The stories of this collection were written over a span of several decades beginning in 1985 and ending in 2022. A few of them were translated by Manisha Roy from her mother tongue, Bengali. Despite the geographical and other contextual differences, the narrative shifted and at times translated itself as if the author traveled easily between different landscapes-both external and internal.
Roy’s academic training as a cultural anthropologist and later professional training in Analytical Psychology no doubt left undeniable influence in her wandering in the fascinating world of fictional imagination.
Nearly half of the stories are short-an experiment attempted with the genre of flash fiction. However, the strength and charm of the narrative are not affected by the choice of the experiment. Like her translation Roy is able to transcend such structural issues of creating fiction.
Readers will find reading these stories a new and unique experience.
Table of Contents
Mother Country
The Old Prostitute
The Mystery of the Göta Canal
Illegal Immigrant
A Wedding Gift
Returning Home
Family
Looking for My Father
My Mother
The Betel Quid
Stalemate
Madeleine
The Yellow Nursery
Foible
Passion
A Day of a Therapist’s Practice
Martinis and Chocolate Mousse
Alone
Sherry’s Challenge
Saturday Evening
A Break
The Swimmer of Colombo
The Ideal Partner in the Nineteen-seventies
Spilled Coffee
Hunger Strike
The Wristwatch
The Wheelchair