Books from India

In the historic North Indian town of Rampur, two women separated by more than a century discover an unexpected connection through literature, history, and the struggle to have their voices heard. In the nineteenth century, Munni Bai Hijab, a gifted courtesan and poet, captures the heart of the celebrated Urdu poet Dagh Dehlvi. Yet as her lover immortalises her in his verses, her own literary achievements risk being overshadowed by her role as his muse. In contemporary Rampur, Rukmini, an aspiring writer whose family has returned from Dubai after her husband’s business collapses, rediscovers her long-abandoned ambitions. While researching the town’s past at the Rampur Raza Library, she encounters Dagh’s letters and becomes fascinated by Hijab’s forgotten story. As Rukmini uncovers the poet’s life, she begins to recognise parallels with her own struggles as a wife, mother, and woman seeking creative independence. Blending historical fiction, romance, and cultural history, Tarana Husain Khan’s novel explores women’s literary legacies, the complexities of desire, and the power of reclaiming stories that history has overlooked.

Set in Bombay in 1937, Six Days in Bombay follows Sona, a young Indian woman whose encounter with an enigmatic French artist draws her into a world of art, ambition, and personal transformation. Against the vibrant backdrop of colonial-era India, Sona navigates the social expectations surrounding women while discovering new possibilities for her own future. Her experiences over six pivotal days challenge her understanding of herself, her relationships, and the boundaries that society has established for her. As the story unfolds, art becomes a means of exploring both individual expression and the tensions between tradition and change. Joshi combines historical atmosphere with an intimate portrait of a woman confronting the possibilities of a different life, examining how brief encounters and unexpected experiences can alter the course of a person’s identity and ambitions.

The Perfumist of Paris follows Radha, the younger sister introduced in The Henna Artist, as she builds a career in the world of perfumery in 1970s Paris. Having developed her talent for creating fragrances, Radha works to establish herself professionally while navigating marriage, motherhood, and the expectations placed upon her as an Indian woman living abroad. Her ambition to become an accomplished perfumer requires her to make difficult choices about the balance between her professional aspirations and her responsibilities to her family. As she encounters new opportunities and challenges, Radha must confront questions about independence, belonging, and the kind of future she wants to create. Joshi explores the relationship between creativity and self-expression, using the evocative world of perfume to examine memory, cultural heritage, and the complex process of developing an identity that embraces both personal ambition and family ties.

Well-Behaved Indian Women follows three generations of Indian women as they navigate the expectations of family, culture, and personal ambition. Simran Mehta, a young Indian American woman living in New York, dreams of becoming a writer, but her aspirations conflict with her family’s hopes that she will pursue a more conventional future. Her mother, Nandini, has spent much of her life meeting the expectations placed upon her as a wife and mother, while her grandmother, Bindu, carries memories of a different India and the sacrifices required of women in her generation. As their stories intersect, long-standing tensions emerge around marriage, independence, and what it means to be a good daughter. Dave explores the complexities of cultural identity and intergenerational relationships, showing how women can honour their heritage while questioning traditions that no longer reflect who they want to become.

Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories exploring the lives of Indian and Indian American characters navigating love, cultural displacement, family obligations, and loneliness. In the title story, an Indian tour guide who works as an interpreter for a doctor becomes the confidant of an American woman of Indian origin, whose personal revelations challenge his understanding of intimacy and connection. Other stories portray arranged marriages, strained relationships between parents and children, and the emotional difficulties of living between cultures. Lahiri pays close attention to ordinary moments when misunderstandings, unspoken desires, and private disappointments reveal deeper struggles. Her characters often appear caught between the expectations of their heritage and the realities of their present lives. The collection explores belonging, communication, and the quiet emotional distances that can separate people who seem intimately connected.