INDIA IS 70 THIS YEAR
WORDS: MOSHITA PRAJAPATIREAD INDIA
Books
on the shelves
THE GREAT INDIAN NOVEL
Shashi Tharoor
Merging one of India’s greatest
mythological books – the
Mahabharata – with India’s two
grand political parties, this creatively-
presented account from Independent
India’s early political days to its
contemporary political climate is
witty, crafty, and entertaining.TRAIN TO PAKISTAN
Khushwant Singh
No book has managed to
capture the emotions and
pain of Partition like this one.
Train to Pakistan evocatively
exposes the painful horrors
committed on and by both
sides that have left a cultural
mark that will live a long time.CURFEWED NIGHT
Basharat PeerGrowing up in war-torn Kashmir,
Peer gives us an account of life that
is often printed across papers but
with none of the grime and blood of
his personal anecdotes. Blurring the
lines between heroes and villains,
the book asks how conflict can be
addressed in a state that everyone
seems to have chosen to ignore.MAXIMUM CITY
Suketu Mehta
A book that captured the spirit
and essence of (then) Bombay
like no other – from the
ghoulish world of the dreaded
mafia to the glamorous life of
Bollywood, the disappearing
bylanes of a city, home to
prostitutes with a golden heart,
to tales of successful scams
and business ideas,
the book is a must-read
for those enamoured with
the city of Bombay.A SUITABLE BOY
Vikram Seth
It’s a tome, probably one too long, but it doesn’t matter once you lose
yourself in the sweeping literature that is a Seth trademark.
His are recognisable characters; they could be your next-door neighbours,
or even you! Set in post-Partition India, where new freedom challenges
old thoughts, this is a mesmerising read for those looking to meet India just
a few years into her independence.
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