‘A book should be an axe to chop open the frozen sea inside of us’ says the J.M. Coetze, twice winner of the Booker Prize. This is what AFTERBIRTH & Other Stories written by Kajoli Khanna does. Rarely does prose capture the vagaries of the human spirit with such acuity and poise. Lyrically written and intensely imagined the stories invite us to see our dark and luminous selves in an intimate relationship, to debate and reinstate the issue of human rights. Women and children emerge as protagonists in most stories, laying bare their hidden aspirations, designs and vulnerabilities.
Through the eyes of a rich socialite and a journalist we see the bizarre and glorious workings of the human mind, while an adolescent girl’s adoration of her mother turns disastrous. The characters become four dimensional as the racy pace runs across macabre spaces and forages into the depths of their beings . As we grow angry with and share the joys of the actors , truths that lie hidden under the veils of human passion are revealed and poetic justice is delivered.
From the 15th of May 2010 you can buy the book (272 pages) online at https://rolibooks.com from anywhere in the world. From the 23rd of May onwards it will be available in all the leading bookstore accross India, like Landmark, Ritika Bookstore in The Oberois. Ista Bookshops, Crossword, Odyssey Bookstore in Jaipur, Chennai, Kolcatta. Mumbai, Bangalore