The ghosts and ghouls of society

Some are ghost stories, and some, tales of tragedy. The author’s writing style makes them seem like shocking revelations

Title: The Washer of the Dead
Author: Venita Coelho
Publisher: Penguin
Price: Rs 199

This collection of short stories gives you an insight into the shocking lives of women in India — from the story of a village where women are not allowed to speak (their voice boxes are crushed at birth) to that of a woman who realises that her husband had killed his first wife.

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Some are ghost stories, and some, tales of tragedy. The author’s writing style makes them seem like shocking revelations.

The book, with its range of haunting and tragic stories, touches upon the issues that plague most Indian women — abuse, loneliness and social prejudice.