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Barry Rodgers profile imageBarry RodgersPublished on

From tracing modern art in Bombay to the stories of four travellers—each book tells a fascinating tale and is also formally and structurally inventive

5 books that take you from Partition to modern-day India

From tracing modern art in Bombay to the stories of four travellers, each book not only tells a fascinating tale, but they’re also formally and structurally inventive

We are hurtling to that time of the year when party invitations come fast and furious, where family get-togethers are a staple, and holiday planning goes into overdrive. While some enjoy the chaos and frenetic energy of the last two months of the year, others prefer curling up with a book. Our selection this month covers disparate themes. 

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's new novel is a saga of the decolonisation and Partition of the Indian subcontinent, with a cast of vividly drawn, compelling characters. Janice Pariat makes a persuasive case for taking only what we need—something we need to imbibe in ourselves and our lives. Jerry Pinto deftly paints a portrait of a family committed to pioneering modern art in Mumbai. Historian Andrew Otis's novel is an essential and compelling addition to the history of subcontinental journalism. And Priyanka Khanna introduces us to all the right people in a debut novel that has it all—love, friendship, and women taking control of their own lives.

Independence by Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniBesides being a novel set against the narrative backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle, the plotline of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's new offering weaves in the violence and tragedy of the Partition to the east of the country, which is relatively less written about in Indian literature in English. The story, in essence, is about independence at many levels—the country's, of course, but also of the women in the novel finding their feet and becoming genuinely independent [handicrafts play a significant role here]. With tropes of family, romance and relationships adding to this rich, descriptive narrative, there is space given to the courage displayed by women, particularly during the freedom struggle [in keeping with the writer's signature depictions of solid female protagonists].Publisher: HarperCollins India

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Besides being a novel set against the narrative backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle, the plotline of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's new offering weaves in the violence and tragedy of the Partition to the east of the country, which is relatively less written about in Indian literature in English. The story, in essence, is about independence at many levels—the country's, of course, but also of the women in the novel finding their feet and becoming genuinely independent [handicrafts play a significant role here]. With tropes of family, romance and relationships adding to this rich, descriptive narrative, there is space given to the courage displayed by women, particularly during the freedom struggle [in keeping with the writer's signature depictions of solid female protagonists].

Publisher: HarperCollins India

Everything the Light Touches by Janice PariatThe novel follows four people who, separated by time and place, share a love for travel and ecology. Their connection transcends time, yet their common purpose adds weight to the knowledge that people, like plants, must find their roots. The book has lyrical prose with a philosophical bent that uses the language of botany. The characters' journeys evoke a sense of purpose and belonging connected like a network of roots under the ground—invisible on the surface but rooted in a source of strength and nourishment. And although this would have worked better as a compilation of short stories, where the reader is given a chance to revisit each character, there are moments in the book that will utterly captivate readers with their poetic nuances. Publisher: HarperCollins India

Everything the Light Touches by Janice Pariat

The novel follows four people who, separated by time and place, share a love for travel and ecology. Their connection transcends time, yet their common purpose adds weight to the knowledge that people, like plants, must find their roots. The book has lyrical prose with a philosophical bent that uses the language of botany. The characters' journeys evoke a sense of purpose and belonging connected like a network of roots under the ground—invisible on the surface but rooted in a source of strength and nourishment. And although this would have worked better as a compilation of short stories, where the reader is given a chance to revisit each character, there are moments in the book that will utterly captivate readers with their poetic nuances. 

Publisher: HarperCollins India

Citizen Gallery: The Gandhys of Chemould and The Birth of Modern Art in Bombay by Jerry PintoNow a byword in the art world, the story of Gallery Chemould begins in the 1940s when Kekoo Gandhy decided to set up a picture-framing store on Princess Street in Bombay. To this store, Chemould Frames, walked in the likes of K.H. Ara, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, and others who called themselves the Progressive Artists Group. Husain sold his first canvas from that very window. Eventually, Chemould moved to an expansive new space: Chemould Prescott Road, now run by their daughter, Shireen Jungalwala. The gallery's new avatar continues to champion modern art with a range of brilliant artists. Did Gallery Chemould play midwife to the Progressives? Can a gallery be a responsible citizen? Pinto tries to unearth these answers. Publisher: Speaking Tiger

Citizen Gallery: The Gandhys of Chemould and The Birth of Modern Art in Bombay by Jerry Pinto

Now a byword in the art world, the story of Gallery Chemould begins in the 1940s when Kekoo Gandhy decided to set up a picture-framing store on Princess Street in Bombay. To this store, Chemould Frames, walked in the likes of K.H. Ara, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, and others who called themselves the Progressive Artists Group. Husain sold his first canvas from that very window. Eventually, Chemould moved to an expansive new space: Chemould Prescott Road, now run by their daughter, Shireen Jungalwala. The gallery's new avatar continues to champion modern art with a range of brilliant artists. Did Gallery Chemould play midwife to the Progressives? Can a gallery be a responsible citizen? Pinto tries to unearth these answers. 

Publisher: Speaking Tiger

Hicky's Bengal Gazette: The Story of India's First Newspaper by Andrew OtisDid freedom of the press triumph? This book sketches a riveting tale of the struggle of India's first newspaper editor, James Augustus Hicky. For five years, journalism researcher Andrew Otis pored over yellowing documents in Indian, British, and German libraries to show how Hicky stood by his principles that every person had the right to express their opinions freely. The burden of Hicky's campaign was this: “If the Crown's subjects in England enjoyed rights and liberties of speech and expression under English law, the same rights and liberties should also be extended to the Crown's subjects in India.” The novel comes when media integrity is under the scanner worldwide. The opposition Hicky faced from the establishment in the 1700s still finds relevance today, and that is one of the main reasons this book makes for an enlightening read.Publisher: Penguin Random House India

Hicky's Bengal Gazette: The Story of India's First Newspaper by Andrew Otis

Did freedom of the press triumph? This book sketches a riveting tale of the struggle of India's first newspaper editor, James Augustus Hicky. For five years, journalism researcher Andrew Otis pored over yellowing documents in Indian, British, and German libraries to show how Hicky stood by his principles that every person had the right to express their opinions freely. The burden of Hicky's campaign was this: “If the Crown's subjects in England enjoyed rights and liberties of speech and expression under English law, the same rights and liberties should also be extended to the Crown's subjects in India.” The novel comes when media integrity is under the scanner worldwide. The opposition Hicky faced from the establishment in the 1700s still finds relevance today, and that is one of the main reasons this book makes for an enlightening read.

Publisher: Penguin Random House India

All the Right People by Priyanka KhannaThis book, written by Vogue India's former Fashion Features Director, is, at its heart, a tale of three young women trying to write their own stories and take control of their lives. Slick and entertaining, All the Right People takes you into the hidden, privileged world of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Bombay, New Delhi and London but tells a universal story. Of love. Of loss. Of family. Of friendship. Of difficult decisions.Publisher: Penguin Random House India

All the Right People by Priyanka Khanna

This book, written by Vogue India's former Fashion Features Director, is, at its heart, a tale of three young women trying to write their own stories and take control of their lives. Slick and entertaining, All the Right People takes you into the hidden, privileged world of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Bombay, New Delhi and London but tells a universal story. Of love. Of loss. Of family. Of friendship. Of difficult decisions.

Publisher: Penguin Random House India

Also Read: Karen Anand’s book ‘Masala Memsahib’ tells culinary stories from five Indian states

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