles her adventures around the globe. In tow, most of the time, is the “quirky clan” comprising her British husband, their two children, and their dog.
Here are tales of the world beyond south Kolkata and Sherwood Forest – places they call home. From much loved Indian locales like Rajasthan and Kerala to bustling international capitals like New York and Paris, from English idylls like Dorset and Haworth to the sleepy pleasures of Corfu – the journeys are described in vivid detail, seasoned with humour, and sprinkled with wise trip tips. No matter how gruelling the trek, you will weather the storm, and while you’re about it, have tons of fun, food and epiphanies. Mishaps or not, one learns, there is always magic to find.
These are delightful stories that’ll take you places without having to move an inch! *
On the land and its people
Telugu: The Best Stories of Our Times, edited by Volga, presents a kaleidoscopic vision of the current literary landscape by bringing together some of the finest contemporary writers of fiction. In these pages, we find stories about the land and its people in wide ranging tones; compassionate, sarcastic, whimsical, witty, tragic but always thrilling and enchanting in equal measure. The stories highlight the numerous histories, identities and themes that have been celebrated or challenged in the last few decades. Appearing in English for the first time, this landmark volume, offers an exhilarating glimpse into Telegu literature today.*
*All copy from book flap.
