Author Louise Erdrich took the top fiction award for her moving novel “The Round House,” about a woman raped in a Native American community, at the annual national book awards in New York on Wednesday.

David Ferry’s “Bewilderment” won for poetry and William Alexander’s “Goblin Secrets” won the young people’s literature award.

The National Book Foundation, which administers the awards, nominated five writers in each of four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people’s literature.

We often wondered why a novelist like her was an optional read and not a mandate for all. Watching one of her latest interviews with Jeffery Brown on her new novel Home, she expressed her dissatisfaction over how she wanted to be “alphabetised” and not categorised. But she feels the academic curriculum is changing now.

 Home as a thematic concern is visible across Morrison’s novels including The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon and of course Beloved where the Kentucky plantation is paradoxically named ‘Sweet Home’, Sethe is trapped in chains of slavery. In her latest too, Morrison is unearthing another layer to what a home means, and in this case, it is represented by a war veteran’s struggle to search for a sense of belonging he can reconcile with.

Frank Money, a 24-year-old African-America and a Korean War veteran is set for a journey to another battlefield back in America, his ‘home’ country he has been fighting for. A shell-shocked soldier and a victim of post traumatic stress disorder, Frank wakes up in a sedated state in a hospital where he receives a letter. He is informed that his sister, Cee is in danger and he needs to rescue her soon enough. There is a whirlwind of memories and emotions that unsettles Frank during his enterprise to his hometown Lotus, Georgia he had once promised never to return. Exodus of families including his own from Texas, untimely demise of parents, a tough period of growing up years at step grandmother’s, death of his soldier friends in the War, a bad break-up with his girlfriend Lily and a little secret that reveals itself as a confession in the end are episodes that nudge him on his way to find his sister.

This promising note of the book and the way it begins, however remains just that – promising. In some ways, there is a sense of disappointment, because though the book does offer some insights into the world of fashion publishing, much of the time it is about the sexual lives of its main characters, namely Coco Raeburn and her ruthless boss Victoria Glossop who is the editor.

Also, it looks like after the success of books like Fifty Shades of Grey, authors are going all out to write books that bring in all kinds of strange sensual proclivities into their story line. The book is engrossing for those who love fashion and want to know about what goes on — the fight for the top jobs in the industry, the control freaks who won’t let go of their positions and the crazed hunger for power and wealth. But the unnecessary dwelling on the intimate goings on in their private lives gets far too tiresome. Killer Heels is more of a beach read, geared towards those who like their books laced with vast dollops of sensuality and hedonism.

In an attempt to unveil the disturbing facets ofBihar during the early Independence era, it seems like Hemant Kumar has exorcised his experiences of the state in his debut novel, ‘Prey by the Ganges’. A heart-felt narration of ruthless murders, village politics, unabashed lust, revenge-laden intentions and more; the novel leaves no stone unturned to qualify as an attention-grabbing thriller.

The book opens on an eerie full moon night when Vaidya Shambhu Nandan, along with his servant Hariya, waits along the bank of river Ganges for his friend, Ravi. A terrifying scream breaks the silence of the night and Shambhu helplessly witnesses his friend being mercilessly thrashed to death by a gang of bandits. The reader is therefore made to witness gore at its worst at the very outset. After the bandits have left, Shambhu retrieves his friend’s body, gives it an honourable cremation and swears revenge by his friend’s pyre. With a nemesis in his heart, he begins a journey to Janak Ganj to resume his friend’s unfinished plan and to avenge his friend’smurder from the cold-blooded Thakur Gajanan.

The chilli’s genesis in Mexico is stunning, particularly the Mexican cave settlements showing geoarchaeological remains of 10 varieties of fresh and stored peppers. They were part of the human diet in the Americas since 7,500 B.C. Their cultivation in South and Central Americaindicates their long history. Also it was the African slaves’ preference for chillies that made the North Amerian plantation owners grow them in abundance. The slave trade, therefore, was instrumental in boosting the chilli trade. By then, all things red and all things curry had been equated with India by the West.

The book sets the record straight, but also validates India’s proud position on the global chilli map. It evokes true national pride to know that India has over 8,00,000 hectares under chilli cultivation. That accounts for 25 per cent of the world trade, which measures up to 1.3 million tonnes of chillies every year. But since India eats up most of what it produces, only 5 per cent of Indian chillies are exported. Neighboring China has emerged as a competing exporter. The made-in-China chillies sell well in the U.S. So much for the ‘chilli-connectedness’ of the contemporary world.

However, Romancing the Chilli is not just another coffee table tome directed at a global audience. It has its share of Chillipedia compilations: Anandita, an Assamese woman entered the Guinness World record by eating 51 Bhoot Jholokias (the world’s hottest Ghost Chilli) in two minutes; the Los Angeles police were the first to use the chilli pepper sprays to incapacitate anti-social delinquents; the genetic journey of the chilli is evident in its 3,000 varieties; It’s presence is seen in all ancient culinary cultures (Incas, Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans) for a span of 2000 years; Chilli’s multi-vitamin detoxicant properties are used as cancer fighters, heart protectors, brain stimulants and antibiotics by the medical fraternity worldwide.

Narrative of the novel

Why is she called ‘The Fatwa Girl?’ Amina feels Islam has been interpreted in a way that has resulted in anything but peace, harmony and love. Suicide bombings, militant authority and the Taliban regime have colonised the minds of young and old in 21st century Pakistan. It is a battlefield where clash of sectarian prejudices has claimed innocent lives. For Amina, a fatwa is not a coercive legal pronouncement but a potential weapon to establish mutual understanding and cordial ties in society. This is why she propagates the idea of issuing a fatwa against suicide bombing as an effective deterrent to counter mass killing in the name of Allah.

Bicycle as a tool of freedom: The bicycle that Amina is determined to acquire expertise on becomes a symbol of self-reliance. It should be recalled how the feminist movement in its nascent stages of the 1890s saw the bicycle as a tool of social mobility and liberation. To ride a bicycle meant to challenge patriarchal notion of womanhood that ordained women to a life of household drudgery.

Amina imprisoned in marriage: It is indeed sad to see how the author in the latter half of the novel decides to completely shut the revolutionary spark in Amina and situates her in a stifling matrimonial setup. The first few months of her marriage to a politician and businessman Rafi Abbas seem blissful till the latter’s real self starts to unfold. Amina, a woman who always spoke her mind, loved music and poetry soon sees herself changing into a puppet, the strings of which rested in the hands of her husband. It is not just the Taliban that exercises arbitrary control over socio-political fabric of a country; it is also the patriarchal head of a Muslim household that treats its women as domesticated cattle, a comparison made apparent in the book. When Amina’s husband abducts her and forces her to undergo an abortion she never consents to, she cries, “It is a murder, rape and foeticide”.

The Mandarin edition of Nazareth’s book entitled “Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership” will be published in China at a time when the new generation of Chinese intellectuals is showing interest in the Gandhian principles despite being influenced by Chairman Mao Zedong’s revolutionary ideals. An MoU in this regard was signed today by Indian Ambassador S Jaishankar and Yu Dianli, CEO of the Commercial Press China, at a function at the Indian embassy here. Nazareth has written extensively on Mahatma Gandhi. His book on Gandhi’s leadership published in 2006 was translated into Spanish and Portuguese, besides several Indian languages.

Incidentally, this is the second book on Gandhi in Mandarin to be released in China. It will come out in markets next year. ‘The Gandhi Memories’, written by American journalist William L Shirer, recently hit the stands in China. Speaking on Nazareth’s book, Jaishankar said the publication of the Chinese edition is timely as it would highlight the importance of soft power and the limitations of hard power. The book also highlights the distinction between progress, modernisation and westernisation, dwells on the role of ethics in leadership and how national leaders acquire universal relevance, he said.

As Jacques (rhymes with ‘takes’) writes, too many in the West make “three key assumptions: that China’s challenge will be primarily economic in nature; that China will in due course become a typical Western nation; and that the international system will remain broadly as it now is, with China acquiescing in the status quo and becoming a compliant member of the international community”. All wrong, he argues. Expect Beijing to refashion the world in a style that is distinctively Chinese, not ersatz European. Jacques puts it succinctly: “China is not a chip off the old Western block.”

The best part of his book is his explanation as to why the world’s most populous country will be different. Though he gives eight in the book, he says four really matter:

First, he says, “China is not a conventional nation-State. It is a civilisational State.” This means Beijing has a different conception of sovereignty than, say, a European nation-State. Jacques cites the takeover of Hong Kong where China has happily preserved “one nation, two systems” policy. “Civilisational States are just not that preoccupied with sovereignty,” he explains.

Second, China’s view of the international system is an updated version of the imperial tributary system. The core idea is “a recognition of Chinese superiority”. Jacques believes this attitude will restructure relations in East Asia.

Third is the unique racial identity of the Chinese. Think: a nation with 1.3 billion people of whom 90 per cent are of one ethnic background. “The consequence is a powerful sense of identity, ” says Jacques.  The Chinese have a very strong sense of who they are.b

Book review: I’ve Got Your Number
Author: 

In typical Sophie Kinsella style, this book too piques your curiosity and sees you through in a matter of some hours. Her heroines, as always, are so lovingly predictable, and so blithely clumsy. They all have in common a lot of charisma, bagsful of wit, presence of mind, inevitable boyfriend issues, die-hard romanticism, misplaced goofiness, and some serious balls. Small wonder, we fall for their charms each time, in varied setups, knowing full well what’s next in line.

Perhaps it is this sprightly nature of her women that tugs at our heartstrings, and makes us lap up her plots albeit with a pinch of salt. In this one, Poppy Wyatt, a physiotherapist at a downtown clinic in London, is extremely thrilled about her impending wedding to boyfriend, an academic with Greek god looks, Magnus Tavish. And just while she is treating her friends to an afternoon of champagne and cupcakes she realises her precious engagement ring, a gigantic antique emerald that belongs to Magnus’ grandmom, is missing. And to make things worse, a fire alarm goes off and there is chaos everywhere. In a fit of panic, Poppy alerts the cleaners and other hotel staff, and makes frantic calls from her mobile phone just when someone nicks her phone too. Ridden with guilt over losing the priceless engagement ring, and now her phone, Poppy chances upon an abandoned cell phone in the hotel dustbin which she picks up and keeps as her own. From thence begins the tale of Poppy Wyatt’s journey to her wedding day, the back and forth preparations for it, and a weird, telephonic relationship with the owner of the phone, businessman Sam Roxton.

You will be amazed to find out how the cell phone first lands in the dustbin, and how Poppy uses the same number and passes it on to her friends and hotel staff, for any information on her missing ring. Though a tad difficult to believe how two people, that too strangers, can share their inboxes, it is nevertheless hilarious and hopelessly romantic the way the drama pans out over phone calls and SMSs. Mostly SMSs, for what follows is a marathon of SMS exchange between Poppy and Sam. Embarrassed to see her in-laws without the wedding ring, Poppy covers her hand with bandage and sends a picture of it to Sam for approval. Not just that he even bails her out in a game of Scrabble. Soon, she begins to take liberties with him by answering mails on his behalf.

In comparison to the Maoists he met in 1980, Myrdal finds the CPI-Maoist a hardened lot – ideologically and militarily. “The People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army,” he says, using the Maoist nomenclature for their armed wing, “is already strong enough to inflict real and heavy military losses on government forces”.

His role, he says, is to help people abroad and in India understand why the Maoists are waging war. In his view, freedom in India is for a privileged few; the majority of the rest are steeped in poverty. The romantic India is a figment of imagination of novelists, tourist industry and movie makers. Hunger, oppression and poverty-driven suicides form the “other India”, a country where tribals and Dalits ”are hounded and murdered and their women raped and mutilated for the profit and security of the ruler”.

His own journey in the Dandakaranya region helps him realize that despite official claims, there is no “liberated area”, only rebel zones. Maoist leaders frankly admit that while the CPI-Maoist is relatively strong in some rural areas, it is weak in urban centres, among the petty bourgeoisie (the bulwark of the original Naxalite movement) and even among industrial workers. Myrdal would want the CPI-Maoist to succeed but he concedes the reverse is possible. This is because the core strength of the present-day Maoists is mainly confined to the tribal community. “One should never forget the negative possibility.”